Principles of Cleanliness

Before any work can begin in a culinary school bakery, students must learn proper standards of cleanliness. Likewise, in a professional bakery, excellent health and external cleanliness of the staff are prerequisites for the maintenance of a hygienic, disease-free environment. In addition to personal cleanliness, all materials and equipment, as well as the workspace itself, must be antiseptic. When organizing your ingredients, the work surface on which you lay your mise en place (this French term defines the organization of all the necessary ingredients required to put the recipe together up to the point of its final preparation) should be absolutely pristine. To the novice, these rules may seem unnecessary or extreme; however, variance from these principles can result in extremely serious, even disastrous, results to the health of others. Adherence to the following principles will help ensure that this does not occur: