Having stringent cleaning, hygiene and food safety standards is highly important in any catering establishment, as this can prevent the risk of food poisoning and ensures that your operation meets the required health and safety standards. There are specific areas to think about when it comes to cleaning, hygiene and food safety and these areas go by the four C’s - cross-contamination, cleaning, chilling and cooking.

1. Cleaning, Hygiene and
Food Safety

2. Having stringent cleaning, hygiene and food safety standards
is highly important in any catering establishment, as this can
prevent the risk of food poisoning and ensures that your
operation meets the required health and safety standards.
There are specific areas to think about when it comes to
cleaning, hygiene and food safety and these areas go by the
four C’s - cross-contamination, cleaning, chilling and cooking.
Cross-contamination is one of the most common types
of food poisoning and occurs when bacteria from food,
particularly food that is raw, is spread between cooked or
ready-to-eat food as well as equipment and work surfaces.
To prevent this from happening, staff should carry out
thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all work surfaces,
equipment and anything else food has touched using the
correct commercial cleaning products that meet COSHH
standards, such as Sylvester Keal’s own branded cleaning
products.
It is also crucial that all staff regularly wash their hands, both
before and after, handling food using a good anti-bacterial
hand wash and using paper towels or a hand dryer to dry
hands with. Catering staff must also ensure that chilled
food is refrigerated at all times at the right temperature,
especially raw meat and if possible, keep all raw foods and
cooked foods in separate fridges.
When cooking food, it is important that chefs are aware of
how long the food must be cooked for. To help with this,
staff should use equipment such as temperature monitors
and food timers to ensure that meat is cooked all the way
through and soups and sauces are simmering. Any catering
establishment should have strict hygiene standards and this
can have a huge impact on customers’ perceptions when
visiting a restaurant and whether or not they will choose to
visit again.
Customers tend to particularly pay attention to the toilets,
seating areas, behind the bar and the kitchens if it is an open
kitchen or in view. Visiting a place that looks dirty or untidy
from both the inside or the outside can be very off-putting
for the customer, especially if the establishment serves food.
Not only is it important for staff to keep their outlets clean
and tidy to give a good impression to the customer, but it
is important that restaurants are adhering to the range of
laws and policies that are put in place by the Food Standards
Agency. Failure to meet these laws and policies can result in
serious consequences for businesses in which government
agencies may conduct audits, charge fines or even close
down the business.
All members of staff working within the kitchen environment
should receive basic hygiene and food safety training, and
those who use cleaning products should receive basic
COSHH awareness training, something which we at Sylvester
Keal offer. To find out more about Sylvester Keal’s range of
cleaning products visit our online store at www.sylvesterkeal.
co.uk/supplies or to find out about our staff training, contact
us on 01472 352033.

3. Westside Business Park
Estate Road No 2
Grimsby
North East Lincolnshire
DN31 2TG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1472 352033
sales@sylvesterkeal.co.uk
www.sylvesterkeal.co.uk/about-
us/meet-the-team