products attract pests that can contaminate
food, equipment, and utensils.Waste con-
tainers should be leak-proof, pest-proof, eas-
ily cleaned, and durable.Waste containers
should be lined with plastic or wet-strength
paper bags.
Waste should be removed from food
preparation areas as soon as possible and
disposed of often enough to prevent the for-
mation of odor and the attraction of pests.
Accumulation of waste materials should be
permitted only in waste containers.Waste
storage areas should be easily cleaned and
pest-proof. If a long holding time is
required, refrigerated indoor storage should
be provided.Inside storage areas should be
easily cleaned and made pest-proof.Large
waste containers, such as dumpsters and
compactors located on the outside, should
be stored on or above a smooth surface or
nonabsorbent material, such as concrete or
machine-laid asphalt.An area equipped with
hot and cold water and a drain should be
provided for waste containers.They should
be located such that food in preparation or
storage will not be contaminated when the
containers are washed.
The volume of trash found in a foodserv-
ice facility can be reduced through the use of
pulpers or mechanical compactors.Pulpers
can grind waste material into components
small enough to be flushed away with water.
The water can then be removed so that the
processed solid wastes can be trucked away.
Mechanical compacting of dry, bulk waste
materials is beneficial for establishments
with limited storage space because the
process can reduce volume to 20% of its
original bulk.
Incineration of burnable trash and
garbage is another alternative, provided it is
permitted in the area and the incinerator is
constructed according to all federal and
local clean-air standards.Most waste from a
foodservice establishment is high in moisture
content and does not burn well.Incinerators
should be used only as temporary collection
containers for waste.Contamination reduction
The wholesomeness of prepared food
should be safeguarded through sanitary prac-
tices in kitchen and storage areas.Precau-
tions discussed here should be considered
when attempting to minimize contamination.Preparation Area
The prevention of contamination with
food poisoning and food spoilage microor-
ganisms, as well as with filth,is especially
important in the food preparation area after
food preparation and during service.Conta-
mination during service can permit transfer
of disease-causing microorganisms directly
to the consumer.Utensils
Thorough washing and disinfecting of
utensils are needed to prevent contamination
and to maintain a hygienic condition.Disin-
fection can be accomplished by subjecting
utensils to a 77°C environment for at least 30
seconds after cleaning.If chemical germi-
cides are applied at room temperature, 10
minutes or longer of exposure time is
required.Contamination will be reduced if
cracked,chipped,creviced, or dented dishes
or utensils are thrown away.Food particles
and microorganisms can collect in the dam-
aged parts and are more difficult to reach
during cleaning and sanitizing.
Contamination can be further reduced by
requiring that the server not touch any sur-
face that will come in direct contact with the
mouth or with food.Dishes or utensils where
surfaces touch the counter or table tops
should not be permitted to contact foods.
When microorganisms are transferred from
hands and surfaces to dishes, utensils, or
food, they will be transferred to consumers.