6Cleaning, pests, allergens and APPCCLimpieza, plagas, alérgenos y APPCC
Cleaning (limpieza) removes dirt and grease. Disinfection (desinfección) kills germs. Order: clean first, then disinfect, then rinse if the product says so.
- Use the amount written on the product label.
- Never mix cleaning products. Bleach (lejía) mixed with other products can give off toxic gas.
- Keep cleaning products away from food, in their own labelled bottles. Never put them in a water bottle.
Pests (plagas): keep doors and windows closed or screened, bins covered, and no leftovers lying around. If you see mouse droppings or cockroaches, tell your manager at once.
The 14 allergens (14 alérgenos) of EU Regulation 1169/2011: cereals with gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, molluscs.
- The business must know which dish has which allergen and tell the customer.
- When a customer asks, never guess. Check the allergen list or ask your manager.
- For an allergen-free dish: wash your hands, clean the tools and surface, make it apart, and do not use the same frying oil.
- On a Spanish label, allergens stand out in the ingredient list (ingredientes), usually in bold. "Puede contener trazas de…" means: may contain traces of… Tell the customer this too.
APPCC (HACCP in English): every business has a written food safety plan. Your job is to follow it and fill in the records you are asked to: fridge temperatures, cleaning, deliveries.
Example: a customer with a sesame allergy asks about the hummus. Do not say "I don't think so". Check the allergen list: tahini is made from sesame.
- Water and ice: for food, washing and ice, use only drinking water (agua potable). Take ice with a clean scoop, never with your hand or a glass.
- Waste: use a bin with a lid (a pedal bin is best). Take it out of the food area as soon as it is full; do not wait for the end of the shift. Wash your hands after.
- Animals: no dog, cat or any other animal in the kitchen or the storeroom.
More: the full allergen lesson, with the 14 Spanish label names.