Category Archives: Kitchen

  1. Home
  2. Archive by category "Kitchen"
Loading
loading...

Food Safety

Overdoor, France, ca. 1825; | Smithsonian Design Museum

Education communities have significant food safety responsibilities.  Risk gets pushed around global food service counterparties; a drama in itself and one that requires coverage in a separate blog post.*

Since 2013 we have been following the development of food safety standards; among them ANSI/NSF 2: Food Equipment one of a constellation of NSF food safety titles whose provisions cover bakery, cafeteria, kitchen, and pantry units and other food handling and processing equipment such as tables and components, counters, hoods, shelves, and sinks.  The purpose of this Standard is to establish minimum food protection and sanitation requirements for the materials, design, fabrication, construction, and performance of food handling and processing equipment.

It is a relatively stable standard; developed to support conformance revenue for products.  A new landing page seems to have emerged in recent months:

https://www.nsf.org/testing/food

You may be enlightened by the concepts running through this standard as can be seen on a past, pre-pandemic agenda:

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Packet – Final Draft

NSF 2 Food Safety 2019 Meeting Summary – August 21-22 Ann Arbor NSF Headquarters

NSF 2 Food Equipment Fabrication Agenda – FEF – TG – 2021-01-12

Not trivial agendas with concepts that cut across several disciplines involving product manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance.  We find a very strong influence of organizations such as Aramark and Sodexo.   More on that in a separate post.

Ranchview High School Cafeteria / Irving, Texas

This committee – along with several other joint committees –meets frequently online.  If you wish to participate, and receive access to documents that explain the scope and scale of NSF food safety standards, please contact Allan Rose, (734) 827-3817, arose@nsf.org.   NSF International welcomes guests/observers to nearly all of its standards-setting technical committees.   We expect another online meeting hosted by this committee any day now.

Keep in mind that all NSF International titles are on the standing agenda of our Nourriture (Food) colloquia; open to everyone.  See our CALENDAR for the next meeting.

University of Indiana

Issue: [13-113] [15-126]

Category: Facility Asset Management, Healthcare, Residence Hall, Athletics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Tracey Artley, Keith Koster, Richard Robben

*See “Food Safety Risk Management: Evidence-Informed Policies and Decisions, Considering Multiple Factors, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations”

LEARN MORE:

ANSI Blog | Changes to NSF 2 Food Safety Equipment Standard

NSF International Food Safety 2018 Meeting Summary – 2018-08-22 – Final Draft

2017 Food Code | US Food & Drug Administration

Hygiene Requirements For The Design Of Meat And Poultry Processing Equipment

ARCHIVE: NSF 2 Food Safety

Kitchens 200

“A good home must be made, not bought.

In the end, it’s not track lighting or a sun room

that brings light into a kitchen.”

– Joyce Maynard

“Children at Lunch” 1857 Benjamin Vautier

Today we examine the literature that informs the safety and sustainability of small to medium-sized food preparation occupancies.   Kitchenettes are often integrated into other living spaces such as gathering space on a single floor in a dormitory (unlike the full size dormitory kitchen), the teachers or faculty lounge.

Kitchenettes usually contain basic appliances and fixtures necessary for minimal food preparation, such as a small refrigerator, microwave or toaster oven, sink, and possibly a hot plate or small stove.

Kitchenettes are primarily intended for simple meal preparation and light cooking.

Kitchenettes may have limited storage capacity, requiring users to maximize space utilization through creative storage solutions.

School districts, colleges, universities and university-affiliated hospitals typically have hundreds of them; all of which present significantly elevated hazard as the focal area for nearly all activity.

They are the locus for concentrated electrical load.  Our approach will be examine case studies and reflect back to the codes and standards.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Readings:

Kitchen Dimensions: Code Requirements & NKBA Guidelines

Food Equipment Standards

University of North Dakota: Sanitation & Food Safety Operating Manual

The Campus Kitchen at the University of Georgia

University of Florida: An Introduction to Shared-Use Commercial Kitchens

Related:

Kitchens 100

Kitchens 300

Commercial Kitchens

Kitchen Wiring

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

Kitchen Fires in High-rise Residential Buildings

How to Use the Community Kitchens

Teaching Kitchen

Commercial Kitchens

2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES: Complete Monograph (2658 pages)

Commercial kitchens offer several benefits, such as efficient food preparation and large-scale production, allowing businesses to meet high demand. They provide professional-grade equipment and ample space, enabling chefs to explore culinary creativity. Commercial kitchens also promote hygiene and food safety standards, with dedicated cleaning protocols and inspections. However, hazards can arise from the high-temperature cooking equipment, sharp tools, and potentially hazardous substances. There is also a risk of burns, slips, and falls, emphasizing the importance of proper training and safety measures. Adequate ventilation and fire safety systems are vital to prevent accidents and maintain a healthy working environment.

The International Code Council is re-configuring its code development process in nearly every dimension. While that situation stabilizes let us review the back-and-forth on this topic during the previous revision cycle (linked below):

2021 International Building Code Section 306 Factory Group F Moderate Hazard

2021 International Fire Code Section 606 Commercial Cooking Equipment and Systems

The International Code Council has recently re-configured its code development calendar:

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Public hearings on the proposed changes happen in Orlando, April 7-16.

Commercial kitchen electrical power wiring requirements are covered extensively in Article 210 through Article 215 of the National Electrical Code.  Standards action in this domain is referred to IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Committee.

