First off, I want to say thank you Rachel for giving me this next idea for my post because it is important to know the safety rules in a restaurant. To know the food safety for restaurants, we have to know what's going on from when we walk in the restaurant. We have to know the kitchen, notice the staff and environment, and make sure there's no food to cause any allergic reaction. With the kitchen, its pretty much the same rules for when you're preparing/cooking yourself. The cooks have to make sure that none of their raw foods like meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs don't cross contaminate with any foods. Making sure not to use the same cutting boards, and to never rinse meat and/or poultry in the sink where they prep vegetables. Cooks also have to watch something that's called the "Danger Zone". The Danger Zone is when food is left out between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit; when this happens, harmful bacteria begins to grow, and then the customers get sick. This happening leaves a bad reputation on the restaurant. They also have to have the right uniform like hair nets, gloves, and aprons when they're handling food. When it comes down to the staff and environment of the restaurant, the staff has to make sure that they and their tables are clean. I understand this because I work at a breakfast restaurant back home, so I know how important it is to make sure that your hands are washed and that your table is clean every time a customers leaves it. The staff has to wipe down any leftover food left on the table, then clean it with hot soapy water. To keep the staff in tact, make sure that everybody is able to work well together; also repeatedly going over food safety tips with each other, and doing mock health inspections so everyone constantly knows whats going on in the restaurant. The restaurant should also be free of any pests or bugs that might appear because nothing can turn a customer away faster than seeing a live creature in their food, or around their area.These creatures could bring harmful diseases with them, so that's something to be on the lookout for. The last thing is that the restaurant should have proper allergen safety. The most common food allergies are milk, fish, soybeans, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, shellfish, and wheat; these allergen foods should NEVER be mixed in with any other foods unless that restaurant has a specific menu that requires that certain food free from that allergy. I know at the restaurant I work at, we provide a gluten-free menu for anyone who cant eat our regular pancakes or french toast. We also provide an allergy list on our menus in case some people are allergic to something, they can let the servers know. I believe this information is useful for us because it's good for us to be aware to what's going on in a restaurant so we don't risk getting sick. If we walk into a dirty, disorganized restaurant with staff who don't understand the menu, and cooks who cross contaminate food and give customers food that they're allergic to will result in life-threatening situations. A place like that should be shut down, but anyway, these tips should be helpful to know what restaurant is good or bad for us.
W. (2017, December 13). Food Safety Guidelines Overview: The Complete Guide to Restaurant Food Safety. Retrieved March 02, 2018, from https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/128/food-safety-guidelines.html
