Oftentimes, contamination incidents come from small, repeatable gaps in a kitchen’s daily routine. September is National Food Safety Education Month, which provides an annual checkpoint for commercial kitchens to review operational procedures, audit inventory, and replace worn gear. These are the four areas operators should review first, along with the equipment that makes the safe choice the easy choice.
Color Code for Cross-Contamination Control
Raw proteins and ready-to-eat foods require physical separation at every stage of prep. Without it, pathogens from raw meat, poultry, or seafood can transfer to dishes where they have no business being.
Color coding turns that separation into something instantly legible, even under pressure. A green board signals produce, a red board signals raw meat, and the logic holds even when a rush pushes every station to its limit and new hires haven’t yet memorized the written protocol. The only caveat is 1 in 12 men are red/green color blind, so please confirm with your staff that this system is accessible to them.
Key tools supporting color-coded separation include:
San Jamar Saf-T-Grip™ Cutting Boards
Prevent dangerous slips and cross-contamination with Saf-T-Grip™ Cutting Boards. They combine quality and durability with integrated anti-slip grips to provide a safe cutting surface without using the unsanitary “wet towel” method. Their wide variety of sizes and colors means there is a Saf-T-Grip™ board for every job.
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Knives
A perfect component for the HACCP system, Millennia Colors® Knives have color-coded handles for dedicated use and effective food-safety-handling practices. Their raised Santoprene textured handles improve grip and provide greater comfort.
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Cut-Resistant Gloves
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Cut-Resistant Gloves come in a wide variety of colors for safe kitchen practices. They have ANSI Level A4 Cut Protection with a lightweight feel. These gloves are FDA approved for safe direct food contact.
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Turners
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Turners are a durable and sanitary way to meet the needs of commercial kitchens. Their precision ground stainless steel blades and sanitary sealed handle design assist in better safety handling practices. Molded polypropylene handles provide an extra sure grip.
Stay Out of the Danger Zone
Every food safety plan comes back to the danger zone: 41°F to 135°F. The danger zone is the temperature range where bacteria multiply fastest. Temperature control has to hold from the moment product is received through the moment it reaches the line, which means the kitchen needs fast, accurate readings at every checkpoint.
Digital thermometers speed up receiving checks and line temping, while insulated transport and cold-holding equipment protect the work already done to maintain a safe temperature.
Key tools that support maintaining safe temperatures include:
Escali® Blue Waterproof Digital Thermometer
The Waterproof Digital Thermometer helps monitor food temperatures, without sacrificing productivity. This thermometer is simple to use and maintain, as the digital display allows for easy reading and the protective sheath doubles as an extended handle for more control. The 1.2 mm thin tip offers quick response times, and the display hold feature makes it ideal for temping commercial dishwashers.
Escali® White Digital Refrigerator / Freezer Thermometer
The Digital Refrigerator / Freezer Thermometer is a hanging-style digital thermometer that indicates safe operating temperatures in cold storage areas. It features a large, easy-read display and several display options.
San Jamar Rapi-Kool™ Cold Paddles
Cold Paddles are a fast and safe way to cool soups, stews, and other hot liquids. It chills foods from the inside out, which minimizes time-temperature abuse and the potential for bacterial growth. To use, simply fill with water and freeze ahead of time, or fill with ice and water for immediate use. This paddle is easy to clean and has an integrated hook for storage.
Escali® Black Gourmet Digital Thermometer
Ergonomically designed, the Gourmet Digital Thermometer features a long probe for easy measurements and a comfort-grip handle ensures the thermometer is ready for prolonged use. The large digital display makes for quick and easy temperature readings for this NSF-certified thermometer.
Maintain Audit-Ready Storage Areas
An organized walk-in and dry storage area greatly improves food safety control. Clear labels and consistent container placement make FIFO rotation second nature, keep raw items from ending up above ready-to-eat food, and make it easy to spot at a glance when something’s expired or out of place.
