Evaluation of the practices applied in the preparation of vegetable salads in a catering unit
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abstract
Food safety is nowadays an important issue for the consumers, being a point of great concern to catering units. These must prepare an equilibrated meal in terms of nutritional value and safety. The consumption of fruits and vegetables has assumed great importance. Nevertheless, in the processing of vegetables it is crucial to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene and making, as many times these products are served raw, without being subjected to any thermal processing.
Even these catering units must follow European regulations and have implemented an HACCP plan, incorrect practices are sometimes observed. Thus, in the present work it was intended to evaluate the activities related with the preparation of vegetable salads in a catering unit. To achieve this goal, 21 periodic visits were performed and the survey of the activities linked to salad preparation was done by a check-list previously elaborated.
In general terms, the practices followed in the reception, storage and preparation of the vegetables were quite satisfactory; however, some incorrect points were stated, such as the use of unrefrigerated vehicles by the vegetable supplier, the maintenance of the vegetables at room temperature during long periods of time and the incorrect application of the implemented Washing and Disinfection Plan, beyond other points. Moreover, variability on the disinfection method used in the vegetables salad preparation was also stated. In relation to personal hygiene of food operators, some points also need correction.
Food safety is nowadays an important issue for the consumers, being a point of great concern to catering units. These must prepare an equilibrated meal in terms of nutritional value and safety. The consumption of fruits and vegetables has assumed great importance. Nevertheless, in the processing of vegetables it is crucial to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene and production, as many times these products are served raw, without being subjected to any thermal processing.
Even these catering units must follow European regulations and have implemented an HACCP plan, incorrect practices are sometimes observed. Thus, in the present work it was intended to evaluate the activities related with the preparation of vegetable salads in a catering unit. To achieve this goal, 21 periodic visits were performed and the survey of the activities linked to salad preparation was done by a check-list previously elaborated.
In general terms, the practices followed in the reception, storage and preparation of the vegetables were quite satisfactory. However, some incorrect points were stated, such as the use of unrefrigerated vehicles by the vegetable supplier, the maintenance of the vegetables at room temperature during long periods of time and the incorrect application of the implemented Washing and Disinfection Plan, in addition to other points. Moreover, variability on the disinfection method used in the vegetables salad preparation was also stated. In relation to personal hygiene of food operators, some points also need correction.
