Lesson · Food Safety Plan
Equipment
Objective: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to make sure your equipment helps you control hazards, and document it in your Food Safety Plan. You will be able to:
- Choose equipment that is safe and easy to clean.
- Set up temperature monitoring for every cooling and holding unit.
- Plan calibration, cleaning and maintenance.
Choose the right equipment
- Buy commercial food-service equipment certified to a recognized sanitation standard (for example NSF/ANSI in the United States, or the equivalent your province accepts). Household equipment is rarely designed for constant use or easy cleaning.
- Food-contact surfaces must be smooth, durable, non-absorbent, corrosion-resistant and easy to take apart and clean.
- Size refrigeration and hot-holding equipment for your busiest day, not an average one. Overloaded fridges cannot keep food cold.
- Leave space under and around equipment for cleaning, or mount it on wheels or legs.
Temperature control equipment
| Equipment | Target | Your plan should say |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerators and walk-ins | 4 °C (40 °F) or below — 41 °F (5 °C) under the US FDA Food Code | Thermometer in every unit, checked and recorded at least twice a day |
| Freezers | -18 °C (0 °F) or below | Checked and recorded daily |
| Hot holding | 60 °C (140 °F) or above — 57 °C (135 °F) under the US FDA Food Code | Food probed every 2 hours and recorded |
| Probe thermometers | Accurate within ±1 °C (±2 °F) | Calibrated weekly and after a drop; one per station |
| Dishwasher | Hot-water machines: wash about 60 °C, final rinse at least 82 °C (180 °F); chemical machines: correct sanitizer concentration | Temperatures or sanitizer strength checked each shift |
Follow your manufacturer’s instructions and your local code for the exact dishwasher temperatures and sanitizer concentrations. For thermometers, review Calibrating a Meat Thermometer and use the Thermometer Calibration Log.
Cleaning and maintenance
- Add every piece of equipment to your sanitation plan: how it is cleaned, with what, how often and by whom.
- Schedule preventive maintenance — door gaskets, fan coils, compressor checks, burner and thermostat checks. A failing fridge is a food-safety problem before it is a repair bill (see Restaurant Preventative Maintenance).
- Write what staff must do if a unit fails: move food to another unit, check food temperatures, discard anything held above the limit too long, call for service and record it.