6 Tips for Food Safety Compliant Commercial Kitchen Design

No matter what size of commercial kitchen you’re building, whether it’s for a restaurant, aged care facility or a food production plant, it pays to get food safety strategies implemented correctly at the design level. This saves the pain of having to re-work and re-submit designs for council health applications, should they not meet compliance requirements.

We’ve put together our top 6 tips for food safety compliant commercial kitchen design.

1. Lighting

Regulations apply when installing lighting for the back of house. Areas where food preparation is done or where food is handled from its raw state all the way through to the finished product should have ample lighting.

When choosing lighting for for the commercial kitchen, the choice of bulb is also important. The bulb itself should be shatterproof. This is to ensure that glass particles do not contaminate food in the event that the bulb breaks during food preparation.

Another alternative is to use a diffuser, which works to keep dust and pests from the light as well as protects the food in case the bulb shatters.

2. Commercial kitchen workflow

The workflow or layout of a commercial kitchen not only serves efficiency but also food safety. Having specified areas in the kitchen can reduce the risk of cross-contamination. For instance, the scullery should be kept separate from the food prep area.

Planning your kitchen layout for food safety minimises the risk of cross-contamination.

3. Temperature

Refrigerator temperature recovery is usually affected when refrigerator doors are frequently opened. This leaves refrigerated produce at risk of spoilage, increasing the risk of food poisoning.

Your fridge or cold room should be appropriate for the type of food that you intend to store, as well as the kind of operation you run in your kitchen. Your food service designer will be able to advise you on the kind of refrigerator you should get for your commercial kitchen.

4. Floors and ceilings

Floors, ceilings and other surfaces in food production and preparation premises should be made of an impervious layer and they should be easy to clean and maintain. They should be made with a sealed surface that can not hold dust, vermin or water. There should also be no pooling of water on floors, which can be both a food safety and workplace safety risk.

5. Health Application

Food service businesses are required to get their food safety licenses and council approvals in order before commencing operations.

The first step in the health application is the design assessment. This is where the council looks over the proposed floor plans to ensure that food safety standards are met. Construction can only start once the designs have been approved.

Prior to finishing construction, a health officer will do an audit of the site to ensure that the premises match the approved designs. You get a license to operate once the health officer approves the site. This is how crucial commercial kitchen design is in food safety.

6. Wash your hands

Every commercial kitchen requires a hand basin/s, within set distances throughout the commercial kitchen. Best practice is to install one at the entrance and anywhere food preparation is done. To prevent cross-contamination, it’s also important to keep the hand basin separate from the basin used for washing produce.

It all starts with smart commercial kitchen design

The success of a food safety program starts at the design level. Make sure your commercial kitchen is food safety compliant. Talk to our food service designers today and start bringing your vision to life.