Restaurant hygiene best practices in South Africa

At Van Wyngaardt, we are proud to supply restaurants with our high-quality wholesale pork meat products. In a previous article, we discussed animal welfare best practices; in this article, we’d like to educate entrepreneurs who are starting in the restaurant industry about mandatory hygiene best practices.

Restaurants are subject to South Africa’s food safety control legislation that is implemented by the government. Regulations incorporate regular visits by health inspectors to confirm hygienic standards are being upheld.

The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) was formed to serve as the official representative of restaurateurs. RASA tests restaurants and awards them different certification levels that range from one to five stars. The main factors that determine the score include hygiene best practices, establishment safety, food quality and satisfactory training of employees.

Take a look at RASA’s official website; here, any restaurant owner/employee can keep up to date with legislative updates, compliance as well as COVID-19 information. Restaurants, suppliers and franchisees may join the association.

Essential restaurant hygiene best practices

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised food safety as an essential public health function.

Personal hygiene

It may seem like a no-brainer but teaching employees the basics of hygiene is absolutely essential. There is far more to it than merely squirting some anti-bacterial wash on your hands and running them under the tap. Hands, as well as forearms, should be cleaned with industrial-grade sanitiser and dried off with paper towels. There are vital times employees need to wash hands when they handle food, particularly when they switch from touching raw to cooked food.

Avoid cross-contamination on all contact surfaces

Cross-contamination occurs when food becomes tainted with bacteria from another source. Bacteria are a common cause of foodborne illnesses and can be easily transferred by unclean hands, towels and kitchen equipment. Therefore, all contact surfaces should be cleaned frequently and thoroughly. Any food equipment, including utensils, must also follow this process.

Use non-toxic cleaning products as much as possible

All food-serving establishments will need to use a variety of cleaning products. It’s best if you use non-toxic sanitisers and detergents if possible. Should you need to use specific chemical cleaners, ensure that employees know exactly how to handle – and store – them after being utilised. If they aren’t handled correctly, these cleaning products could contaminate food products and cause illness to staff and customers.

Store all meat products safely

Food needs to be stored at the correct temperature to avoid bacterial and microorganism growth. Ensure that the temperature of your fridges doesn’t exceed 5 degrees Celsius. Also, certain foods cannot be stored next to each other, e.g. uncooked chicken must never be stored next to meat products.

Our online product enquiry platform has been devised to provide you with a streamlined, professional ordering experience. All you need to do is fill in the webform with your details and list your pork meat requirements. From there, our sales representatives will process your order and ensure it is delivered to your business door within the time stipulated on our delivery policy.

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