Sanitation and Safety

In the last chapter, we talked about professionalism in food service. Professionalism is an attitude that reflects pride in the quality of your work. One of the most important ways of demonstrating professional pride is in the area of sanitation and safety. Pride in quality is reflected in your appearance and work habits. Poor hygiene, poor grooming and personal care, and sloppy work habits are nothing to be proud of.

Even more important, poor sanitation and safety can cost a lot of money. Poor food-handling procedures and unclean kitchens cause illness, unhappy customers, and even fines, summonses, and lawsuits. Food spoilage raises food costs. Poor kitchen safety results in injuries, medical bills, and workdays lost. Finally, poor sanitation and safety habits show lack of respect for your customers, for your fellow workers, and for yourself.