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When planning a food preparation area you need to ensure that the area meets all the legislation, guidance and best practice recommendations. Good planning and management will reduce risks and make the food area more pleasant to work in.
In other videos, we cover many different ways of reducing cross-contamination and in an ideal world to have different areas for different types of food like raw and cooked foods.
The work area must have adequate ventilation and extraction to ensure that the air will not cause harm or discomfort to staff or the public. Where the air is extracted from the building, it must also meet all health and safety and environmental regulations. Air conditioning is an advantage but not essential. If the area is air-conditioned, make sure that it is correctly serviced and cleaned as they can spread and be a host for infections.
The work surfaces should be made of suitable materials that are easy to clean and strong enough not to get damaged.
Good maintenance of work surfaces, tiles, sinks as well as food equipment is vital as bacteria can build up and can be difficult to clean.
Colour coding and signs to show the colours and what they mean will help to manage the work area.
Waste bins should be emptied regularly throughout the day and ensure that internal and external bins have lids.
Finally, you need to report any damaged equipment or area of the food premises to a supervisor or manager.
