Hotel Hygiene Analysis

Safety of food is principally assured by control at source, product design and process control, and the application of good hygienic practices during production, processing, handling, distribution, storage, preparation and use. Microbiological criteria can be established according to these principles and be based on scientific analysis and advice. It can be developed in a transparent fashion and meet the requirements of fair trade. This can be reviewed periodically for relevance with respect to emerging pathogens, changing technologies and new understanding of science.

Microbiological analysis can be used to formulate design requirements and to indicate the required microbiological status of raw materials, ingredients, environment and end products at any stage of the food chain as appropriate. Acceptability of a product or a food is based on the absence or presence, or number of microorganisms. A microbiological criterion can be established and applied where there is a definite need and where its application is practical. To fulfill the purpose of a microbiological criterion, consideration should be given to:

Hotel Hygiene Analysis Packages for Hotels

• Personal hygiene analysis
• Equipment hygiene analysis
• Raw food analysis
• Cooked food analysis

Analysis package

• Two personal hygiene samples : Samples will be collected from any two persons who are involved in the process as desired by the management. This will help the management to asses the employee hygiene in their unit and moreover ensure awareness among employees about their hygienic practices.
• Two equipment hygiene samples : Samples will be collected from any two equipment, which come in contact with the food at any time of the process. This will enable the management to assess the cleanliness of equipment, instruments and utensils used in the process.
• Two raw food samples : Samples will be collected from any two raw food stored in the unit. This will enable the management to evaluate their sub-contractors, quality of the stored raw food, raw material handling and storage conditions in their unit.
• Two cooked food samples : Samples will be collected from any two cooked food prepared in the unit. This will enable the management to evaluate the quality of the prepared food, the cooking environmental conditions and moreover to ensure the safety of their customers.

Microbiological Methods and Sampling Plans

We are employing only methods for which the reliability has been established. The highly sensitive and reproducible analytical methods used by us are from Bacteriological Analytical Manuel, Bureau of Indian Standards and Food & Drug Administration, USA. These methods are reasonable with regard to complexity, availability of media, equipment, ease of interpretation and costs. A well-designed sampling plan defines the probability of detecting microorganisms in a specified area. Therefore we have designed a well-defined sampling plan, which is administratively and economically feasible.

We are employing only methods for which the reliability has been established. The highly sensitive and reproducible analytical methods used by us are from Bacteriological Analytical Manuel, Bureau of Indian Standards and Food & Drug Administration, USA. These methods are reasonable with regard to complexity, availability of media, equipment, ease of interpretation and costs. A well-designed sampling plan defines the probability of detecting microorganisms in a specified area. Therefore we have designed a well-defined sampling plan, which is administratively and economically feasible.

Guidelines for improving Hygienic Practices

Food products provide a good medium for rapid proliferation of most of the micro-organisms which degrade and alter their composition thus reducing their keeping quality and making them unfit for human consumption. Contamination with micro-organisms causing food poisoning also constitutes additional health hazards. Therefore, food should be protected from sources of microbial contamination at various stages of handling, processing and distribution. Safe and wholesome food products can be produced through improved hygienic practices. The following guidelines can be executed to improve the hygienic practices.

Working Environment

• Establishments should provide adequate working space for satisfactory performance of all operations.
• The construction should be sound and ensure adequate ventilation, good natural or artificial lighting and easy cleaning.
• The establishment should be so laid out and equipped as to facilitate proper supervision of hygienic measures and performance of inspection and control.
• Floors should be waterproof, nontoxic, nonabsorbent, easy to clean and disinfect. These should be without cervices and should slope sufficiently for liquids to be drained off to trapped outlets protected by a grill.
• Walls should be waterproof, nontoxic, nonabsorbent, easy to clean and disinfect. These should be smooth and at a height appropriate to the operation conducted. These should be of light colour and washable.
• Ceilings should be so designed and constructed as to prevent accumulation of dirt and should be easy to clean.
• Effluent and waste disposal system should at all times be maintained in good order and repair.
• Raw foods should not come into contact with floors, walls or other fixed structures, except those which are specially designed for contact with them.
• The temperature in the rooms used for boning and trimming meat should at no time during working hours exceed 10 degree centigrade.
• All water used should be potable. An ample supply of potable water under adequate pressure should be provided.
• Ice should be made from potable water and shall be handled so as to protect it from contamination.
• Hot potable water supply at not less than 82 degree centigrade should be available during working hours.
• No waste bins should be kept open inside the processing area.
• All waste material resulting from preparation of food should be removed promptly and in such a manner as to avoid contamination of food, water, equipment, floors and walls.
• Adequate ventilation should be provided to prevent excessive heat, steam and condensation and to ensure that the air in the premises is not contaminated with odours, dust, vapour or smoke.

