1.1 Laboratory Procedures

Attire

• Lab coats or chef coats are required. Lab coats may be purchased at the University Bookstore, at Chemistry Stores in Gilman Hall, or online.
• Hair must be covered with a hairnet; no caps will be allowed in the laboratory.
• All students must wear enclosed shoes while in the food preparation laboratory.
• Jewelry should be limited to small rings, earrings, and watches.
• Coats, backpacks, and other belongings not required in the laboratory should be left in the lockers provided in the hall outside the lab.

Come to work with clean clothes. Wear a clean lab coat and hairnet (will reuse from one lab to the next).

Housekeeping Duties

Unit Duties: Units must be kept clean, orderly, and completely equipped. Individuals or groups are responsible for leaving units clean at the end of class.

Care of cooking and serving utensils

• Rinse or soak utensils immediately after use. Wash all dishes with hot soapy water, changing the water as often as necessary. Use extra care with starchy, sugary, and greasy dishes.
• For your own safety, DO NOT put sharp knives to soak in dishwater. Rinse dishes with hot water, dry them, and replace them in units where they were found.

Care of ranges

• Wipe range tops and fronts. Clean any oven spills.
• Check to see that the oven and surface burners are turned off at the end of class.

Care of sinks, cabinets, and countertops

• Sinks and countertops must be washed and sanitized at the end of the lab period.
• Replace non-unit equipment and utensils in the appropriate place.
• At the end of class, towels, and dishcloths should be hung to dry on the racks provided.

General Laboratory Duties

The following duties are the responsibility of all students to maintain the orderly operation of the laboratory.

• Be responsible for the general orderly appearance of the laboratory.
• After evaluation, remove the display paper and clean the display area.
• Return perishable food to the refrigerator in proper storage containers.
• Wash empty containers and return them to the food cart.
• See that all dishes are taken after evaluation.
• Wash special equipment used by the instructor for demonstration, evaluation, or sampling.
• Be sure cupboard doors and drawers are closed at the end of class.
• Empty garbage bowls and wastebaskets.

Sanitation

Washing Hands

1. Wet hands with warm, running water.
2. Add soap and rub hands together to make a soapy lather for at least 20 seconds.
3. Rinse hands and forearms thoroughly under warm, running water.
4. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper towel.

Wash your hands before you begin food preparation and as many times throughout food preparation as needed (returning from the bathroom, handling raw food, cleaning a spill on the floor, etc).

Washing Dishes

1. Discard food into the garbage bowl or trash.
2. Fill the sink with hot soapy water. Scrub dishes with a dishcloth in the sink.
3. Rinse dishes with hot water.
4. Stack clean, rinsed dishes in the dish drying rack.
5. Dry dishes thoroughly with a clean dishtowel.

Handling Food

1. Refrigerate foods at less than 40°F. Heat foods to at least 165°F.
2. Do not allow food to sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
3. Use a serving spoon for serving and your own utensils for tasting.
4. Wrap leftover foods in plastic wrap or foil, or place them in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.