From fresh ingredients to a masterful chef and attentive waiter, there is a lot that goes into an enjoyable meal at a restaurant. Behind the scenes, standards are there to make the meal even better, assuring the smooth operation of the establishment and the safety of diners and staff.
Commercial kitchens are stocked with appliances to aid cooks in their fast-paced work. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has several standards that assure the proper and safe functioning of these appliances, such as IEC 60335-2-64 Ed. 3.2 b:2017, Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 2-64: Particular requirements for commercial electric kitchen machines. This standard deals with the safety of electrically operated commercial kitchen machines including blenders, mixers, and coffee grinders. The document was developed by the IEC's Technical Committee (TC) 61, Safety of household and similar electrical appliances. The U.S. holds the secretariat for this TC, with UL designated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as administrative secretariat and Randi Myers of UL as secretary. UL, an ANSI member and audited designator, is also the ANSI-approved U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) administrator for TC 61.
Given the quantity of dirty dishes returning to the kitchen of any restaurant during peak hours, an effective dishwasher is a must. ANSI Z83.21-2016/CSA C22.2 No. 168-2016, Commercial dishwashers, is the common >CSA Group and UL standard for commercial dishwashers. It covers commercial, freestanding, under-counter, and counter-insert dishwashers, as well as utensil-washers and glass washers, intended for use in commercial establishments and not accessible to the public. This document was developed by the CSA Group, an ANSI member and accredited standard developer.
Standards for commercial kitchens reach far beyond basic appliances. Restaurant owners who want to stay at the forefront of technology can benefit from standards for commercial kitchen demand control ventilation (CKDCV). This technology determines the kitchen's need for ventilation as it varies during the day through idle and busy times, adjusting ventilation accordingly and resulting in energy savings. ASTM F2976-13, Standard Practice for Determining the Field Performance of Commercial Kitchen Demand Control Ventilation Systems, determines the energy savings of CKDCV systems by outlining a procedure to measure system performance, applying to fan energy savings and thermal energy savings. It was developed by ASTM International, an ANSI member and audited designator.
Every element of a restaurant, from the variety of their menu to the efficiency of their kitchen, pales in comparison to the safety of its employees and guests. Many standards are in place to assure fire safety in an environment of ovens and stoves in the kitchen and lit candles on the tables. One such standard is IAPMO PS 108-98, Restaurant fire suppression systems, which provides guidelines for restaurant fire suppression systems not under continuous pressure that use water as a supplemental cooling medium to prevent re-ignition of the fire after extinguishment. It was developed byIAPMO, an ANSI member and audited designator.
The next time you go out to eat, raise your glasses to the talented chef, the delicious food, and the standards that are in place to help you enjoy your meal.