Except for high-end establishments, almost every type of restaurant these days has some type of customer drive-thru buffet or salad bar that serves ready-to-eat food. Even El Pollo Loco and other Mexican-style restaurants let you pick and fill with a selection of sauces. Asian-style all-you-can-eat restaurants are another big one and many are popping up in most big cities. Then there are, of course, the restaurants that focus entirely on buffets and salad bars.
The health and safety laws that govern these displays have been developed over the years to address the uniqueness of this type of installation and some of the unique hazards or risks to consumers. Below are most of those requirements, as well as my own recommendations from years of experience inspecting restaurant buffets and salad bars:
–An obvious requirement is that all open and exposed ready-to-eat foods must be guarded to block a direct line between the customer’s mouth and the food on display. This shield is usually referred to as a sneeze guard for larger food displays and is usually glass or clear plastic, angled just enough over the food to block potential contamination coming from a customer’s mouth (saliva from sneezing, coughing , speak, etc). The shield can also take the form of a container with a tightly fitting lid, usually hinged. If there is no evidence of a shield or cover, the screen is most likely not approved and should be avoided.
–A separate utensil with handle is required for each food displayed for self-service. No customer is allowed to touch any of the exposed food with their hands.
–Clean plates and other tableware should be on or adjacent to the buffet or salad bar, and customers should be reminded, or notified if necessary, that only clean tableware should be used when they return to the buffet.
–Adequate temperatures must be maintained. The food is usually displayed on ice (and actually needs to be buried in ice), or the containers are in a refrigerated or warmer unit, or the food is under a heating lamp. Look for steam coming from the heater or steam table and even from the food itself. Do not rely on a chafing dish for long-term retention (greater than 2 hours) of food. You’ll usually only see chafing dishes at a temporary buffet. They are large, shallow metal dishes with one or two canned gas burning flames underneath, which are intended to keep the food warm. Maybe they’re only good for short periods of time, and not trusted or definitely not approved for a more permanent buffet environment. Heat lamps often fall into this same category. They are also not the best means of maintaining hot holding temperatures for long periods of time.
–Employees must constantly monitor and maintain the buffet or salad bar. They should be doing everything from replenishing it to cleaning it to checking temperatures frequently.
–No sulfites or sulfated agents. Sulfites used to be a common preservative agent, especially in fruits, keeping them looking fresh. Most, if not all, states prohibit food facilities from applying sulfated agents to fresh fruits and vegetables intended for raw consumption, or to any potentially hazardous foods. Sulfites are still allowed in fruits and vegetables that are not sold raw, such as dried fruit and grapes used to make wine.
–Absolutely no flies or other types of vermin (cockroaches, rodents) can be present. Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no acceptable number or amount of bugs allowed in a food establishment. Vermin are strictly illegal in all areas of the establishment. They harbor and can transmit dangerous micro-organisms as well as general food soiling and should not be tolerated.
— There are no leaks or accumulations of sewage in the floor area, either from melting ice or from the refrigeration or heating unit.
–Most foods must have a label that identifies the common name of the food, sauce, dressing, condiments, etc.
Learning the requirements and potential dangers of a buffet or salad bar is simply a good way to educate the consumer and can give you the advantage of preventing serious foodborne illness.
