5 Ways to Impress the Health Inspector

Ensuring your restaurant kitchen is always ready for inspection

Is your restaurant kitchen ready for the visit from the health inspector? Avoid common mistakes with this simple checklist.

Practice Good Hygiene

Clean habits make for a clean kitchen. Ensure that your staff always washes their hands after using the restroom. Gloves should be changed between preparing different dishes. Most importantly, staff members who are ill should never handle food. Be sure to check the bathrooms to make sure that the sinks and toilets are clean and all drains are operating properly to prevent backup or potential contamination.

Proper Handling of Hazardous Foods

Meats, dairy products, eggs and certain prepared foods must be kept at the proper temperature to avoid bacterial growth. Never leave refrigerated or frozen items sitting out until they become lukewarm. Cook all foods thoroughly and serve or store them in a timely manner. Keep food preparation and cooking surfaces clean at all times to avoid cross-contamination of raw and cooked dishes.

Maintain a Kitchen Cleaning Schedule

Create a clear duty sheet for kitchen cleaning and train all employees in the various tasks detailed on it. Everything should get a regular cleaning: food prep surfaces, floors, rags and sponges, aprons and floor mats, coffee machines, sinks and even range hoods. Some chores, like sweeping the floor and changing sanitation water, should happen between every shift.

Empty the Freezer

Not completely—just make sure that all the food is still safe to eat. Check expiration dates and rotate older items to the front so that they get used before going bad. This not only ensures a healthy freezer, it also saves on waste. While you’re checking the food, check to see that the freezer and all refrigeration units are clean and operating at the proper temperatures.

Control Kitchen Pests

To pests, a restaurant kitchen can be a buffet. Common creepy-crawlies like ants, flies and roaches are attracted to food. Keep them at bay by practicing proper sanitation and keeping food properly stored. The trick is to maintain an environment that all pests, from bugs to rodents, will find unfavorable.

ABC Home & Commercial Services has the expertise and the equipment necessary to help keep your restaurant kitchen clean and pest-free. Visit our website for more information about our commercial pest control services in the Dallas area.