Sanitizer solutions are essential in reducing the risk of sickening guests, but when used improperly, they can actually increase foodborne illness hazards. So how can certified food protection managers ensure that the staff is using the sanitation solution properly?
Proper Sanitation Solution Use for Certified Food Protection Managers
There are four things CFPMs should be aware of when it comes to properly using sanitizer solutions:
- Approved Solutions
- Strength
- Effective Time Lapse
- Cloths Soaked in Solution
Your sanitizer solution must be a solution approved by the Minnesota food code. Common approved solutions include bleach, quat sanitizers and iodine. These solutions must be mixed to the appropriate strength, so follow the directions closely and use test strips from your sanitizer supplier to ensure proper strength. If it’s too strong, you risk contaminating food with the chemicals involved, and weak solutions will not properly sanitize your surfaces and equipment. Many restaurant suppliers offer automated dispensers that will mix sanitizers and water at the appropriate strength, just make sure to test from time to time to ensure that your solutions are in acceptable ranges.
Sanitizer solutions don’t remain effective forever, so certified food protection managers should instruct their staff to dispose of old sanitizer at regular intervals. If used often, these solutions may become less effective sooner than indicated on the bottle’s label, so be aware that solutions may need to be rotated frequently.
Finally, be aware that your solutions don’t necessarily completely sanitize cleaning rags. If you have an extremely dirty cloth and continue to use it, you’re not exactly sanitizing anything. In fact, you could be spreading grease and bacteria all over your kitchen no matter how long a dirty rag has sat in your sanitizer solution. The best plan is to keep a damp sanitizer rag available rather than soaking it in sanitizer buckets and use clean cloths after old ones become soiled.
Do you take the time to test your sanitizer solutions from time to time to ensure their effectiveness?
