Common Food Safety Mistakes in Commercial Kitchens

Humans can make mistakes, but making mistakes in food safety can have big consequences. These mistakes can compromise customer health, damage your brand, and even lead to legal trouble, which makes food safety a non-negotiable standard.  

This depicts the importance of food safety training to ensure safety in commercial kitchens. Maintaining food safety standards ensures that every item cooked in the kitchen is delicious and safe to eat.  

In the blog, we’ll look at some of the most common food safety mistakes and how to fix them. 

Poor Handwashing Habits

Clean hands are the first and the most effective line of defensive against food contamination. Your hands continuously touch many different surfaces, ingredients, and utensils, so they are a germ carrier. Therefore, you must clean your hands thoroughly and regularly to stop bacteria spreading to food.  

Avoiding hand washing between procedures and not washing long enough with cleansers are the typical food safety mistakes in commercial kitchens. These errors can cause severe health conditions.  

How to correct: Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. Proper handwashing is also required while you work in the kitchen.  

Improper Food Storage

The failure to store food items according to the guidelines leads to contamination, making the food unable to be consumed. Consuming such foods can put your consumer at risk. Maintaining proper temperatures, controlling moisture levels, ensuring packaging is sealed and undamaged and keeping raw and cooked foods stored separately are the aspects that come under food storage.  

How to fix: Follow the correct fridge stacking order. 

Top shelves: Ready-to-eat foods  

Middle shelves: Raw seafood, eggs  

Bottom shelves: Raw meats and poultry  

Always keep raw meat on the bottom shelf in sealed containers and label every item with the expiry date.  

Not Monitoring Food Temperatures

Temperature is important in the preparation and storage of foods. Temperature not being checked during these processes may lead to the growth of harmful bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. Food products that remain in the danger zone (5°C to 60°C) for an extended period cause pathogen to grow.  

How to correct: Always have a food thermometer ready to assure foods are properly cooked to the proper internal temperature. Check hot and cold holding equipment to make sure food stays out of the danger zone.  

Cross-Contamination

Cross-Contamination happens when bacteria from raw food products transfer to cooked foods, cooking surfaces or cooking utensils. This can occur when the same cutting board or knife is used to cut raw chicken and vegetables, allowing pathogens to easily transfer to the food products and expose your customers to danger.  

These food safety mistakes in commercial kitchens can be rectified by employing different utensils and knives. Employ colour-coded tools and utensils to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.  

How to correct: Working with separate tools and frequent sanitization assists you in keeping the kitchen clean and tidy.  

Ignoring Personal Hygiene

Ignoring personal hygiene includes failure to wash hands properly, not wearing hairnets, touching face, working while feeling sick etc. These practices can cause hair to fall into the food or contaminate food through bacteria or virus from your body.  

How to fix: Food handlers should wash their hands regularly to ensure hygiene. You should take a rest and not work while feeling sick. Avoid touching your body, hair or face while preparing food. Use sanitiser for maintaining hygiene.  

Inadequate Equipment Cleaning

Cleanliness plays a vital role when it comes to commercial kitchen. Food particles left behind on blender gaskets, on slicers, or under counters may result in bacterial growth. These form the perfect condition for the bacteria to grow and multiply. Proper cleaning and implementing sanitisation protocols can ensure the safety of consumers by preventing risks.  

How to fix: Clean the surfaces and equipment before sanitation. Use approved sanitisers for cleaning and establish a cleaning schedule to ensure all areas in the kitchen are cleaned. 

Inadequate Staff Training  

Even if you possess the most ideal equipment and policies, it would not be enough if your staff were not properly trained. This will lead to the breakdown of hygiene standards, risk of cross-contamination, improper food handling procedures.  

These staff may not be aware of safe cooking temperatures, storing different types of foods, or even hygiene practices. Without training even the potential employees can make mistakes.  

How to fix: Offer ongoing training on food safety principles and hygiene practices. Providing certification training programs equip the employees with necessary knowledge and skills.  

We have discussed the common food safety mistakes happening in commercial kitchens. Avoiding these common mistakes can protect your customers and your business. We have also included the effective ways to avoid these mistakes. People who are responsible for commercial kitchens should ensure the safety of the food prepared there. Review your kitchen today and see where improvements can be made.  

Final Thoughts

Cresco Safe is a professional training and consultancy firm specializing in Food Safety and Occupational Health & Safety (HSE) services. With a team of highly skilled professionals and industry expertise, we are bound to deliver services based on your needs. Contact us for a food safety course in Dubai and consultation services.