By Over the course a recent countrywide investigation by the independent oversight group Which?, researchers ascertained that sanitation and hygiene in today’s kitchen environments is an afterthought to say in the least.
The study found that nearly 55% of the food service facilities in schools, hospitals, eateries, and alternative dining establishments are running the risk of poisoning patrons due to substandard cleanliness and shoddy upkeep routines.
Hygiene By the Numbers
From cockroaches and grease accumulation to mould, mildew, rats, fungal colonies, and other disease-ridden elements, there are countless hazards to account for in your kitchen, so let’s appraise the culinary landscape from a critical angle:
- Due to the copious amounts of raw meat, seafood, unwashed vegetables, and other contaminated foodstuffs that come into contact with kitchen surfaces, the typical cutting board contains twice as many bacteria strains as a toilet cover, many of which are closely related to the microorganisms found in faecal matter.
- Industry analysts have concluded that roughly 24% of cooks, line chefs, and other integral prep staff members do not wash their hands as often as they should. Even more startlingly, only 31% actually use soap – the rest simply run their fingers under lukewarm water.
- The Electrical Safety Council recently revealed that millions of people in the UK admitted to causing a fire in their kitchens, and the vast majority of these breakouts occurred as the result of stagnant oily residues, viscous deposits, and oleaginous substances. Although many of the fires were quickly resolved, there is an ever-present possibility of harrowing fire damage in unclean kitchens.
- Environmental health officers have found some disturbing things in restaurants over the years, such as dead mice, giant vermin, dead birds, clusters of bugs, black mould on floors, and salmonella in ice machines.
It is imperative for you to protect your livelihood by putting forth a fully sanitised work environment, especially if you’d like to avoid the backbreaking fines and penalties that come with poor health reviews.
Revitalising Your Approach to Sanitation
Your first course of action should be to partner with a reputable merchant and purchase some new-age cleaning supplies online. Shown below are the necessities that every food service department should have on hand at all times:
- A surplus of refuse sacks, spare rubbish bins, hygiene paper, toilet rolls, and hand towels.
- Floor cleaning provisions, including industrial mops, buckets, floor scrapers, squeegees, and edge brushes.
- Degreasing tools and bacteria-killing solutions.
- Several hand sanitising stations positioned strategically around the building.
- Spray bottles that allow you to mix various concoctions based on the project at hand.
- Simple carpet sweepers for your main areas.
- A customisable trolley to store all of your equipment.
After you amass a suitable collection of cleaning items, be sure to meet with your team to create a comprehensive day-to-day strategy. This will help you mitigate the need for commercial cleaning contractors and, most notably, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your facilities are in immaculate condition throughout the year.
