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Ensuring compliance with state and local health regulations is vital for food service establishments, or they face the risk of heavy fines or, worse, the closure of the facility. However, although surprising health inspections aren’t so surprising – they are a regular occurrence in the food service industry and expected – a large number of restaurants aren’t prepared for them. This results in panic across the kitchen when the inspector arrives. It doesn’t have to be this way, though.
You can avoid the rush and panic at your facility and confidently face every surprise health inspection by implementing strict food safety and cleanliness practices.
How to Ensure Your Commercial Kitchen Is Ready for a Health Inspection?
Considering that a health inspector can visit your restaurant at any time, any day, the best approach is to have your kitchen inspection ready all the time. Here are some straightforward ways and tips for doing that:
● Know the Rules
First things first – you should be aware of all the health and safety regulations and food codes put forward by state and local authorities. Ensure all the people in your restaurant kitchen know them, too.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes Food Code every four years as a reference guide for food authorities. You can use it, too, to implement the best food safety practices at your facility.
● Prepare a Maintenance Checklist
The best way to ensure you’re keeping up with all the safety codes and cleanliness requirements is to prepare a detailed checklist of tasks that need to be performed daily, weekly, and monthly, so on and so forth. This should include everything required to keep your commercial kitchen always ready for an inspection, ranging from proper food storage, cleaning of kitchen equipment, and sanitizing surfaces to as seemingly small a task as emptying trash bins.
● Perform Self-Inspections
Carry out self-inspections of your commercial kitchen unannounced to see how well the safety and cleanliness guidelines are being followed and identify any potential issues or overlooked aspects. Be as vigilant and strict as health inspectors are to avoid any problems in actual inspections.
● Invest in Professional Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning
You may have your kitchen and cleaning staff trained to clean the equipment, countertops, floors, and other surfaces, but it’s best to leave the exhaust system cleaning to professionals. Not only do they know the health standards, but they also have the right equipment and training for properly cleaning a commercial kitchen exhaust system.
Restaurants often ignore exhaust system cleaning. However, this can land you in trouble with a health inspector. A dirty commercial kitchen exhaust system, with excessive grease build-up, doesn’t just affect sanitation and hygiene but can also impact food quality and is a serious fire hazard.
Hire Grease Away for Professional Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning in South California
Established to help every commercial kitchen, large or small, meet the highest standards of safety and cleanliness, Grease Away offers impeccable exhaust system cleaning services in Orange County and surrounding areas at an affordable price. We’re your trusted partner for cleaning exhaust fans, ducts, and commercial kitchen exhaust hoods. Call us now at 844-234-2929 to book our services to face your next restaurant inspection with confidence.