Kitchen Design and Layout

In theory the design and layout of your kitchen can affect the standard of hygiene you can achieve, and a hygienic kitchen has plenty of space for work and storage.

It’s all very well to say that – and this series of articles relates to the professional food handler rather than the home cook – but in my opinion it is possible to achieve good hygiene even in a tiny kitchen. It’s just a case of following the rules on hand washing, keeping raw and cooked foods separate, storing food at the correct temperature, and all the other things we’ve already talked about in earlier articles in this series. Let’s get back to the theory of kitchen design and layout…

There should be separate areas in the kitchen for each food category: raw, high risk, vegetables, etc. Yes, ideally there should be but it’s not always practicable. In my own tiny kitchen I get around this by using colour coded boards and scrupulously avoiding risks of cross-contamination in the preparation and storage of food.

A key objective is also to separate clean and dirty areas. Keep the pot wash away from the food prep, for example. The design and layout should assist cleaning and work flow. Now let’s look at some of the kitchen design features in more detail.

Work surfaces

These are likely to be in constant use so they must be strong, durable and easily cleaned. Stainless steel tables are ideal, especially the type with braked castors so they can be moved around to facilitate thorough cleaning.

Floors

Floors should be durable, easily cleaned, non-absorbent and non-slip. They should be resistant to acids, fat and grease. They should not have crevices in which food particles might accumulate. Dirt and grease all carry bacteria, so make sure you don’t have areas where they might build up and be difficult to clean away.

Walls

Walls should be smooth and free of cracks. Smooth plaster is fine, as are tiles for areas where water or fat might be splashed. Walls should be painted or tiled in a pale colour so dirt and grease show up. Ceilings should also be smooth and a pale colour.

Ventilation

It is essential to provide an effective system to remove heat, steam, condensation and cooking odours. A commercial kitchen owner must provide proper working conditions for the staff. In any case, a stuffy room helps bacteria to multiply.

Lighting

Kitchens should be well lit by either natural or artificial lighting. Poor lighting makes it difficult to prepare food hygienically. Poor lighting also makes it difficult to clean the kitchen properly. And accidents are more likely to happen when you can’t see what the heck you are doing.

Sinks

Sinks should be provided for the washing of food. These should be separate from the pot wash and also separate from the handwashing sink. Sinks should have hot and cold water and preferably be made of stainless steel.

Waste disposal

Some kitchens have waste disposal machines which break down the food and flush it away down a waste pipe. This is a very effective and immediate way of getting rid of waste.

Waste which is not disposed of as above, and other general refuse, should be put into durable plastic sacks and placed in bins reserved for this purpose. Waste bins should not be sited near food preparation areas.

This is Chapter Five, Part One in a series of articles broadly similar to the course offered by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health for its Food Hygiene Certificate.
Part Two: Toilets and washing facilities

Chapter One: Food Poisoning
Chapter Two: Bacteria
Chapter Three: Hygiene Control and Personal Hygiene
Chapter Four: Pest Control
Chapter Six: Temperature Control
Chapter Seven: Cleaning the Work Area