As a catering company, restaurant, or cloud kitchen owner in the UAE, ensuring food safety is a top priority. You may have already implemented food safety management systems such as ISO22000:2018 and HACCP, and comply with the Dubai Food Code. However, have you considered how your kitchen design may impact your food safety system?
The kitchen is the heart of the operations and if it is not designed well, it will lead to serious issues regarding food safety by materializing various risks.
The layout and flow of your kitchen can impact food safety. A well-designed kitchen should have a logical flow that minimizes cross-contamination and ensures that food moves through the kitchen in a safe and efficient manner.
According to clause 8.4.2 of ISO22000:2018, the layout of the food premises should allow for the separation of raw materials, ingredients, and finished products to prevent cross-contamination. This means that you should have designated areas for receiving, storing, preparing, cooking, and serving food.
The layout should provide for these areas to be physically separate so that there is no chance of cross-contamination.
The equipment you choose and where you place it can also impact food safety. For example, refrigerators and freezers should be located away from heat sources and should be regularly cleaned and maintained to prevent bacterial growth.
The chillers and freezers MUST be of appropriate sizes. It is very important to note that they should have appropriate dividers so that different items can be placed inside without any cross-contamination. Also, even when it is full, it should still be able to maintain the acceptable temperature. Lastly, when you are choosing your chillers and freezers, make sure that they are energy efficient to minimize the carbon footprint.
In addition, according to clause 7.2.3 of ISO22000:2018, equipment used for food storage, preparation, and cooking should be designed, constructed, and maintained to prevent contamination and facilitate cleaning.
The kitchen equipment MUST be from approved vendors.
Lighting and ventilation are important considerations when designing a kitchen. Adequate lighting can help prevent accidents and promote good hygiene practices, while proper ventilation can help control temperature and humidity levels to prevent bacterial growth.
According to clause 7.3.2 of ISO22000:2018, food premises should be adequately lit and ventilated to facilitate cleaning and prevent the build-up of condensation.
When it comes to best practices for wall-mounted kitchen hoods, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it's important to choose a hood that is the right size for your kitchen and cooking equipment. A hood that is too small will not be able to effectively remove the smoke and steam from the kitchen, while a hood that is too large will be unnecessarily expensive and may not fit in the space available.
Second, it's important to ensure that the hood is installed correctly and that the ductwork is properly sized and installed. Improper installation can lead to poor performance and can even create a fire hazard.
Finally, it's important to clean the hood and ductwork regularly to prevent the buildup of grease and other contaminants. This will help to maintain the performance of the hood and prevent the risk of fire.
Hygiene facilities such as hand washing stations, toilets, and changing rooms are also important considerations when designing a kitchen. These facilities should be located in a convenient location to encourage their use and should be regularly cleaned and maintained.
The toilets for kitchen staff should be separate from those of the public to ensure that the kitchen staff do not bring in any outside contamination into the kitchen. Even the changing room for the kitchen staff should be built inside the kitchen area.
The kitchen should have a landing area where visitors should be able to register themselves and change into PPE before going inside the kitchen when need be.
The landing area should have all the PPEs with proper disposal bins. It is very important that the kitchen should be designed to separate waste bins for food and non-food items.
Pot wash area
The pot wash area should be kept away from hand wash, veg wash, and cooking area. Generally, pots are big-sized hence the area should have enough space for the wash and dry process. Many kitchens have limited pot wash area that results in splash from wash reaching to cooking or other secured areas resulting in cross-contamination.
Electrical SafetyWhen it comes to electrical safety in commercial kitchens, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it’s important to protect people and property from electrical hazards. Electrical shock remains the number one source of fatal workplace injuries due to electricity, and commercial kitchens have a host of reasons why protection from electricity must be a priority.
The National Electrical Code (NEC) contains certain requirements aimed at protecting people and property from electrical dangers. Within a commercial kitchen, ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection for personnel is going to be required on most receptacle outlets. This requirement applies to both single- and three-phase receptacles on branch circuits rated 150V to ground or less. On single-phase branch circuits, this applies to all receptacles up to 50A, and on three-phase circuits, the cut-off is 100A.
Second, it’s important to ensure that the electrical appliances are installed correctly and that the wiring is properly sized and installed. Improper installation can lead to poor performance and can even create a fire hazard 1.
Finally, it’s important to follow best practices for maintaining electrical appliances. This includes regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent the buildup of dirt and debris, as well as regular inspections to ensure that the appliances are functioning properly.
If you’re looking for more information on electrical safety in commercial kitchens, you can refer to the guidance notice on electrical safety in commercial kitchens by the Catering Engineers Standards and Registration Board (CESRB) 3. You can also refer to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Code Talk article on protection from electricity in commercial kitchen installations.
Conclusion
To Implement a Food Safety Management System, the caterers and restaurant owners MUST follow the local standards as well as include best practices from various international standards such as the Food Safety Management System (ISO22000:2018). This would mitigate many mentioned and other risks and propagate safe food preparation and processing system.
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