Nicole Loomis
Juice bars are exciting inclusions to so many existing venues. Behind the scenes, though, the juice-making process involves a surprising number of sanitation requirements, particularly for packaged juices. Understanding juice bar sanitation requirements is difficult, so read this brief guide to simplify things.
Sanitation Requirements
The government regulates the juicing industry strictly compared to other food industries. That’s because produce-borne pathogens are common if juice processors do not take pains to follow juice sanitation requirements. If you choose to package your own juices as a small business, you must follow a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. This involves practicing and documenting safe juicing practices aimed at limiting pathogens such as E. coli. Larger packaging projects also must be under a certain pathogen level, sometimes necessitating a 5-log (as in logarithmic) pathogen reduction.
If you don’t have such packaging plans, you still need to keep your facility ready for inspection. Be sure to refrigerate your perishable products at all times—your fridge’s internal temperature needs to pass muster when inspected. Also, your facilities must be completely free of mold and mildew. Establish a regular cleaning schedule to prevent quickly decomposing organic buildup from making your operation unsafe.
Sanitation Tips
Once you understand juice bar sanitation requirements, you’ll want to employ some cleaning best practices to keep your juice bar running smoothly.
Be Picky About Your Produce
First, only use the best ingredients. The reason the FDA put in place so many regulations is because certain harmful substances, from pesticides to pathogens, made people sick upon consumption. Don’t use spoiled produce.
Wash Ingredients
After you’ve chosen satisfactory ingredients, wash them thoroughly. Rinse all produce completely before juicing.
Take Time to Stop, Mop, and Hop Over to the Sink
Your daily life in a juice bar may be hectic. Don’t let the orders rolling in distract you from regular bar maintenance. Make time to stop and clean your surfaces and juicing equipment. Your equipment is at risk of jamming or malfunctioning if left uncleaned, so prioritize this. Also, your produce and shop aren’t the only threats to health. Wash your hands with soap too.
If you’re interested in implementing your own juice bar at a hotel, supermarket, restaurant, or other location, call our sweet and friendly Juicernet team. We have the commercial juicing experience to guide you, whether you’re interested in a citrus, fruit and vegetable, or wheatgrass juice machine for your space.
