Housekeeping

High On Hygiene

S Nithya Kamakshi enlists the basic principles that go into maintaining hygiene in banquet halls

How many times have we been made to repeat the aphorism 'Cleanliness is next to godliness' to be learned by rote as children? Assuredly, too many times to be forgotten. However, while this article doesn't attempt to venture any area of being god-like, what it does try is to underline the importance of hygiene in banquet halls.

Whether it is a wedding reception or a party, banqueting halls are the perfect venues for any social dos. Although their popularity might be rated as per their luxuriousness and variety in cuisine by and large, the level of hygiene maintained by the staff plays a translucent yet important role.

Every Wash Counts

Studies reveal that nearly 60 per cent of the food service personnel do not wash their hands after using the toilet and only 28.6 per cent of food handlers wash theirs between handling cooked and uncooked food.

Although visiting the toilet alone does not result in the transfer of micro-organisms, eyes, nose and mouth are areas with high levels of germs and by simply touching these areas and handling food after can cause food contamination. Simple activities such as smoking and shaking hands can also result in cross contamination and food poisoning.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the food handler or rather, the one with poor personal hygiene is the single most responsible source of food poisoning outbreaks. Industry experts strongly believe that poor personal hygiene is the most common route for transmission of diseases by food handlers in restaurants and food plants, and indeed it is the most common cause of food borne illnesses. Infections from E. coli, salmonella and other bacteria are most commonly attributed to poor hand hygiene habits. Even maintenance of equipment should be performed with clean hands.

A food inspector from Pondicherry who did not want to be named is of the opinion that sick workers infect dozens of customers. "Dirty hands, body parts or clothing can also contaminate food. It is the duty of inspectors to check the washing sinks and monitor their use. They must keep a watch for open sores, grubby fingernails and dirty aprons lying across prep tables. Some jurisdictions also mandate plastic gloves for food handlers."

Mohan, a caterer from Chennai, feels that large groups eating the same food is a huge cause for public illness. "It is unfortunate that when people gather in numbers, sickness rates rise drastically," he says. He recommends hand washing and using protective gloves by preparation staff as preventive measures. "Mixing batches of food on salad bars or buffets will eventually result in customers eating stale product loaded with unsafe organisms. Therefore, there is a need to establish procedures that require container rotation and disposal of products," Mohan adds.

Must Dos

Food servers must be clean and should cover their head with a cloth or a chef cap. They must wear clean clothes and crisp aprons since the appearance of the server has a major impact on guests. So it is imperative that they are well groomed; women must keep their hair tied and men must keep their hair trimmed.

Ramesh of Gyanambiga Catering Services in Chennai says, "Personal hygiene plays a pivotal role in the hospitality industry. Food should be treated like a new born baby; it must be handled with a lot of care and sanitation to avoid any transmission of infection to the guests. Appearance of the staff and good hygiene practice will surely be a stimulant in sustaining the frequency of the guests."

Washing hands after using the washroom is a must and must be enforced constantly; touching a body part means coming into contact with a contaminant. Hands must be washed regularly so as not to miss the areas between the fingers and especially the fingernails. Scrubbing should take place for at least 30 seconds with thorough washing and rinsing of all areas and followed by complete drying. Food servers must also be instructed to use pre-chlorinated disposable rubber gloves throughout the event to maintain hygiene.

Food must be served hot and the fuel usage must be checked continuously. Cutlery must be kept in such a way so as to make it available at any time during the function. In case of any incident such as dropping of any cutlery in the food or on the floor, clean reserve cutlery should be provided. Plates should be large in size and guests should be presented with clean cloth napkins to prevent conduction of heat to the palms. Above all, efficiency and politeness of the service staff go a long way with establishing goodwill among the guests present.

In case of sit-down banquets, the table must be cleaned properly after every use. The present trend is to use paper rolls that are easy to use and dispose. This should be done immediately after the guests clear the table and before the next batch of guests approach the place. This requires the staff to be on their heels.

Post-Event Precautions

After the event, all cutlery and crockery should be washed well with chlorinated water for future use. Caterers must ensure that all the garbage is cleared and dumped appropriately to prevent it from being scattered. Nothing works better than a clean and neat venue. Empty bottles, broken crockery and glasses should be disposed responsibly and ecologically to prevent any potential accidents.

Food is the most common source of contamination and a favourite haunt for bacteria. Be it a banquet hall or a home kitchen, hygiene must be maintained to prevent contamination of food and transmission of disease. It also limits the breeding of common insects like ants and cockroaches. Following a simple cleanliness regime stringently can take banquet halls to a new high and make the experience for both guests and caterers rewarding and satisfying.