Kitchen Archives - Standards Michigan

History of the Kitchen

Kitchen Exhaust

• In ancient times, kitchens were often located outside the main living quarters of a home. They were typically small, with an open hearth for cooking and a few basic utensils.

• During the Middle Ages, kitchens began to be built inside castles and manor houses. These kitchens were much larger and more complex than earlier versions, with multiple hearths, ovens, and cooking utensils.

• During the Renaissance, kitchens continued to become more elaborate, with the development of specialized cooking tools and the introduction of new cooking techniques. The kitchen also became a central gathering place for the household.

• With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, kitchens began to incorporate new technologies, such as gas stoves and refrigeration. As more people moved into cities, smaller kitchens became the norm.

• In the 20th century, the design and functionality of kitchens continued to evolve. The introduction of electricity and new materials, such as stainless steel, allowed for more efficient and hygienic kitchens. Open-plan kitchens, where the kitchen is integrated with the living and dining areas, also became popular.

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.~~

This is a summary of the actions taken on the 2024 Comments on Proposed Changes to the ICC International Codes at the October 23-28, 2024 Committee Action Hearings #2 held at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California. Balloting of local building code officials is now underway.

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

AGA Response to The Atlantic Article about Natural Gas Cooking

Thomas Edison State University: Undergraduate Certificate in Gas Distribution

International Fire Code

Kitchens 300

United States Air Force Military Academy

Commercial kitchens in school cafeterias and college dormitories are designed to meet strict health and safety standards, accommodate high-volume food production, and provide nutritious meals to students in an efficient and organized manner. Some common features:

Industrial-grade cooking equipment: This may include commercial ovens, grills, ranges, fryers, steamers, and other specialized cooking equipment designed for high-volume cooking.
Food preparation areas: These may include spacious prep tables, cutting boards, sinks, and other food preparation stations for washing, chopping, and assembling ingredients.
Walk-in refrigerators and freezers: These are used for storing large quantities of perishable food items at appropriate temperatures to maintain freshness and safety.
Food storage facilities: These may include shelves, racks, and cabinets for storing dry goods, canned goods, and other non-perishable food items.
Dishwashing area: This may include commercial dishwashers capable of handling a large number of dishes and utensils efficiently.
Serving stations: These may include counters, warming stations, and other facilities for serving food to students.
Ventilation and exhaust systems: These are essential for maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment by properly removing smoke, steam, and odors generated during cooking.
Safety features: These may include fire suppression systems, emergency exits, and other safety measures to ensure compliance with local health and safety regulations.

Owing to the complexity of the domain, starting 2023 we will break down the standards for education community safety and sustainability into two separate colloquia:

Kitchens 100 will deal primarily safety — fire, shock hazard, sanitation, floors, etc.

Kitchens 300 will deal with sustainability criteria in large commercial kitchens common in school cafeterias, dormitories, sports venues and hospitals.

Williams P. Clements Jr. University Hospital

Owing to the complexity of the domain, starting 2023 we will break down the standards for education community safety and sustainability into two separate colloquia:

Kitchens 100 will deal primarily safety — fire, shock hazard, sanitation, floors, etc.

Kitchens 300 will deal with sustainability criteria in large commercial kitchens common in school cafeterias, dormitories, sports venues and hospitals.

Relevant catalogs:

3-A Sanitary Standards

American Gas Association

AGA Response to The Atlantic Article about Natural Gas Cooking

ASHRAE International

Ventilation for Commercial Cooking Operations

ASTM International

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

Noteworthy Research:

Design Application of Smart Kitchen for Aging Based on Interactive Behavior Analysis

A Futuristic Kitchen Assistant – Powered by Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Environmental analyses of waste cooking oil recycling and complete use practices in Bogor, Indonesia

IAPMO International

Prefabricated Gravity Grease Interceptors

International Code Council

International Building Code Sections 303 Commercial Kitchens

National Fire Protection Association

National Electrical Code

Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems

NSF International

The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies

We will also review federal and state-level regulatory action. Open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Food 500

Hospital Teaching Kitchen

Commercial Kitchens

Microwave Apple Crisp

“Boston Common at Twilight’ 1885 Childe Hassam

Standards Massachusetts

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, [email protected]. 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

“Library is the Kitchen of the University”

Kenya Bureau of Standards

KEBS: Kenya Membership Body to International Standardization Organization

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.