Health inspections can be anxiety-inducing for most restaurant owners. Health inspections are a mandatory part of the restaurant sector, but many restaurant owners will simply not be prepared for an inspection when a health inspector makes a surprise visit.
However, you can avoid being ambushed by making a few changes to your daily routine. By setting a well-thought-out plan into motion, you can keep your kitchen in pristine condition so that you never have to worry about a health inspection going awry.
Here, our focus will be on how to get your kitchen ready for a health inspection.
Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest Health Regulations
You and your workers need to be aware of the latest health policies. Make the necessary changes to protect your business.
If you are uncertain about what the latest health and safety regulations are, visit the website of your local health department. You can also opt to contact them directly if you prefer.
Conduct Regular Self-Inspections
Conduct routine self-inspections so you’re ready when the health inspector shows up. Routine upkeep will keep your kitchen in line with the latest health department requirements.
Minor issues can be quickly identified and rectified before they become serious, and you can also avoid complacency by getting into a nice weekly rhythm.
Create a Cleaning and Maintenance Checklist
You can also make a daily checklist to ensure that your kitchen adheres to all local health regulations.
The checklist should, at the very least, include cleaning your commercial kitchen’s floor, emptying all of your trash receptacles, cleaning all of your appliances, equipment, and utensils, and sanitizing all of your kitchen surfaces.
Employee Hygiene
A designated handwashing sink should also be installed as soon as your budget can accommodate it. Your employees should be taught how to properly wash their hands with soap and water before handling food and after they finish using the washroom.
A portable sink is compact, affordable, and can be moved around the kitchen to ensure that all your employees can keep clean. If any of your employees are feeling sick, send them home immediately.
A sick employee will not only be less productive, but they may also infect your other workers as well as your customers.
A viral outbreak can force your business to shut down, sometimes permanently, so it is best to err on the side of action and send them home even if they have minor symptoms.
Hairnets are also a must, and you should tell your workers not to wear any makeup, perfume, or jewelry while they prepare food in the kitchen. Aprons must also be clean, and workers should be clean-shaven, lucid, and in a good mental state before they begin their shift.
Food Storage
Food must be safely stored in order to avoid the risk of cross-contamination: This is one of the areas that your food inspector will focus on. All storage areas and units, including your freezers and refrigerators, must also be in immaculate condition.
Remember to store all of your perishable goods in your freezers or refrigerators, and all expired items should be thrown out as soon as possible.
Records
We would also suggest that you keep track of your food safety protocols, like how you maintain your daily stock. You should have well-organized and up-to-date records of your waste management system.
Your pest and vermin control, food safety training, and regular inspection records should also be up-to-date and well-organized just to be on the safe side.
Protect Your Investment
Most restaurant owners are so busy with the daily hustle and bustle of restaurant ownership that they place health inspections on the backburner. In truth, they are a very important part of any restaurant business and should be placed at the forefront of your checklist.
You need to have the mindset that a health inspector will drop by at a moment’s notice: Having such a mindset will ensure that your restaurant is in optimal condition daily. An A+ health inspection score is something that you should be proud of.
You can display your sign on your display window in order to impress people that pass by your restaurant. When customers know that your restaurant is clean, they will be more likely to trust you and purchase your food.
A clean kitchen will usually result in food that lasts longer and tastes better, reducing the amount of food you waste and impressing your customers with delicious menu items.
