Those of you familiar with the HACCP approach to food safety know that HACCP is just one part of the food safety puzzle in your restaurant.  It’s very good at managing cooking and holding temperatures for food product, which should be considered the first line of defense against pathogens that could sicken customers.

But HACCP also relies heavily on what it calls “prerequisite programs,” or standard operating procedures (SOPs) that keep your restaurant’s kitchen a clean, microbe-free environment at all times.  Without prerequisite programs, HACCP becomes your only defense against food borne illness, and that means unacceptable risk for your business.

Think of these SOPs as the base and HACCP as the tip of a spear in the battle against bacteria.  Most of these procedures are obvious precautions which you probably already have in place in your restaurant, but having a checklist can be helpful in making sure you’re taking a comprehensive approach:

Proper hand washing.  A hand washing sink with posted guidelines on when to wash hands and how to wash hands properly is a fundamental practice in any restaurant.  Also make sure you train your staff on hand washing procedure and carry out regular enforcement to make sure your staff are handling food product with clean hands.

Cross-contamination resulting from kitchen staff touching contaminated surfaces and then touching food being prepared to serve is one of the most common causes of food-borne illness.  Employees should be trained on when to wash their hands and information regarding proper hand washing technique should be posted throughout your restaurant, especially over hand sinks and in bathrooms.

• After touching other food
• After eating, drinking or smoking
• After performing other tasks like cleaning, taking out trash, etc.
• After coming into contact with their person or bodily fluids, like sneezing, coughing, or touching hair or skin

• Wet hands first and then apply plenty of soap
• Use warm water
• Wash hands for at least 20 seconds (it’s longer than you think!)
• Use the palms of the hands to rub soap over other areas like the back of the hand, fingers, wrists, and forearms
• Use fingers to vigorously rub palms and between fingers, where bacteria and pathogens tend to collect
• Dry in a sanitary manner: clean, unused paper towels or an automatic hand dryer

Cover up.  Hair and beard restraints, disposable gloves, and proper chef apparel prevent foreign objects from ending up in food.  A properly clothed staff is key to keeping unwanted things out of the entrees you serve your customers.

Sanitization procedures.  Everything that touches food in your restaurant needs to be sanitized on a regular basis.  Food processors, mixers, slicers, countertops, utensils, and cookware are all good examples.  Smaller items like kitchen knives and fry pans can be sanitized in any commercial dishwasher.  Larger equipment like mixers and slicers need to be washed down with a sanitizer solution.

The same goes for surfaces where food is prepared.  Buying concentrated sanitizer for this task will save you a lot of money over pre-mixed sanitizer.  However, it is vital that you train staff properly on mixing a concentrated sanitizer.  A weak mixture won’t kill the pathogens you’re targeting!  Make sure you are monitoring and regularly testing sanitizer mixes while staff is cleaning.