Restaurant food safety checklist

The core food safety milestones every team member must complete before handling food unsupervised.

• Personal hygiene & uniform standards — Cover handwashing frequency, nail and jewelry policy, hair covering requirements, and what to do if a team member is unwell. Trainee demonstrates correct handwashing technique independently.
• Handwashing procedure — Trainer walks through the correct 20-second handwashing sequence, when it's required, and what triggers a mandatory wash mid-shift. Trainee demonstrates without prompting.
• Temperature control & danger zone — Cover the temperature danger zone, correct probe thermometer use, hot holding and cold holding requirements, and what to do when a temperature is out of range.
• Cross-contamination prevention — Cover color-coded cutting board use, surface cleaning sequences, correct order of food prep, and the rules for raw vs. ready-to-eat food handling.
• FIFO & correct food storage — Trainer demonstrates correct date labeling, first-in first-out rotation, and storage hierarchy (raw below ready-to-eat). Trainee organizes a storage section independently before sign-off.
• Allergen awareness & declaration handling — Cover the major allergens, how to identify them on the menu, and the correct response when a guest declares an allergy. Trainee demonstrates the full protocol without prompting.

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