By Briana Hilton, Contributor
Mold is extremely common in the U.S., with more than 1,000 species in the country and in excess of 100,000 globally. While not all types of mold are harmful, the last thing you want is a commercial kitchen harboring an unsightly and potentially-harmful fungus. Not only will this not impress any health inspector, but it can also contaminate your food and lead to an array of health concerns in staff and patrons.
In order to save yourself both embarrassment and legal perils, it is important to not only be able to identify mold but remove it and prevent regrowth as well.
Mold Thrives in Damp Areas
Although mold will typically thrive in any damp area, there are a number of places in a restaurant that are particularly susceptible to it. These include the undisturbed areas with limited light that are often neglected when routine inspections take place.
Some of the most common places you will come across mold in a commercial kitchen include:
In the pantry
Around the microwave
Close to the ceilings.
A musty odor is often the first sign of mold in the kitchen. Once the mold has been spotted it is important to work fast to have it eradicated as it can pose a potentially serious health risk to employees and restaurant patrons alike.
Get Rid of Mold as Soon as Possible
Once mold starts growing in your kitchen it can spread like wildfire. It is therefore paramount to address the problem as soon as possible.
If it’s just a minor mold problem you can, more than likely, simply wipe any traces of it away with a solution of bleach and water. If you are dealing with Stachybotrys (black mold), however, you may want to hire a professional to take care of the job for you. It might be simple enough to wipe the visible mold away but unless you remove the deep-rooted problem, it will simply return.
Always remember that it is not enough to simply get rid of the visible signs of mold. Instead, make an effort to identify the root cause and eliminate that accordingly.
Prevention is Better than Cure
Preventing mold from growing in your restaurant kitchen is considerably easier than getting rid of it. Start by scheduling regular deep cleaning with a focus on areas that may get neglected during daily clean-ups. Ensure that the kitchen is adequately ventilated and take special precautions to make sure that moisture does not collect in hard-to-see places. Address any flooding or leaks as a matter of urgency, and wipe down the affected areas with the bleach solution as an added line of defense. Keep in mind that mold also grows quickly on food, so inspect food regularly and keep all food storage areas hygienic.
Mold growth in a commercial kitchen can be both unsightly and dangerous. Thankfully, through adequate prevention and by addressing any mold concern as soon as possible, it does not have to have a long-term negative impact on your restaurant in any way.
