Monday, December 7, 2009

Food Safety Standards

When when it comes to food safety standards, most people think of it in terms of restaurants. But the truth is that they apply to any establishment that serves food to people, and that includes hotels.

Here are some important things to remember when dealing with food safety standards in a hotel.

Personal Hygiene

This is one of the biggest things that is going to affect a hotel's food safety standards. The people who are working in the hotel need to remember to practice good personal hygiene. This doesn't just mean washing hands after using the bathroom and before and after touching food. It also means covering up cuts and restraining and covering hair, making sure that the clothing is clean, and covering of the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing before the hands are washed again.

Disinfecting and Cleaning

The second way to have good food safety standards is making sure that the areas where food is prepared and the utensils which are used to prepare the food are disinfected and cleaned well. This includes things like stoves, knives, stirring items, machines for grinding, juicing machines and ovens. Disinfecting and cleaning the items will prevent the growth of bacteria.

Pest Control

The third big issue in food safety standards is making sure that pests are controlled. There are many different kinds of food pests that might come into contact with food and contaminate them, such as flies, mice, and roaches. The hotel needs to be frequently checked by a exterminator to make sure that there aren't any pests that can pose a health issue to guests and employees.

Preparing Food

A fourth issue when it comes to food safety standards is ensuring that the cooks are preparing the food right. They should dispose of any foods that have expired, that have fallen to the floor, or that have touched a surface that is dirty. They also need to cook the foods very thoroughly unless the client is requesting it to be done another way.

Inspections

The final issue when it comes to food safety standards is the results of random inspections that are being made by the health department. When the health department representative comes around, they are going to check the items that are listed in this article. If they aren't happy with the results of the inspection, they have the right to shut down the kitchen.

Hotels, when they serve food, are going to need to make sure that they are adhering to the proper food safety standards for the safety of their guests and for the good of the business. If the hotel is lax in ensuring that the standards are being followed and met, they may lose a lot of money because the4y won't be able to serve food anymore, not to mention the fact that they may be shut down completely if guests become ill.

For the good of the business and the guests, be certain that your hotel is meeting the standards set for food safety.

I offer comprehensive ISO 22000 food safety training and guidance. If you are interested in learning more about ISO 22000 please come visit my sites.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Barton

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