Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Kitchen Area and Equipment

Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Kitchen Area and Equipment

One of the most important duties that a person preparing food has, whether professionally or at home, is maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in the kitchen. Cleanliness and sanitation not only involve the place where the food will be prepared, but also the equipment that will be used.

Cleanliness and sanitation are two different things. Having something clean means that you have made it free of visible dirt, dust and debris. Sanitation, however, involves first cleaning and then apply a solution. With this solution, you kill many microorganisms which you cannot see. This helps to protect every person that comes into contact with the food.

Most places that prepare food professionally use cleaning and sanitation products. These products need to be mixed with water to make the solutions the correct concentration. The choice of products must also satisfy certain specifications that are set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

The first step is always to use a solution in order to clean. Once this has been done, then it must be rinsed with water. Only after cleaning can sanitation of equipment or a surface be performed. The equipment and surfaces must be rinsed of any cleaning agents before the sanitation agents are applied.

Anything that will come into contact with food must be sanitized. This includes such things as pots, pans, counter tops, dishes, slicers, cooking utensils, silverware and glassware. Surfaces that will not come into any contact with food do not necessarily need to be sanitized and will suffice with just cleaning.

Sanitation can take one of two different forms. One method involves either immersing in water or spraying with hot water for at least 30 seconds. The other method is by applying a chemical sanitation solution for at least a minute. The three most common sanitation agents are chlorine, iodine and quaternary ammonium compounds. Usually the type of chemical sanitizing agent that should be used depends on the water in your area.

When preparing the sanitizing agent, the correct proportions need to be used so that it is effective. Test kits with special strips can be used to determine if the correct proportions have been mixed. If the concentration is too high, it can cause smells and tastes, corrosion and even illness. However, if the concentration is too low, it will not kill microorganisms, therefore not sanitizing the surfaces. Generally, the recommended concentration of chlorine is 50 to 100 ppm, for iodine it's 12.5 to 25 ppm and 200 ppm for quaternary ammonium compounds.

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