Solving Kitchen Sanitation and Food Safety

Kitchen Dangers and Food Safety Should Come First

Take Control and take the Blame.

Beef, Pork and Fish stored together

Having 28 years under my belt working in the FB&H industry, I have seen the worst of the worst when it comes to problematic and dangerous kitchens, but that means nothing if the places won't do what is needed to keep a kitchen safe!

I've evaluated hundreds of poorly managed commercial kitchens and can tell you that from my perspective, there's hardly ever a kitchen in a truly busy restaurant that adheres to safe food handling or sanitary guidelines. 

More often than not, even when there are card carrying "food safety" certified employees on hand, there are horrendous violations of major concern going on throughout a kitchen. These card carrying certified food handlers may have the qualifications, but not the drive or concern needed to actually follow through with their obligations.

Whether it comes down to food rotation, storage management or just safe practices in food production, dangerous disregard to consumer health is always prevalent and problematic. I can honestly say that in all my years in this business, contamination issues and overall poor safe food handling are always the biggest problems. 

However, it's poor oversight of management who never attempt to address or correct issues that compiles simple issues into major problems. Simple issues that are never addressed correctly or with true concern will grow from a mole hill into a mountain, easily and quickly.

More often, serious unhealthy concerns are totally ignored and nobody is held accountable. That is until the local health department walks in and violates an establishment on numerous issues, then all of a sudden, there's an issue.

Outdated stock. New on top of old. 

In this article I provided some pictures of some of the worst encounters I have come across and attempted to address. I won't name names or tell you the names of these hell holes, but I will tell you though, these shit holes are still shit holes.


Why? 

Because as you address these issues, it's almost always incomprehensible to the owner, number one, and always too much work for the management to address. 

Its as if having the final straw placed on their back and then the back breaks. Management or Chefs just almost always seem more willing to blame others instead of accepting responsibility.

They, the owners and employees both, just blow these things off and rather follow the same laziness they were following before. That's why shit hole restaurants stay shit holes. 

How do you change it?

I've learned, basically that for the most part, you can lead people to a cleaner kitchen, but you can't make them clean it. 

More times than I care to say, what I point out is ignored and grossly attributed to being normal practice and most times helping them is refused or just laughed at.

Knife Placed in Filth between counters.

Seriously, you wouldn't believe how many times I've attempted to save a problem kitchen and had an Executive Chef look at me and just laugh in my face. Honesty hurts the pride and I assure you, even the most delicate approach will lead to confrontation. It's not that you are bringing the issues to the surface, but rather it seems you're shaming those responsible.

Owners themselves are just as bad at addressing issues and would rather not know about them than address them. Owners normally they turn to me and tell me what I suggest is perfectly ok, but then never even follow through with addressing the concerns. 

Half of the time I find employees are ashamed or embarrassed at what I find. While owners seem reluctant to push for a resolve, either due to fears of losing a strong employee, or creating an imbalance.


I have argued the point of either fixing a problem of concern or letting it go until a consumer falls ill and files a class action lawsuit. 

Still, most owners rather toss the dice than fix an issue. I'll never understand why, but it never seems like a restaurant owner is willing to accept the problem, even when it's blatantly in their face.

Food Storage Gone Wrong 

So...how do you solve problems in a kitchen?

First address the issues, then hold employees accountable for fixing them. Pretty simple, right?

Actually it is that simple. If your willing to lay down the law and hold your employees accountable, you can easily turn a problem kitchen around. Though you first must make sure you make it abundantly clear what your desires are, and what has to be done. It doesn't hurt to make an example of a lazy employee either, to get the attention of the crowd. Don't hesitate to call one or more employees out on a shitty job poorly done and reprimand them for it.

You can't just call an employee meeting and tell your employees, "I want the kitchen cleaned". Instead you need to provide a clear and concise regiment of protocols that you expect them to follow.


As much as I hate to admit it, one of the last places you might expect this from, but could reap an abundance of help from would be Mc Donalds. Yes, the fast food giant. Mc Donalds has one of the most stringent in house regiments of protocols I have ever seen, and since most restaurants are not corporate and following any form of regulatory compliance is almost taboo, trust me when I tell you, every 15 minuets the floors behind the counters at a Mc Donalds are swept and counters are wiped.

Create a closing cleaning list

Explore how you want the kitchen cleaned every night, assign employees to established areas of concern and keep employees accountable for following proper procedure. 

If you want the walk-in cooler mopped every night, then assign an employee to do it. Don't ever compromise on your stance. If you say for example, "I want all reach in coolers cleaned twice a day." mean it and stick to it. Don't turn around a week later and not make sure they are getting done. Push it and make it known, your expectations are all that matters!

Station responsibility

If you have multiple stations in your kitchen, then make employees that work each station accountable for cleaning it. Nobody should be going home or taking a break if their kitchen area is a shit hole.

Storage Organization

Develop a plan to make sure product rotation is being implemented and storage areas are organized. FIFO (first in, first out) Keep your stock fresh and make sure everyone helps in managing your storage areas. Don't compromise! EVER!

Sanitation Guidelines

Probably my number one concern in any kitchen is sanitation, and the picture above of a dirty knife stuck between two counters made me regret that I took that job. I can't stand unsanitary practices. Literally speaking, I can handle a dirty floor or a poorly kept stockroom, but show me a dirty knife being used to cut hot dog rolls for kids, and I might take a swing at you.

Stupidity and unsanitary kitchens go hand in hand. If something is dirty, clean it, and if you wouldn't want something touching your food, don't fucking use it. The knife above made me sick, and I confronted it as soon as I saw it, but the owner and his cohorts of retarded uneducated slobs just kept on with their lackluster inability to use better practices.

There are literally hundreds of ways to save a problem kitchen, everything from installing video cameras to hiring better management, you can take the steps needed as an owner or a manager to end a problematic kitchen. All you need to do is make your mind up, and push for changes.

But if your satisfied with the idea that it's all ok unless you get caught, you shouldn't run or own a restaurant.

Follow your local health department codes, and use proper judgement. A dangerous kitchen is a kitchen that might one day cost someone their life. 

Kitchen Sanitation and Food Safety should be your number one priority everyday, and adherence to providing your customers safe food should never take a back seat.