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
That was a very informational post. I didn't realize that those common foods that people are allergic to shouldn't be mixed in with other foods unless there is another specific menu for foods without those ingredients. I know that if there are ever any pests or bugs in sight that are related to the uncleanliness of the restaurant, my family won't continue to go there. Restaurants, just like other services, must maintain a good reputation in order to be successful. I think that is why it is so important to follow those safety rules. There are also a lot of cases where people get food poisoning from restaurants, and I think that is because the proper methods are not followed. Food safety is something that not only customers should be aware of, but especially the restaurant employees. Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteRachel Kaiser
I don't have any allergies but that is something I look out for. I like knowing what is in the food I am putting in my body and because some of my friends have allergies so I make note of the places some of them can;t eat so I know to tell them if they ever get curious about a restaurant. I also used to work in a kitchen of a restaurant: washing dishes and plating food so I had to be careful to always wash my hands between the two. I learned a lot about proper kitchen rules and I still follow them subconsciously.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you talked about food safety in restaurants. I have been to restaurants before where the cooks do not use gloves when cooking the food. They had a policy where they have to wash their hands often, but it is definitely unsettling to think about. I have had a couple experiences at Chinese restaurants. It was either food that did not sit well with me or food poisoning itself, but either way it was not fun. I am happy to hear that the place you work takes the proper precautions to ensure food safety. I was unaware of the rule of food sitting out between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. When I cook at home I am definitely guilty of not following proper food sanitation practices. Very informative post!
ReplyDeleteThis post is great Italia! Everything you said was correct. This is every important talking about rules at restaurant, because in a way it's like the customer is putting their lives in the hands of people they most likely do not know. It's great that restaurants are required to have rules about food safety and it's also great that people who work in the food industry are required to have their food handlers license.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Restaurant safety is really important. Since I work in the dining hall even though it isn't a restaurant we still abide by these rules since we deal with food. Everything you mentioned is actually what we learned in our training before we got hired. Very informative post.
ReplyDeleteKayla J. Ruiz
Italia,
ReplyDeleteVery informative post! Something we all need to look out for are the safety measures taken or not taken in restaurants. I personally do not eat out as often as most, but when I do I have to admit that I don't pay attention to the things mentioned in this post. But a lot of people would think that you shouldn't have to worry about things like that in a restaurant because "They're supposed to know these things" but that might not always be the case, sadly. We need to be mindful for ourselves even when we go out.