Roskachestvo cited signs of food safety violations in bars

The lack of uniforms and a large number of decorations at the bartender indicate violations of food safety rules in the establishment. This was announced to Izvestia on February 6 by Elena Specenko, director of the Roskachestvo Center for Food Safety Competencies.

"Every employee, whether it's a bartender, waiter or cleaner, must have a valid medical record with a medical examination and hygiene certification. Employees should wear clean uniforms and a change of shoes, with short-cropped nails and minimal jewelry. After using the toilet, smoking, and before starting to work with food, they must wash their hands. If there are signs of acute respiratory viral infections, intestinal infections, pustular skin lesions, the employee should be suspended from work," the specialist explained.

According to Specenko, all surfaces in establishments (racks, shelves, refrigerators) must be kept perfectly clean. There should also be no foreign objects on the work surfaces, including mobile phones.

The expert clarified that the zones should be clearly divided into dirty (washing and collecting used dishes) and clean (for making drinks or cutting snacks). Also, you should not wash dishes in the same sink where you wash your hands or prepare ice for cocktails. In addition, bar refrigerators must be serviceable with a thermometer inside and mandatory compliance with the temperature norm.

If the dishes are washed by the staff, they must first be washed with detergent, then rinsed in warm water, and then in water with disinfectant or scalded. It is not recommended to wipe clean dishes with a towel, but only to dry them on special grates.

"Bar equipment, such as shakers, jiggers, alcohol stoves and knives, must be washed and disinfected after each use. Faucets must be washed daily with detergent and disinfectant. Therefore, if you see that the bartender uses the same dish to prepare several drinks, this is a violation of the principles of food safety, which can lead to health problems for you," added Specsenko.

In addition to these rules, employees of the institution are required to monitor the shelf life of all products, observe storage conditions, do daily wet cleaning at the end of the shift, and take out the trash in a timely manner.

Hiding point: every second catering company avoids food quality checks

Public activists are asking the authorities to strengthen control over cafes, restaurants and fast food kiosks.

Specenko noted on January 23 that the main risks for consumers in fast food establishments are related to sanitary and hygienic conditions and their observance at all stages of production. According to the expert, in order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to control the temperature regime of food, since violations during storage, defrosting and cooking of products, especially perishable ones, such as semi-finished meat products, dairy components and fresh vegetables, create prerequisites for microbiological spoilage and can lead to food poisoning of consumers.

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