Restaurant Workers

Food Disposal

When it comes to the proper disposal of potentially hazardous food there is one principal rule all food workers must follow: When in doubt, throw it out. Waste should never be hosed down the drain. All food scraps should be placed in a waste container or garbage bags. When food is discarded in large amounts, workers should document the type and amount of food and the reason for disposal. Small volumes of food to be discarded can be denatured with bleach and placed in the dumpster.

The disposal of grease has its own disposal standards:

• Don't use storm or sanitary sewers to dispose of grease.
• Collect fryer and cooking grease in watertight containers.
• Don't lead the lids of grease bins open.
• Keep grease collection bins away from foot-traffic and drains and in an area where spills will be contained or directed to the sanitary sewer.
• Clean grease spills by scraping up as much as possible before mopping.
• Absorb oil with sphagnum moss or other dry oil absorbent, and place used absorbent in plastic bags or other sealed container to dispose of in the trash.
• Frequently clean hood filters in sinks that flow to grease retention devices attached to the sanitary sewer.