In my early years as a restaurant manager, I encountered a well-intended 18 year old dish washer (the employee, not the machine) who voiced a misconception that’s uncomfortably present. Having skipped pre-rinsing dishes before they were run through the dish machine , he now found himself facing my instruction to hand-wash dishes which came through the washing cycle with small bits of food stuck on them. He asked why, and I explained that the presence of food on a dish indicated that it was a dirty dish to which he responded, “But it’s clean dirt!” Well now…
With the increasing spread of viral and bacterial contamination, the cleanliness of food contact surfaces is more important than ever. Washing them with detergent and a cloth doesn’t even approach doing the job properly. Sanitization is the most important step in the process. According to FightBac.org’s published article from March 2013 “Cleaning and Sanitizing Food-Contact Surfaces”, chemical sanitizers reduce the bacterial count on surfaces by 99.999%. Put in familiar terms, that means that, if there were a million bacterial cells on a surface prior to sanitization, after the sanitized surface air dries, there will be 10. So how do we get there?
If we want to protect our customers, first we have to consider the food contact surface we encounter. Naturally, we’re talking about countertops and prep areas, but also, dishes, utensils, flat ware, tables, high chairs, and areas prone to catching drips, such as microwave ovens and refrigerators. The basic steps are standard, and can be adjusted slightly based on what’s being cleaned.
- Scrape, rinse or otherwise remove visible debris from the item. (Josh…)
- Wash with detergent to remove soil.
- Rinse with hot water to remove detergent and any remaining soil.
- Sanitize with hot water (180F) or chemical sanitizer.
- Air Dry. Always
You will notice there’s no mention of rinsing after sanitizing. Don’t do it, and don’t towel anything. Sanitizer at a correct concentration is safe and tasteless once it’s dry.
Because this subject is important and the instructions can be detailed, we’ve chosen to separate the topic into more than one blog. Our next post will cover the specifics of safely and properly using chemical sanitizers. I’ve deliberately addressed questions I’ve heard asked here, or in commercial kitchens, concerning their appropriate use.
