By Amanda Mlekush
Those gleaming metal countertops and clean stovetops in the Nutrition Food Lab in Levine Hall reflect some “elbow grease” from student volunteers who learned about sanitizing food preparation spaces from some of the Nutrition faculty members.
Lab clean-up happens after each class, but at the end of each semester, the food lab undergoes an intensive, deep cleaning.
Nutrition faculty member John Arrowood oversaw the lab’s end-of-semester clean up in late November, and said that it takes a group of 12 student volunteers, assisted by a supervising graduate student and a faculty member, about six hours to completely deep clean the lab.
“Unlike public food establishments, our lab doesn’t undergo health department inspections, so we must maintain sanitation standards internally,” Arrowood said. “Most students have little to no experience maintaining a food prep or kitchen space, but it’s an important part of the process of preparing and serving foods.”
During the deep cleaning process, the students take apart the ovens and stove tops to remove debris and any dust and oil accumulation from surfaces. They also inspect the lab equipment to ensure it is in good working order for classes the following semester.
The lab has 12 ovens, 12 stoves, six preparation sinks and 24 countertops in addition to numerous pots, pans, baking sheets and preparation tools at each of the 12 work stations. Additionally, food storage spaces and washing spaces (sinks, composters and dish drying shelves) must be cleaned.
“One of our goals in sanitizing the space is to ensure the space remains clean and students do not become sick due to something that could have been prevented,” he said. “Our students and faculty are proud of the beautiful commercial kitchen/lab space that we have for learning, and take good care of it.”
Group of four individuals stand inside a stainless steel, large commercial kitchen
The Nutrition Food Lab undergoes a deep cleaning at the end of each semester