Operating a business is not always easy. In fact, there are plenty of rules, safety procedures, staffing issues and more that come along with owning and operating your own business. The food truck business is no different. When it comes down to successfully and smoothly operating a food truck business, it is important to be sure you are caught up on all of the safety tips to ensure you, your staff, your customers and your food remain safe. With that being said, here are a few quick and easy tips on how to keep your food truck running safely and smoothly all year long.
Making Sure Everything is Clean
When we say keep everything clean, we mean everything. This includes hands, gloves and all produce that is being handled by either you or your staff. In fact, it is important to note that one of the main culprits of food poisoning is not always the food itself, but rather than person who is handling this said food. If your food is being handled by unclean hands, this means your food is now unclean as well. Therefore, it is important to enforce that all employees wash their hands regularly as well as change their gloves when needed. In addition to this, it is just as important to enforce that all produce be washed before it is used to make any of your delicious food dishes in order to prevent the spread of any unwanted bacteria.
Food Storage and Proper Temperatures
Certain foods require different storage options. However, one thing that is absolutely mandatory in the food service industry is the temperature of your refrigerator. A refrigerator should always maintain a temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below in order to prevent any bacteria from growing or spreading. In addition to this, it is important to keep in mind that certain foods can only be stored for a limited amount of time, no matter how cold that refrigerator may be.
With all of this in mind, it is important to regularly check the temperatures of your commercial refrigerators to ensure that they always remain at their proper temperatures. In fact, it is highly recommended that warming and holding equipment be checked every two hours. Doing this will help ensure you that it is not in the food Danger Zone.
Be Up to Date on All Health Codes
Before even opening up your food truck business, it is important for you to be up to date on all health codes. Not only will this help ensure that your customers remain happy and healthy, but health departments take these codes very seriously and can even shut down your business in total. Therefore, in order to best avoid these situations, it would be best to simply keep up with the health codes and enforce them regularly.
Perform Regular Self Inspections
While on the topic of health inspection, why not perform a few of these yourself every once in while in order to ensure everything is running safely. In doing so, this can help you identify any potential food safety concerns and can help you avoid the shut down from the local health department.
Overall, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that your business is running as safely and as smoothly as possible. Therefore, enforcing strict cleanliness rules and performing self-inspections from time to time are an absolute must. Be sure to protect your employees and your customers from any unwanted food related illnesses.