Any establishment that has a commercial kitchen and serves food gets checked by local or state inspectors at least once per year.
If you aren't prepared for health inspections, you could fail the inspection and be issued a fine for repeat issues. When you receive multiple failing inspections, your restaurant gets checked more often and you risk closure if not quickly fixed.
There are common code violations during health inspections that commercial kitchen owners should be aware of. Keep reading to learn a few of them.
Dirty Kitchen Equipment
During health inspections, inspectors commonly see dirty kitchen equipment. Unhygienic equipment can cause food contamination.
If you clean your kitchen equipment daily, (you should!), you'll avoid a fine and reduce the risk of causing a foodborne illness.
Soda guns are a regular culprit of unhealthy kitchens. Cleaning soda guns on a regular basis keeps them free of bio-slime, pesty flies, and syrup buildup. Without scheduled cleaning, you risk harboring disease-causing pathogens.
Poorly Maintained Walk-in Freezers
Another one of the common health code violations is a poorly maintained walk-in freezer. If your freezer is found in poor working order, you could fail a restaurant health inspection.
These factors regarding walk in-freezers all pose a threat to food safety:
- Incorrect temperature
- Grease buildup
- Overhead water leaks
- Mold growth
Make sure your walk-in freezers operate at the recommended temperature.
Refrigerator door gaskets are also looked at. If your doors are worn out, the door won't close or seal properly. This impacts the ability of the freezer to maintain the correct temperature.
It's important to get this issue fixed when you perform your self-inspection.
Grease and Moisture Buildup
Grease and moisture can build up in commercial walk-in freezers, but this is not the only place where this is a concern. Grease and moisture can build up on floors, walls, and condensate piping.
Kitchen environments make this buildup a regular occurrence. If you allow grease and moisture to accumulate over time, mold has a space to grow and cause food contamination.
Grease buildup on floors causes workplace accidents and attract pests so it should always be cleaned daily in every area.
If you are dealing with grease and moisture buildup more than usual, check your commercial ventilation system. Poor ventilation can cause this accumulation and lead to problems such as food contamination and fires.
Overflowing Trash Cans
Not many kitchen owners are aware that overflowing trash cans are food safety violations. An overflow and collection of waste around prep and storage areas attract pests.
Garbage cans in the kitchen and dining area should be emptied often. If you want to avoid a health code violation fine, consider all of your waste generation sources.
Outside dumpsters are often a problem with lids open and debris on the concrete around it. It becomes a pest and nuisance violation so keep the lids closed and clean around the dumpster area as needed.
Violations to Avoid During Health Inspections
Although there are a lot of different violations that health inspectors look for, these are commonly seen during health inspections.
Luckily, most of these food safety violations and health violations can be avoided with regular cleaning. In addition to cleaning, you can train your staff in the importance of foodborne illness prevention and general food safety.
Use this guide and reach out to us for retail and food service facility consulting now.