Food And Cafeteria Safety Tips

September 25, 2016

September is National Food Safety month! Students consume their lunch every day at school, so it’s important to make sure that school cafeterias are adhering by food safety guidelines to keep students safe. It’s also  important to remember that even those who don’t consume the food are exposed to it, which is why proper food safety precautions are necessary.

Here are some ways to ensure safety in the cafeteria:

• Always make sure that employees wash their hands before preparing or serving any food.
• Thoroughly wash utensils, plates and any other cafeteria surfaces such as tables and trays before students use them. If you’re serving any food that has been handled while raw, make sure to properly disinfect the area.
• Wash any pre-packaged foods or items such as fruits and vegetables before preparing meals or putting them out for students to buy.
• Separate all foods before preparing them to prevent cross-contamination. Take extra precautions when dealing with foods that contain peanuts or other high-allergy ingredients.
• If you’re serving hot food, make sure you have a place to keep it warm until students are ready to eat it. Also, if food is meant to stay cold, make sure you have adequate room in freezers or fridges to preserve it before it is consumed. Leaving food out of it’s intended temperature is one of the fastest ways to make student’s sick.

In addition to providing students with food that is safe to eat, it’s also important to provide them with a safe environment to eat it in! At Nickerson Corporation, we are available to help you transform your current cafeteria into a brand new food court! We’ve partnered with some of the top manufacturers to supply our schools with high quality, low maintenance furniture that brings forth the most innovative food court solutions. Interested in learning more? Visit our cafeteria furniture page or contact us at (631) 666-0200 today!