Top Health Code Violations in Commercial Kitchens & How to Avoid Them

Maintaining a clean and sanitary commercial kitchen is extremely important – for both food safety, and the success (and reputation) of your restaurant. Health code violations can happen to even the most diligent restaurant owners, and they can result in fines, closures, and damage to your business’s credibility. That’s why understanding common health code violations, and knowing how to avoid them, is a must for any commercial kitchen operator. 

Here, we’ll take a look at some of the most frequent issues that inspectors spot, and explore some practical ways to stay compliant. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or new to the industry, these tips can help you keep your kitchen running smoothly and safely.

1.  Improper Food Storage

Violation:

Improper food storage is easily one of the most common health code violations that commercial kitchens are subject to. This includes storing raw and cooked foods at the incorrect temperature, placing raw meat above ready-to-eat items, and storing food on the floor.

✔ Tips to Avoid this Violation:

• Temperature Control: Make sure all of your refrigerators and freezers are set to the right temperatures. Use a thermometer to check and record temperatures, and look up what the proper temperature is for each type of food.
• Storage Order: Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood below the ready-to-eat foods, to prevent cross-contamination. Use clear labeling and use proper containers.
• Elevation: Keep all food items at least six inches off the ground on shelves or pallets, at all times. Never leave food items on the floor.

2. Inadequate Hand Washing Facilities

Violation:

The health codes require all commercial kitchens and restaurants to have proper and adequate hand washing facilities with hot and cold running water, soap, and paper towels or air dryers. Failure to provide these can lead to violations, and these facilities must be managed in and working order at all times.

✔ Avoidance Tips:

• Accessibility: Hand washing stations must be easily accessible to all employees, and especially near food prep. and restroom areas.
• Supplies: Regularly check all hand washing stations and keep in stock soap and paper towels or maintain functioning air dryers.
• Signage: Post clear hand washing instructions and reminders at every station to ensure your staff follows the proper procedure.

3.  Poor Personal Hygiene

Violation: 

Employees not washing, forgetting to wash their hands properly, or handling food without wearing gloves can lead to contamination. Any of the above infractions can quickly lead to health code violations.

✔ How to Avoid:

• Training: Have regular training sessions on personal hygiene, and stress the importance of proper hand washing and food handling procedures.
• Enforcement: Outline, and then enforce a strict policy that requires the use of gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods, without exception.
• Monitoring: Supervise your kitchen staff to make sure that they are staying within compliance with hygiene practices, and always provide feedback when necessary.

4.  Cross-Contamination

Violation: 

Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria or allergens are transferred from one food to another, which can cause serious issues for customers with health, religious, or other related concerns. Cross-contamination most often happens because of improper handling or food storage, and is also a health code violation.

✔ Avoidance Tips:

• Separate your Equipment: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods. Color-coded tools can easily help prevent confusion in your kitchen.
• Cleaning Protocols: Put in place rigorous cleaning protocols for all of your kitchen’s surfaces and its equipment. Sanitize areas that are touched often, regularly.
• Training:Educate your staff on the risks of cross-contamination, and teach them the proper methods on how to avoid it.

5.  Improper Cooking Temperatures

Violation:

Failing to cook food to the required temperatures can cause harmful bacteria to survive in the food. This can lead to foodborne illnesses, and can result in health code violations and worse.

✔ How to Avoid this Violation:

• Always Use Thermometers: Make sure your kitchen is stocked with calibrated food thermometers, and make sure your staff uses them to check internal temperatures of food before it is served.
• Temperature Charts: Prominently display temperature charts that show safe cooking temperatures, for various types of food that is found in your kitchen.
• Training: Train your staff often on the importance of cooking foods to the correct temperatures, and train them on how to use thermometers properly.

6. Unsanitary Facilities

Violation: 

Health inspectors often look for, and find, unsanitary conditions in commercial kitchens. This can include things like dirty floors, walls, and equipment, all of which can harbor pests and dangerous bacteria.

✔ How to Address:

• Cleaning Schedule: Develop and stick to a serious cleaning schedule that covers daily, weekly, and monthly tasks for all areas of the commercial kitchen, including storage and refrigerators and freezers..
• Staff Responsibilities: Clearly assign cleaning responsibilities so that all areas are regularly cleaned, and properly sanitized.
• Professional Cleaning: Consider hiring a professional cleaning service for deep cleaning tasks, or anything that requires specialized equipment and expertise.

7.  Inadequate Pest Control

Violation: 

Pests, like mice, rats, and other rodents, as well as insects, can spread disease and contaminate food. Pest control is a critical aspect of health code compliance, and every commercial kitchen owner should take pest control seriously.

✔ How to Stay in Compliance:

• Regular Inspections: Conduct your own regular inspections of your facility so you can address any potential pest entry points, or detect any infestations.
• Sanitation: Maintain a very high level of sanitation to eliminate food and water sources that might attract pests.
• Pest Control Services: Partner with a reputable pest control service that will use preventative measures, and handle any infestations promptly and safely.

8.  Inaccurate Food Labeling

Violation: 

Mislabeling food, including failing to date mark perishable items, can lead to both health code violations and foodborne illnesses.

✔ Avoidance Tips:

• Labeling System: Create a clear and consistent labeling system for your food items, including the date of preparation and expiration, and make sure all of your employees know and follow the labeling and dating system.
• FIFO Method: Practice the “First In, First Out” (FIFO) method, which helps to ensure older stock is used before newer stock.
• Training: Train your staff on how important accurate labeling is, and how to properly mark food items.

Conclusion

Staying compliant with health codes is hard work. It requires diligence, proper and consistent training, and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and food safety in your commercial kitchen. But by understanding the common health code violations, and how to address them, you can take one step closer to making sure your kitchen operates smoothly, safely, and is always in full compliance with health regulations. Remember – a clean and well-maintained kitchen not only protects your customers, but it also enhances your restaurant’s reputation and success.