With the exception of high-end establishments, almost all types of restaurants these days have some sort of customer help-you buffet or salad bar that serves ready-to-eat foods. Even El Pollo Loco and other Mexican-style restaurants allow you to 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 governing 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. Listed 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 shielded to block a direct line between the customer’s mouth and the food on display. This shield is often referred to as a sneeze guard for larger food displays and is usually made of glass or clear plastic, angled just enough over the food to block possible contamination from a customer’s mouth (saliva from sneezing, coughing, etc.). , talk, etc.). The shield can also take the form of a container with a tight fitting lid, usually hinged. If there is no evidence of a shield or lid, the screen is most likely not approved and should be avoided.

–A separate utensil with handle is required for each food item displayed for self-service. No customer can touch any of the exposed food with their hands.

–Clean dishes 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.

–Proper temperatures must be maintained. The food is usually on display in ice (and really should 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. Don’t rely on a chafing dish for long-term (2+ hour) retention of food. Typically, you’ll only see chafing dishes at a temporary buffet. They are large, shallow metal dishes with one or two flames lit with canned gas below, trying to keep the food warm. Perhaps they are only good for short periods of time, and are not trusted or definitely not approved for a more permanent buffet setting. Heat lamps often fall into this same category. They are also not the best media for keeping 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 restocking to cleaning to checking temperatures frequently.

–No sulfites or sulfated agents. Sulfites used to be a common preservative agent, especially in fruits, maintaining a fresh appearance. Most, if not all, states prohibit food facilities from applying sulphating agents to fresh fruits and vegetables intended for raw consumption, or to any potentially hazardous food. 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 quantity of critters that are allowed in a food establishment. Vermin are strictly illegal in all areas of the establishment. They harbor and can transmit dangerous microorganisms as well as general soiling to food and should not be tolerated.

— There are no sewage leaks or accumulations in the floor area, either from melting ice or from the refrigeration or heating unit.

–Most foods must have a label identifying the common name of the food, sauce, dressing, condiments, etc.

Learning the requirements and potential hazards 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.