Article contributed by Dhruv Kishore Bole
Welcome to the second installment of our three-part series on common restaurant food safety violations and how to avoid them.
Following on from the first installment, this article outlines a few more of the most common food safety violations that occur in restaurants and discusses strategies that restaurant operators can employ to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Did you miss the 1st installment of our three part-series? Read it by clicking here.
Let’s look at the next fifteen most common restaurant food safety violations.
Violation 16: Employees not following proper handwashing procedures
Employees are often seen having a relaxed attitude towards handwashing. Food safety regulations have described proper handwashing procedures but employees often fail to follow them. Proper handwashing prevents the spread of pathogens from the hands of employees to food. Encourage staff to wash their hands before, during and after working with food, before and after handling raw meat and after using the washroom. Remember sanitizers are not a substitute for handwashing.
Violation 17: Employees sleeping in kitchen and food service areas
Hygiene inspectors often discover employees sleeping in food preparation, service or storage areas. Employees carry a variety of infections and sleeping or living in these areas can spread germs throughout the restaurant. Employees are required to rest in break rooms during shift break.
Violation 18: Employees keeping their personal belongings in food preparation areas
Employees are seen storing personal items like uniforms and aprons in food storage shelves and cabinets. This is a hygiene violation that makes food unsafe to eat, hence such practices should be discouraged. Employees are also prohibited to keep their cell phones in areas where food is prepared, stored or served. Phones are carriers of pathogens that can contaminate hands and spread pathogens from hand to food. To keep food safe, it is best to leave the phone in locker rooms.
Violation 19: Improper use of gloves
When preparing food, wearing gloves helps to prevent cross-contamination. Gloves are a secondary barrier between the chef and the food they are handling. Wash hands before putting on gloves and change gloves when they are torn or visibly dirty. Also, change gloves when switching between different food items such as raw meat to ready-to-eat (RTE) food items.
Violation 20: Incorrect thawing of food
This is another common food safety mistake reported in most restaurant inspections. Meat products like beef and chicken are often thawed using incorrect procedures either at room temperature or on the preparation table, or in standing water in the dishwashing sink. Always thaw frozen meat using standard procedures such as under cold running water, in the refrigerator or in a microwave oven to avoid growth of pathogens.
Violation 21: Food left out at room temperature for an extended period of time
Never leave hot cooked food out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Pathogens can grow in food and cause food poisoning.
Violation 22: Food Not Labelled Prior To Storage
It is important to date label the food before storage. Such practices will help staff identify food inside the container quickly and determine whether food is past its expiration date. Bacterial growth could occur in food that has reached its expiration date, resulting in foodborne illness.
Violation 23: Touching Ready-to-Eat food with bare hands
Touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands could transfer pathogens from hand to food. When handling ready-to-eat food, always wear gloves and use a separate, clean cutting board and knife.
Violation 24: Food stored in dirty containers
Cross-contamination is more likely when food is stored in dirty containers, for example, containers with a sticky buildup. Always store food in airtight, food-safe containers and ensure they are washed, sanitized and dried between usages.
Violation 25: Spoons left in food storage containers
It is not good practice to leave spoons or measuring cups in food containers. Since spoons come into contact with bare hands, there is a risk of cross-contamination of food items. It is better to use a fresh spoon each time.
Violation 26: Employees using aprons to wipe hands
During inspections, it is common to see employees wiping their hands with their aprons. This is a food safety violation because wiping hands with aprons contaminates them again. To ensure hand hygiene, always wipe hands with a single-use paper towel.
Violation 27: Handling ice with bare hands
Ice is considered food and it should be handled as such. Bartenders must always wash their hands before handling ice. Using bare hands to remove ice can contaminate the ice since germs can be transferred from the hands to the ice. Use ice tongs or scoops for taking out ice to prevent contamination. Never use glass to scoop ice because the glass can break or crack in the ice and get into the drinks. Ice scoop handles coming in contact with ice can also contaminate ice. Keep the scoop in a clean and dry container or Hang the ice scoop outside the ice dispensing machine.
Violation 28: Same mop used for washroom and dining area
Using the same mop in the washroom, kitchen, and service areas can result in contamination of floor surfaces, as washrooms are rife with disease-causing pathogens. Keep separate mops, dustpans and brooms for these areas and color code them for easier identification. Another traditional restaurant violation is using dirty mops to mop the floors and without changing the cleaning solution between cleaning activities. These practices can spread contaminants from previous cleaning operations to floors. For successful cleaning, it is important to replace detergent solution between tasks and to thoroughly wash, rinse and dry mops after each use.
Violation 29: Staff not removing aprons before using washrooms
Another food safety tip is to remove aprons before using the washroom. Washrooms are microbiologically dirty and wearing aprons in the toilet could directly or indirectly contaminate the uniform. This will bring germs into the kitchen. Hang up the aprons before going to the washroom and put the apron back before working with food.
Violation 30: Improper food storage in Refrigerator
Another aspect that food inspectors look for is how the food is stored in refrigerators. Cross-contamination can occur in the refrigerator due to accidental contact between food items. Always store raw meat and poultry in a container or in a sealed plastic bag below ready-to-eat food items to eliminate the possibility of accidental contact.
Watch out for the final installment of this series in September.
Dhruv Kishore Bole is a hospitality and food safety specialist with qualifications in hotel management, food safety and quality management system. He has extensive experience spanning over twelve years in operational and training roles. His expertise centers on hospitality operation, food and beverage services and food safety. He has attended numerous workshops and conferences on customer service, leadership and food safety and quality and is certified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in food safety competencies. He is currently offering services in the capacity of Faculty, Food & Beverage service at State Institute of Hotel Management, Siddhpur, India. He is an empanelled trainer with Hero Mindmine and IL&FS Skills. He is a member of Quality Council of India and an instructor and proctor with ServSafe for India region.
