| If you own a restaurant, you not only need to run the | | | | inspection and should be maintained at the code |
| business in a profitable manner, you need to meet the | | | | standard at all times. This is the reason for surprise |
| restaurant code requirements of your local | | | | inspections by local health inspectors. |
| government. Meeting code requirements is an ongoing | | | | Hot-Holding temperatures for cooked food |
| and critical part of running a restaurant. Code | | | | After food is cooked it must be held for service in a |
| requirements are absolute requirements that must be | | | | safe manner. Hot-Holding temperatures are mandated |
| met in order for your business to remain open. Code | | | | by local health authorities and are part of restaurant |
| citations must be promptly met and corrected. | | | | inspections. This accounts for special equipment in |
| Restaurant code requirements are put in place by the | | | | buffet restaurants. Their hot food trays must be kept |
| local and state government to protect the public and to | | | | at correct temperatures for the time they are put out |
| help the restaurant owner operate a safe business for | | | | for public consumption. This is another safety issue for |
| his diners. Compliance with the code will prevent | | | | prepared food sold to the public. This food has been |
| illnesses brought on by improper food preparation, | | | | cooked and must be kept at reasonable temperatures |
| storage, cooking or lack of cleanliness by the kitchen | | | | until the customer takes it. |
| staff. Inspectors are given wide latitude of when and | | | | |
| how they may conduct an inspection. They can drop | | | | Restaurant cleanliness |
| by at a time of their choosing, without notice to the | | | | Most restaurants do a very good job of keeping the |
| restaurant. | | | | area that the public sees in very good order. The |
| Local authorities determine how often an inspection is | | | | kitchen is the area that inspectors are most concerned |
| required. There are specific requirements that must be | | | | about. Cleanliness here is imperative to the preparation |
| passed in order to get a clean report. Again these | | | | of safe food. Evidence of rodents or roaches is a |
| requirements are part to the local rules and provisions. | | | | serious problem for restaurants and must be seriously |
| The inspectors are trained to look for certain important | | | | kept to a minimum of zero tolerance. Food is always |
| factors that are known to prevent health problems. | | | | out or being prepared. This constant attraction is like a |
| Food used in a restaurant must come to the | | | | magnet to various rodents and bugs. An ongoing battle |
| restaurant from approved sources. It must be stored | | | | must be kept up to keep these invaders at bay. The |
| at approved temperatures and be prepared with | | | | health inspector will come down very hard on a |
| approved standards. Each local health inspection | | | | restaurant that is lax in this area. The inspectors or the |
| department can give the owner a set of rules that | | | | customers of the restaurant cannot tolerate situations |
| must be met. Cooking of food must be done at certain | | | | that are not under control. Since the customers are not |
| temperatures and then stored or kept in approved | | | | privy to the kitchen, it is the job of the inspector to |
| ways. Kitchen cleanliness is always an important | | | | keep this part of the restaurant up to code. The health |
| consideration and must be done with approved | | | | inspectors are the eyes and ears of the customers. |
| methods. Washing of kitchen utensils, rags, and staff | | | | When they pass a restaurant on its inspection the |
| hands must be done in an approved manner by the | | | | diner can expect to be served safe food. |
| staff of the restaurant. Cleanliness of the kitchen itself | | | | Cleanliness also includes the clean up of dishes and |
| is part of the inspection and storage of cleaning | | | | utensils, prep areas are kept in a spotless condition and |
| chemicals must be done in an approved way. | | | | rags and other cleaning tools are properly maintained |
| Prevention of accidental food alteration is part of the | | | | and used. This care for not only the food, but also the |
| inspection. | | | | operation of the kitchen is necessary to insure the |
| | | | safe delivery of food to the restaurant’s clientele. |
| Cooking temperatures | | | | One of the ways to keep this aspect of restaurant |
| Local governments can set rules about the cooking | | | | operation is to require that codes are met and kept. |
| temperatures for meat, poultry, pork, eggs and fish. | | | | |
| These are in place to keep undercooked food from | | | | Conclusions |
| being served and causing a patron to have a food | | | | The restaurant business is a unique business when |
| induced illness. Food cooked at approved | | | | compared with other types of businesses. The |
| temperatures will be safe to eat and should not cause | | | | business is heavily regulated, employee heavy, fad |
| the patron any problem. | | | | affected and at risk monthly or so for inspections. The |
| Undercooked meats, eggs or fish can allow organisms | | | | good restaurateur will meet each of these challenges |
| that are injurious to humans live through the cooking | | | | with skill and the desire to go the extra mile since their |
| process and make a person eating the food very ill. | | | | customers can be seriously affected by poor |
| Cooking at approved temperatures kills the organisms | | | | operations. Keeping the code requirements in place as |
| and prevents the food caused illness. | | | | part of their operation is not only necessary, but smart |
| | | | business. No restaurant wants the PR problem of a |
| Refrigeration standards | | | | public notice of a food problem. Operating within the |
| Just like cooking temperatures, refrigeration standards | | | | code will keep the owners from having this problem. |
| are set to keep food at safe temperatures. This | | | | Friendly and cooperative attitude will help keep the |
| includes storage of cooked food, uncooked food and | | | | inspectors on your side. There is not a need for an |
| foods that should be kept in a frozen state until ready | | | | adversary type of relationship. The inspector has a job |
| to prepare. Poor refrigeration can be very dangerous | | | | to do and the owner has to comply with the rules of |
| as the food is not safely stored under these conditions. | | | | the local government. |
| Most locals require a way to constantly monitor the | | | | Fighting city hall is usually not a good idea, as their rules |
| temperatures of the refrigerator and freezer units. | | | | must be followed in order to sell food to the public. In |
| Many restaurants use a separate thermometer to | | | | the long run a clean operation will keep the restaurant |
| meet this requirement. Since these appliances are | | | | out of trouble and inspire public confidence in the food |
| looked at many times during daily operation, the extra | | | | served. Bad publicity about tainted food can ruin a |
| temperature monitors can be seen routinely. | | | | restaurant over night and in some cases make it |
| Salads with eggs and meats are very sensitive to | | | | impossible to recover. Make sure your operation stays |
| poor refrigerated storage. This can be very harmful to | | | | well within the rules and do not try to beat the system. |
| someone who eats this food after this poor storage. | | | | Owners should take pride in the fact that they serve |
| This is why these requirements are in place and | | | | quality food that has been safely prepared and cared |
| enforced by the inspectors. | | | | for before it was served. Customers will keep coming |
| Cooking and storage of food is a serious area of | | | | back to a restaurant that operates in this manner. |