You are what you eat. Everyone loves food, in whatever way it comes, we all need food and crave it. First, comes the hunger, the imagination of the desired meal, the anticipation of the meal, the sight, the colours, the texture, the aromas, and then the climax of that first taste.
Eating is one experience to be enjoyed and savoured as much as it is a necessity for sustenance. The importance of food can never be overemphasized.
The preparation of food in itself is the perfect combination of art and science. From the picking of the ingredients; getting the right size and texture of food to be cooked is as important to a chef as his cooking pots.
But what happens when after all this time and effort put into the preparation and presentation of food, instead of the bliss, satisfaction and appreciation from a well-prepared meal, what is gotten as the chef’s reward is pain, fear, disease and death?
Food safety is an issue that can never be ignored, whether by a world class chef, a hot-dog vendor or a mother making a quick sandwich for lunch. Even the minutest detail overlooked, could result in a life-threatening crisis.
So how do we make sure our food is good for us? For home cooked meals, it’s quite easy to decide what to eat, how to prepare it and whatever sanitary conditions govern the preparation of a meal. Even better, the cook knows the likes, dislikes, health requirements and allergies of their diners.
But when relying on other people to prepare your food, it’s a great responsibility on the chef and cooks to give the best quality of food possible. That’s why health codes exist to govern the preparation of food for public consumption.
Sanitary conditions, allergies, presentation, are all key in consideration of food safety for groups of people. Health conditions are more varied, and nutritional requirements are wider.
As a restaurant owner or chef, every day, with the preparation of every drink, every snack, and every meal: the life of tens, hundreds or thousands of people is being entrusted into your hands. All the people who order take-out from you, get drinks at your bar, grab a quick bite, or have a full course dinner are trusting you to take care of them. Their expectations, their allergies, the safety of their stomachs, their families their friends is entrusted to you. This is a responsibility that should be taken with the utmost seriousness and dedication.
Therefore, the conditions of your kitchen; your staff, your utensils, the cleanliness and quality of your food, and the reliability of their sources must never be compromised. And that is why, every day, food safety in your restaurant has to remain a top priority.
Food safety is more than just a health code requirement; it’s about the preservation of your craft and the life of your client. The processes involved in the preparation of your food are equally as important in defining the food safety conditions in your kitchen. A bad combination of food could be just as deadly even if prepared in utmost sanitary conditions.
TutorCare offer a wide range of Food Safety Training courses. From Food Safety Awareness to Allergen Awareness and CIEH / HABC certified courses, TutorCare offers options for those requiring training inhouse or over the web. Certified courses include; CIEH Level 1 food safety course, CIEH Level 2 food safety course, CIEH Level 3 food safety course, CIEH Level 4 food safety course as well as the CIEH Food Safety Train the Trainer course.