Equipment & Utensils

• All equipment, instruments and utensils used should be made of material, which does not transmit odour or taste, is nontoxic and nonabsorbent.
• All equipment and utensils should be cleaned at frequent intervals and immediately and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected whenever these come in contact with infective material or become contaminated.
• Equipment and utensils used for inedible or condemned materials should be identified and should not be used for edible products.
• No containers, crates, boxes or cartons should be assembled in any part of the unit in which food products are prepared, handled, packed or stored.
• Prior to use of the equipment any residue of sanitizing agents or disinfectants should be removed by thorough rinsing with potable water.

Employee Hygiene

• Every person employed in the unit shall be medically examined by an authorized registered medical practitioner and the examination shall include examination of sputum and X-ray of the chest for tuberculosis. Subsequently, the employee shall be medically examined once in a year or more frequently, if necessary, to ensure that he or she is medically fit and free from communicable diseases. A record of such examination shall be maintained.
• It shall be impressed on all employees that they should notify the management, cases of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery, boils, cuts, sores and ulcers, discharging ears and any other notifiable diseases.
• Employees suspected to be suffering from any of the disorders listed above should not be permitted to work inside the unit.
• Employees shall keep their nails short and clean and wash their hands with soap and water before commencing work and after each absence, especially after using sanitary conveniences. Wearing finger rings shall be prohibited inside the processing area.
• Roller towels used for wiping hands should be clean.
• No employee shall be allowed to work without proper clothing and footwear.
• Employees shall be provided with clean uniforms (preferably white) or aprons or both and clean washable caps where necessary.
• Separate room or place for changing the clothes shall be provided. The cloths shall not be hung in any processing room.
• The uniforms shall not be worn outside the unit but put on before starting the work and changed when leaving.
• Eating, spitting, nose cleaning or the use of tobacco in any form or chewing betel leaves shall be prohibited within the processing and storage area of the unit.
• Notice to this effect shall be prominently displayed and enforced.

Reporting

The test report will give the information needed for complete identification of the sample, the sampling plan, the test method, result of the analysis and if appropriate, their interpretation.

Raw Material Handling

• No meat or meat products should be accepted unless these have been derived from animals subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection.
• Meat and meat products should not be accepted unless properly branded or marked and in every way suitable for human consumption. If it is not so it should be examined.
• Raw materials should be handled, stored and transported in a manner that will protect these from contamination and deterioration.
• Raw materials and semi-processed goods should be kept separated from outgoing prepared food.
• All steps in the preparation of foods should be performed as rapidly as possible and under conditions which will prevent the possibility of deterioration or the contamination by pathogenic and spoilage micro-organisms.
• Equipment such as cutting boards, trays, vats, tables, etc, should not be used interchangeably for raw products and cooked products unless these are completely cleaned and sanitized or disinfected before moving to the area designated for cooked products.
• The operation of boning and trimming should always be carried out as rapidly as possible and meat should not be allowed to accumulate in rooms used for boning and trimming.

Storage

• Entry should be restricted to the chilling rooms and freezing rooms to personnel necessary to carry out operations efficiently.
• Doors should not be left open for extended periods and should be closed immediately after use.
• Chilling room and freezing room should not be loaded beyond its designed capacity.
• For chilling rooms temperature should be maintained at 4 to 7 degree centigrade and for freezing rooms it should be –18 degree centigrade or below.
• Where refrigeration equipment is not manned, automatic temperature recorders should be installed. If no automatic device is installed, temperatures should be read at regular intervals and readings recorded in a logbook.
• Condensation should be prevented by efficient operation of refrigeration facilities combined with proper insulation of walls and ceilings.
• Meat or meat products should not be stacked directly on the floor but should be placed on pallets in such away as to allow adequate air circulation.
• Temperature fluctuations in the freezer store should be kept to a minimum.
• Refrigeration coils should be defrosted as required to prevent excessive accumulation of ice and loss of refrigeration efficiency.

Yes ! I am interested