Good organization also cuts down on exposure to contaminants and keeps storage areas audit-ready. Sealed containers and clear labeling systems are what make FIFO practices work day to day and keep everything compliant.
Key tools that assist with safe food organization include:
Araven Ingredient Bins
Araven ingredient bins offer superior food preservation. They store dry, non-perishable or bulk foods that do not require refrigeration when temperature and humidity are under control.
Araven Storage Containers
Araven storage containers optimize storage space. Their side handles facilitate handling and transport. Their airtight lids fully protect your food. Lids are made using LDPE, a highly flexible material that easily adapts to the shape of the base.
Araven Washable Marker
This washable HORECA marker with water-based ink helps restaurant and catering professionals comply with traceability regulations. The ink can withstand the cold of the fridge or freezer without condensing and coming off. When you’re ready to remove the ink, simply put the container in the dishwasher or wipe it under a flow of hot water.
Keep Trace Allergens Off the Plate
Allergen cross-contact is becoming a bigger priority across schools, healthcare, and restaurants, and solid communication between the kitchen and front of house isn’t enough on its own. Dedicated tools, kept physically separate from the rest of the kitchen’s equipment, are what actually keep a trace amount of allergen from landing in a dish where it wasn’t disclosed.
The stakes are real: allergen cross-contact can pose serious health risks to guests and serious legal exposure for operators. Dedicated purple tools give staff a quick visual cue for allergen-free orders and help prevent accidental contact with common allergens.
Key tools that keep our customers safe from allergens include:
Mercer Culinary® Allergen Safety Tote & Tools Kit
Mercer Culinary’s® Allergen Safety Kit includes everything needed for allergen or gluten-free programs. It includes a storage tote, cutlery, pizza cutters, turners, silicone bake mats, and more.
Mercer Culinary® Full-Size Purple Silicone Bake / Work Mat
These time-saving mats are available in sizes designed to fit both full- and half-size sheet pans.
Additionally, they can be placed under cutting boards to keep them more stable during use.
Allergen Saf-T-Grip™ Cutting Board
Operators know to keep allergens away from this purple cutting board. Durably constructed, the board features an integrated ruler for even cuts and precise portioning, a food safety hook, and anti-slip corners that reduce the potential for injury.
Mercer Culinary® Millennia® Purple Turner
Keep your customers safe by using this allergen-friendly, purple-handled turner. Durable and sanitary to meet the needs of commercial kitchens, its precision ground stainless steel blades and sanitary-sealed handle design assist in better safety practices.
Make the Safer Choice the Easy One
Cross-contamination, temperature abuse, disorganized storage, and allergen cross-contact account for most of what goes wrong in a commercial kitchen, and all four respond to the same fix: equipment that makes correct practice the path of least resistance. Use this month to audit what you have, replace what is worn, and fill the gaps your staff have been working around.
Next Up: Color-Coded Cleaning Systems Produce Better Results
Partnered With 
CFS Brands is a house of brands including Carlisle Foodservice Products, San Jamar, Sparta, Snap Drape, Marko, Dinex, WipesPlus, and Mercer Culinary. Delivering best-in-class selection, legendary quality, and the powerful support you need — all in one place. From long-lasting professional cleaning products, to the finest brush line for maintaining food processing and foodservice sanitation, only CFS Brands offers so many items designed to work from the start in specific cleaning applications and help you get the job done.
At CFS Brands, we are dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and sourcing professional-grade products for commercial foodservice, janitorial and healthcare markets. Whether you’re serving and preparing or dispensing and cleaning, our North American Manufacturing and nationwide distribution are here for you and your business every step of the way.
Help your operation run smoothly and more profitably with products that have a practical day-in-day-out value from the brands you know and trust. It is our goal to give you solutions that make your work easier and more efficient in order to save time, money and resources. If you provide the food, rest assured, we’ll provide the rest!
