Common causes of contamination in the foodservice industry

In the foodservice industry, it’s not just the visible dirt you have to worry about. One of the biggest threats to your business’ hygiene practices - germs and bacteria - aren’t actually visible to the naked eye. Whilst they may remain hidden, these germs could end up causing you and your customers significant trouble. Here are some of the biggest causes of contamination in the hospitality industry.

• Money - Dirty money takes on a completely new meaning in the foodservice industry. Those seemingly harmless banknotes could actually be carrying thousands of germs. In fact, money has been reported to carry more germs than a household toilet seat - that’s not a pretty thought! Clean Hands® by EasyGrab is designed to avoid cross-contamination between germ-infested money and customer’s food. The Clean Hands® multi-use docking base allows you to glove up quickly between serving customers and preparing meals, ensuring your food remains germ-free.

• Hands - Hands are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to cross- contamination. And whilst every hospitality business should have food safety handling practices in place, there are times when these practices slip through the fingers. Poor food handling practices, such as failure to wash hands before and after preparing food or (even worse) sneezing, can lead to unwanted bacterial contamination. By following appropriate hygiene practices and wearing HACCP compliant gloves such as Clean Hands® by EasyGrab, you can reduce the chances of bacterial contamination during the food preparation process.

• Food - One of the biggest sources of food contamination in hospitality is actually other food sources. This type of cross-contamination can occur when foods such as raw meats come into contact with cooked or ready-prepared meals. To avoid this situation, make sure you clean food preparation surfaces thoroughly after use and store anything raw separately from cooked foods.

• Dirty utensils - Whilst raw foods can contaminate other food sources directly, unclean cutlery and cooking utensils can also cause this type of cross-contamination. Whether it’s a dirty chopping board that has been exposed to raw meat, or knives that haven’t been cleaned properly after use, failure to clean your work surfaces and tools could cause big problems for your hospitality business. Avoid contaminating food with dirty cutlery by washing and sanitising work surfaces and equipment before and after use, especially between raw and ready-cooked foods

•  Pests - These creepy critters are the biggest nightmare for anyone working in the hospitality industry. Pests carry all sorts of germs and bacteria, which they will readily transfer onto any food they can get their hands or claws on. The best way to avoid unwanted infestations is to remove rubbish regularly and maintain clean work surfaces.

Avoid contamination with Clean Hands® by EasyGrab

If you want your business (and your reputation) to stay clean, it’s important you follow appropriate food safety practices when preparing food and serving your customers. The Clean Hands® glove system by EasyGrab is designed with New Zealand and Australian hospitality businesses in mind. Our HACCP compliant gloves and multi-use docking system will ensure your hands remain covered and your food remains clean throughout the food handling process to keep your business a germ-free zone.

Visit our online store to order your Clean Hands® Glove system by EasyGrab today.