While you may think that employee actions, habits and attitude directly affect the sanitation and purity of kitchen operations, your restaurant equipment maintenance is a key factor in maintaining food safety standards. If working equipment is not kept in good repair and condition, it will break down more often and compromise the integrity of the production processes and the food being produced. You could have food that’s stored or cooked at improper temperatures, which can cause illness to consumers.
Even if you’re already familiar with the basics of keeping up with your tools and appliances, continue reading to know how equipment maintenance can affect food safety.
Proper Food Storage
It is very important to ensure foods are kept at the proper temperature during storage. To do this, you need to have properly working refrigeration units. From walk-in coolers to deep freezers, make sure that your equipment is maintaining the proper temperature. Check the temperature regularly with an appliance thermometer. Refrigerators should be at 40°F or below and freezers should be at 0°F or below.
Without proper food storage, food premises and equipment are a potential source of microbiological and physical contamination of food.
Safe Cooking Temperatures
Meats, such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc. need to be heated to a certain minimum internal temperature. If your range, grill, fryer, etc. is not working properly, it could be heating to the wrong temperature. The outside of your meat may be cooked but the inside is still cold.
Even if the chefs cooking in your kitchen are the best of the best, if they use faulty tools the quality of the food will deteriorate. Properly working commercial cooking equipment will compliment the chef and enable him to create food that is leagues above other restaurants.
Clean Cooking Equipment
Keep your appliances clean every day. Not only does this prevent grime and food build up it also helps your equipment work better, longer. It also prevents the food you’re preparing/cooking from becoming contaminated. Poor maintenance may allow the entry of other sources of physical, microbiological and chemical contaminants such as water, pests and dust.
With that in mind, countertops to cooking equipment and storage equipment, needs to be regularly cleaned and sanitized. Daily cleaning should be habitual and train employees well to understand what is expected of them when it comes to cleanliness in the kitchen.
Food service safety standards is achievable with good quality and well-functioning restaurant equipment. Managers will find their facility becoming healthier, more profitable and, ultimately, safer.
Can’t afford to close for repairs? Need a company that will respond quickly and help you keep things up and running in any situation? Call us at 8014863588 or tell us about your restaurant equipment maintenance and repair needs here.
