Because food bars are exposed to the general public, and because they hold foods for extended periods, they pose significant risk of contamination by food-borne pathogens. For this reason, chefs who operate food bars must be especially vigilant about observing food safety and sanitation guidelines. Hot bars pose the additional risk of causing burns. Many of the food safety practices you already follow also apply to food bars. These guidelines are specific to cold and hot food bar food safety.
Guidelines for Food Bar Safety
When setting up a food bar for service, turn it on at least 30 minutes before the food is placed into it. Make sure proper temperature is reached before loading in food.
Place all foods in clean, freshly sanitized pans at the beginning of each service day. When replacing foods, also use a fresh pan.
Thoroughly chill foods below 41°F (5°C) before placing them in a cold bar, and thoroughly heat hot foods above 135°F (57°C) before placing them in a hot bar. These units are designed to maintain temperature, not to chill or heat foods.
Do not fill food bar pans more than three-quarters full.
Use a sanitized probe thermometer to monitor the temperature of food bar foods every two hours. Post a monitoring schedule, and train staff to record the temperatures on it.
If a food bar unit is not holding the proper temperature, immediately remove all food from it and call a repair service.
Never combine food from a used pan with food from a fresh pan. Instead, transfer small amounts of food from used pans into smaller containers.
Keep sneeze guards in place, and clean them frequently.
Do not use spray cleaner on or around a food bar. Instead, moisten a towel with the cleaning solution and wipe around the food. Do not allow chemical cleaners to come into contact with food.
Make sure each food bar item has its own sanitized serving utensil. Place sanitized serving utensils in the food bar pans with handles facing out. Replace utensils with freshly sanitized utensils regularly.
Train staff to monitor customer behavior at the food bar. Insist that parents control their children. If you believe a customer has contaminated a food item, immediately remove and discard it.
Make sure warning signs are posted on potentially dangerous hot bar areas.
Know and observe your local food safety regulations.
