When it comes to hygiene, food trucks are subject to strict sanitary standards. Cleanliness of equipment, food safety and customer satisfaction are closely linked. That’s why it’s essential to identify sensitive areas, use the right products and train staff in cleaning procedures.
Reading guide
What are the hygiene rules for a food truck?
Food trucks must comply with the same hygiene rules as traditional restaurants, to guarantee food safety and customer satisfaction.
Fitting out the food truck
To successfullyset up your food truck, it’s imperative to use washable, non-toxic and easy-to-clean materials for your interior kitchen layout. You’ll also need to install a ventilation system to avoid unpleasant odors, equip the food truck with an automated hand-washing station with soap and single-use paper, provide refrigerated storage areas and separate clean (preparation, cooking, storage) and dirty (dishwashing, waste garbage cans) areas.
Staff hygiene
Every member of staff is required to wear appropriate, clean working clothes, and to wash their hands frequently. Persons presenting health risks (illnesses, wounds) should not be allowed to handle food.
Handling food
When handling foodstuffs, it is essential to observe the principle of forward motion to avoid cross-contamination: food storage and cooking temperatures must also be monitored. Kitchen utensils must be kept clean and cleaned regularly. It may be useful to use different colored cutting boards for each type of food.
Hygiene training
Training in food hygiene rules, lasting a minimum of 14 hours, is mandatory in commercial catering establishments.
Only one person from the plant is required to take this training course, which comprises a minimum of 2 hours of face-to-face training for each 7-hour sequence.
It usually costs between €200 and €500, and has no expiration date or obligation to be renewed. Hygiene training should not be confused with HACCP training, introduced by the “Hygiene Package” of European regulations. The latter is compulsory for anyone handling food in the agri-food sector, and can be provided either by a training organization or by the establishment itself, with no requirement as to content or duration.
Efficient cleaning of your food truck
Proper cleaning of your food truck is essential to guarantee food safety and comply with current standards. A clean, well-maintained kitchen ensures the longevity of your business and the good reputation of your brand.
Identify surfaces to be cleaned regularly
For impeccable hygiene, frequent cleaning is essential:
- Worktops ;
- Cooking equipment: griddles, deep fryers, ovens ;
- Kitchen utensils and equipment;
- Refrigerators and storage areas;
- Sinks and faucets;
- Door handles and switches ;
- Floor and walls;
- Vehicle exterior ;
For effective cleaning, use microfiber cloths and sponges, but also hard-bristled brushes, squeegees for windows and smooth surfaces, a broom and mop for the floor, disinfectant products approved for the food industry, and above all, don’t forget to wear protective gloves.
Getting organized for efficient cleaning
Meticulous hygiene management in your mobile kitchen will help you avoid cross-contamination, maintain food quality, prolong equipment life and, by extension, maintain a good brand image with customers.
To achieve this, you must never neglect hard-to-reach areas, use products unsuited to the food industry, neglect recommended dilutions for products, forget to clean the cleaning tools themselves, or neglect the cleaning of storage areas.
Draw up a cleaning schedule tailored to your mobile business
A cleaning schedule guarantees hygiene and food safety in your food truck, and is in line with good hygiene practice thanks to the efficient organization of tasks.
Structuring your cleaning plan
To draw up an effective cleaning plan, the vehicle needs to be broken down into distinct zones, and a list drawn up for each zone listing the areas and equipment to be cleaned, the frequency of cleaning, the products and materials to be used, the person responsible for each task, etc.
Itinerant activity includes constraints that must be taken into account: limited time between services, restricted space, drinking water supply and wastewater management. It is therefore necessary to manage cleaning procedures to make them fast, while respecting hygiene standards.
Ensure traceability of cleaning operations
The traceability of cleaning operations is proof of compliance with good hygiene practices during inspections. It is recommended to set up a system of follow-up sheets, to be completed after each cleaning operation, with the date and time of the operation, the area or equipment cleaned, the products used, and the name and signature of the person responsible for cleaning: these sheets must be kept and made available to the health authorities in the event of an inspection.
Maintain your food truck and ensure the long-term future of your business
Compliance with hygiene standards in a food truck is often the key to ensuring the long-term future of the business, since it’s the brand’s image that’s at stake. In a sector where competition is fierce and reputations are made and broken quickly, it’s imperative to leave nothing to chance. The implementation of maintenance procedures, staff training and regular, meticulous cleaning of the kitchen are essential to stand out from the crowd.
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