Be Sure to Monitor These Food Safety Hot Spots
No member of the marine catering industry should overlook the need to monitor those locations that deserve this designation: food safety hotspot. Of course, the task of monitoring a minimum of six different hotspots can present an expert in victualling management with quite a challenge. Consequently, it makes sense to give particular attention to those concerns that could pose the greatest threat to the safety of a vessel’s crew. Members of the maritime catering industry should realize that potential dangers to the health of a vessel’s crew could lurk in at least one half dozen different hotspots. In each of those locations there exist several objects that must be kept free of unwanted visitors, such as mold or dangerous micro-organisms. Professionals in marine catering must work closely with experts in ship management, in order to ensure the cleanliness of those same objects.
Concerning Developments in an On-board Cooking or Food Preparation Area
A buildup of grease on cooking surfaces would qualify as such a development. Consequently, steps should be taken with an eye to preventing the appearance of such a buildup. Meanwhile all the surfaces in the cooking area must get cleaned right after undergoing a period of intensive use. Those actions help to keep crew members free of any contaminants that could get carried onto a breakfast, lunch or dinner plate. Of course the members of an on-board team must also remain safe from the skin’s exposure to excessively hot temperatures. In other words, every ship’s kitchen should have protective equipment, pieces of kitchen gear that can prevent a burn injury, whenever someone must handle a hot container. In the food preparation area the possibility of cross contamination must be kept to a minimum. In other words, no tool that gets used with raw food should touch any of the ready-to-eat foods. In addition, workers in the food preparation area must have ready access to gloves and hair coverings. Finally, once the prepared foods get packaged, each package should bear a clear and complete label. Expired Stamp Showing Product Validity Deadline Ended.
What to watch for in other safety hotspots
A ship’s receiving area stands as an example of the need for professionals in ship management and experts in marine catering services to work together. Workers in the receiving area must check for products that lack a label. At the same time, each such worker must watch for the possible arrival of some product from an unapproved source. A few other items should send an alert to anyone working in the receiving area. For example, each received item should bear a “use by” date, and should get stamped with a “received by” date. Obviously, a damaged package would represent a source of potential danger. Similarly, failure to see that refrigerated items remain cold serves as an invitation to trouble. The concerns about refrigerated items underline the need for proper monitoring in the cold storage area. There the temperature must remain at a designated level. At the same time, the stored items must be correctly labeled, and ought to be arranged in a pre-established order. For insurance that all crew members stay safe from potential threats, experts in ship management should pay attention to two other locations. The ice machine should remain free of any mold or slime. At the same time, the hand washing area should always have a generous supply of soaps and towels. When those two locations get managed properly, the experts in marine catering services feel free to concentrate on preparation of tasty and healthful dishes. Each expert appreciates the efforts of those that keep watch over the vessel’s various safety hotspots. Meanwhile, the crew members appreciate regular appearance on the dining table of delicious meals.