The Lakewood or Beachwood Truck Park, The Yard on 3^rd in Willoughby or South Euclid’s Food Truck Park, it does not matter where they are, Northeast Ohioans love their food trucks! Prep work may be done at a brick-and-mortar restaurant, a food incubator or a ghost kitchen but food safety can be tricky for a restaurant operating out of a food truck or trailer.

Here are some basic food safety tips to follow or to be aware of as you prep your tacos, barbeque or lobster rolls:

Avoid cross contamination

Raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs are often sources of dangerous bacteria, such as Salmonella, Yersinia and E. coli. Keep raw items away from other foods at all costs. Also, it is important that meat and eggs never be rinsed in a sink that is used for vegetable prep. This practice can lead to a contaminated sink with the dangerous potential to harm customers. If you have a designated sink for rinsing meat, it is still important to wash and rinse, then sanitize it when finished rinsing.

Maintain proper temperature

The “Danger Zone” for food temperature is defined as any temperature between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Food that resides in this temperature zone can grow harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, which can lead to serious illness. Keeping food out of the “Zone” is imperative for proper food safety. Never thaw or marinate outside of the refrigerator. When thawing frozen meat or fish, use clean, cold running water, or leave on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent juice from dripping onto other ingredients. During the thawing process, it is important that the product remains in its original, watertight packaging.

Implement pest control

Not only do pests stir up fear in guests, they can also spread harmful diseases to the food. Keep your food truck free of creepy crawlies by contracting with a reputable pest control company. The company should be experienced with business/restaurant environments and will therefore have a better understanding of sources of infestation and proper extermination/mitigation techniques.

Remember, no matter how good the food, service or atmosphere, without food safety, your reputation can take a severe hit or you could even be shut down.  To make sure your Food Truck is properly insured, contact your Trusted Choice Independent Agent at Richey-Barrett Insurance.