Proper Food Handling in a Commercial Kitchen

Handling food properly is key to ensuring food safety in a commercial kitchen. Since foodborne illnesses can negatively affect the health of your diners, the quality of your products, and the success of your business, following correct procedures when preparing food is critical. If you’re looking to minimize the risk of spreading germs and causing sickness, this guide to proper food handling in a commercial kitchen covers best practices that will help you safeguard both your customers and your reputation.

Refrigerate Items Properly

Proper food handling starts with prompt and thorough chilling. In addition to putting items in cold storage within 2 hours of cooking or purchase, make sure your unit stays within the ideal temperature range for commercial refrigerators, 36°F to 40°F (2°C to 4°C) to prevent bacteria growth.

Freeze Food Correctly

Following best practices when freezing foods is essential to maintain quality and freshness. Keep frozen foods stored at -10°F to 0°F (-23°C to -18°C) and minimize door openings to maintain a stable temperature. Wash and dry fruits and vegetables before placing them in airtight bags or containers for easy access. While meats can be frozen in their original packaging, adding an extra layer of wrapping helps prevent freezer burn.

Cook Foods Completely

In addition to keeping food at the correct temperature, cooking it thoroughly to kill harmful pathogens is also an essential part of proper food handling. Since safe internal temperatures can differ significantly between items, it’s important to pay close attention to recommended guidelines. Visual cues aren’t a reliable way to judge internal temperature, so using a thermometer is the best way to ensure accuracy.

Thaw Items Safely

USDA advises against defrosting food on the counter at room temperature. To thaw food safely, they recommend doing so in the refrigerator, cold water or the microwave. Bacteria that were present in foods before freezing can start to multiply after defrosting, so be sure to cook them immediately after thawing.

Wash Hands Frequently

Proper handwashing is vital when handling food, especially after touching raw meats or using the restroom. Research shows that most foodservice workers don’t wash their hands as often as they should, so easy sink access and ongoing employee training are essential to making sure team members take handwashing seriously.

Wear Gloves Consistently

Even if your local health guidelines don’t always mandate that employees wear gloves, doing so greatly reduces the spread of germs by creating a barrier between workers’ skin and food products. Gloves should be changed whenever switching tasks to prevent cross-contamination, so make sure you always have a good supply on hand since foodservice workers can go through kitchen gloves very quickly.

Avoid Illness Proactively

Although many foodservice workers come to work when sick, it’s best for them to stay home so that they don’t contaminate food and sicken customers. If you want to minimize the chance that team members will report to work when they’re under the weather, consider offering more paid sick time so that they don’t feel compelled to come in for a paycheck.

Wash Food Thoroughly

Washing food before cooking is a critical step in promoting food safety. Produce can harbor insects, debris or chemicals that need to be rinsed off before it’s eaten, so remember to wash and scrub fruits and vegetables before use. Also, remember to avoid using soap since detergent is a chemical food hazard that can pose a health risk if not rinsed away completely.

Maintain Surfaces Regularly

Equipment, tools and even the countertops can harbor various germs after repetitive use. That’s why it’s important to use clean supplies to handle food. Make sure to clean your prep table and switch to a clean tool between uses. Furthermore, remember to clean and sanitize cutting boards after each use to minimize bacterial growth. 

Don’t Contaminate Accidentally

Cross-contamination can easily happen while handling food in a busy kitchen. Be sure to wash hands when changing between different foods like red meats and seafood, as well as when going between raw and cooked items. In addition, remember to change gloves when switching tasks, and consider using proper cutting boards based on color, such as green for produce, red for meats and blue for seafood.

Handle Leftovers Responsibly

According to a USDA article on leftover food safety, it’s important to put excess food into refrigeration as quickly as possible so that they don’t spend much time in the temperature danger zone of 40°F to 140°F (4.4°C to 60°C). Because putting hot foods into a cold unit isn’t recommended, consider portioning a large amount of food into smaller containers or placing warm foods into an ice bath so that they cool down faster.

Store Ingredients Appropriately

While proper food handling is important, so are correct food storage practices in your commercial kitchen. Dry goods like rice, pasta and canned items should be kept in a cool, dark and dry place that’s out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Additionally, refrigerated items should be organized by internal cooking temperature with ready-to-eat foods placed above those that need to be heated thoroughly.

Train Staff Thoroughly

If you are a manager, supervisor or owner, you need to ensure your staff is well trained. Even though training is part of the employee onboarding process, reiterating important concepts like temperature control and personal hygiene with continuing education is a great way to promote adherence to proper food handling practices.