ASHRAE International: Calculating Airflow Rates, Cooking Loads in Commercial Kitchens

Related

International Mechanical Code: Chapter 10 Boilers, Water Heaters and Pressure Vessels

AGA Response to The Atlantic Article about Natural Gas Cooking

Thomas Edison State University: Undergraduate Certificate in Gas Distribution

International Fire Code

Kitchens | Americans with Disabilities Act

U.S. Department of Justice

Following is the current text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), including changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-325), which became effective on January 1, 2009.

The ADA was originally enacted in public law format and later rearranged and published in the United States Code. The United States Code is divided into titles and chapters that classify laws according to their subject matter. Titles I, II, III, and V of the original law are codified in Title 42, chapter 126, of the United States Code beginning at section 12101. Title IV of the original law is codified in Title 47, chapter 5, of the United States Code. Since this codification resulted in changes in the numbering system, the Table of Contents provides the section numbers of the ADA as originally enacted in brackets after the codified section numbers and headings.

CHAPTER 126—EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

 

Kitchen Wiring

“Le Coin de Cuisine” | 1883 Edwin Deakin

Education communities are stewards of hundreds of commercial-class kitchens in which the proximate risk of electrical energy must be managed — water spills and grease, fires, worn electrical cords on countertop equipment, faulty wiring or equipment, damaged outlets or connectors, and improperly used or damaged extension cords among them.   The safety and sustainability rules for this occupancy class is identified as Assembly Group A-2 in Section 303 of the International Building Code

We explore recent transcripts of expert committee activity in NEC Article 210 and provide links to video commentary.

Public comment on the First Draft of the 2026 NEC is open until 28 August 2024.  We typically coordinate our effort with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.  The workspace set up for generating proposals can be found in the link below.

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

2023 National Electrical Code (Free Access)

Other access portals:

UpCodes: 2020 NEC

Texas Electrical Code

California Electrical Code

Michigan Electrical Code: Part 8 Rules

Transcripts of the 2023 NEC are linked below:

Public Input Report (Part 1)

Public Input Report (Part 2)

Public Comment Report

We examine transcripts to track technical specifics that apply to student accommodation kitchens (on and off campus), university-affiliated hospital kitchens and sport arenas.

Relevant Research:

Smart Kitchen: Real Time Monitoring of Kitchen through IoT

Design of Chinese Smart Kitchen Based on Users’ Behavior

Intelligent kitchen management system based on gas safety

A Futuristic Kitchen Assistant – Powered by Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

A Multi-radar Architecture for Human Activity Recognition in Indoor Kitchen Environments

Microwave Apple Crisp

“Boston Common at Twilight’ 1885 Childe Hassam

Standards Massachusetts

 

Kitchen Planning: Work Centers

“The Parish Soup Kitchen” 1851 / George Elgar Hicks

Other words for small kitchens:

Petite kitchen
Cozy kitchen
Bijou kitchen
Lilliputian kitchen
Cramped kitchen
Intimate kitchen
Snug kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Planning: Work Centers

Standards Missouri

Kitchenettes

Purdue University | Tippecanoe County Indiana

Small Cafe Kitchen Layout Strategy

Ensuring safety and sustainability in small kitchenettes is crucial for the well-being of individuals and the environment. While specific standards may vary by location and regulations, here is a general list of safety and sustainability standards that are commonly applicable to small kitchenettes:

  1. Fire Safety:
    • Adequate fire suppression systems (fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems).
    • Fire-resistant materials in construction.
    • Proper ventilation to prevent the accumulation of smoke and fumes.
  2. Electrical Safety:
    • Compliance with electrical codes and standards.
    • Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) for electrical outlets.
    • Regular inspection and maintenance of electrical appliances.
  3. Gas Safety:
    • Installation and maintenance of gas appliances according to safety standards.
    • Gas leak detection and emergency shut-off systems.
  4. Appliance Safety:
    • Certification from relevant safety agencies for kitchen appliances.
    • Proper installation and maintenance of appliances.
    • Adequate spacing between appliances to prevent overheating.
  5. Ventilation and Air Quality:
    • Effective ventilation systems to remove cooking odors, smoke, and pollutants.
    • Use of energy-efficient ventilation systems to promote sustainability.
  6. Water Conservation:
    • Low-flow faucets and water-efficient appliances.
    • Regular maintenance to fix leaks promptly.
    • Water-saving practices communicated to users.
  7. Waste Management:
    • Separate bins for recycling and composting.
    • Proper disposal of hazardous materials, such as cooking oils.
    • Education on waste reduction and recycling practices.
  8. Energy Efficiency:
    • Energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
    • Use of natural light when possible.
    • Regular maintenance of equipment to ensure optimal efficiency.
  9. Accessibility:
    • Design considerations for individuals with disabilities.
    • Clear pathways and accessible storage options.
  10. Hygiene and Sanitation:
    • Adequate handwashing facilities.
    • Regular cleaning and sanitation schedules.
    • Pest control measures.

Specific requirements may vary based on the size of the kitchenette, its location, and the intended use. There are state, municipal and organizational variants on the nationally developed standards.

The University of Michigan: Small Group Housing Kitchen Guidelines

Ohio University: Athens Kitchens and Lounge

University of Illinois: Kitchen Planning Standards

University of Mary | Burleigh County North Dakota

 

Welcome

Standards Michigan Group, LLC

2723 South State Street | Suite 150
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA

888-746-3670

DIRECTIONS

icon icon
icon icon
icon icon  
Layout mode
Predefined Skins
Custom Colors
Choose your skin color
Patterns Background
Images Background
Skip to content