Kitchen Checklist
Kitchen Checklist
Infrastructure
1. The kitchen of the hospital should have an identified area and its location should be segregated
from patient areas and traffic flows.
2. The space should be sufficient to effectively carry out all functions of kitchen. The sub-areas
within kitchen should comprise of following,
2. Preparation area – for preparing raw materials (peeling, cutting, slicing etc.) before cooking
4. Special diet area – here special diets such as soft diet, diabetic diet etc. are prepared
5. Servicing area – here the plates are prepared with food and laid on
8. Administrative areas
3. The kitchen should have access to firefighting measures, either fire extinguishers or fire hose
points.
5. The walls and ceilings should not have problem of seepages or fungus
6. Engineering measures like electricity supply, water supply (including hot water supply) and
good drainage must be ensured
8. Things like nets on windows, fly catchers, no holes etc. should be installed to prevent entry of
insects and rodents inside kitchen
2. Each patient admitted should be screened by a dietitian for nutritional need on first day of
admission. If required a detailed nutritional assessment should be done
3. Based on screening/assessment dietitian must plan the food to be given to patient. This should
be done by taking treating doctor’s advice and by taking patient/family’s food preferences in
consideration
4. The diet to be given to patient should be written down in a diet sheet. Patient should be given
food according to diet sheet
5. If family is providing the food, they should be counselled about the type of diet to be given. A
written order of food should be given in such cases.
C. Food serving
1. Each food plate or food packet must be labelled, at the time of preparation. The label must
mention type of food (i.e. normal food, soft diet, diabetic, salt free etc.) and patient’s name and
ID number to whom it has to be served
2. Food should be served after properly identifying patient through his/her name and unique
identification number
3. For patients on special diet, a display should be put near patients’ bed to indicate
4. Timing of serving of each meal must be defined and food should be served within that time.
5. Serving of food should be done to provide convenience. This can be taken care of by ensuring
that plates and containers in which food is being served is appropriate and the food being served
are at a palatable temperature
6. As a practice each meal should be tasted by a designated authority in hospital, and permitted,
before it is served
7. The clearance of plates and left over food should be done within a time-frame
2. Screening of parasites and Salmonella Typhi should be done every 6 month and whenever a
staff re-joins after taking 15 days or more leave. For other tests annual check ups can be done.
3. Record of health check-up with findings should be maintained for each staff.
4. Staff in which any contagious or infectious disease is found should not be allowed to handle
food, till the time the infection subsides
2. All areas within the kitchen should be clean at all the time.
3. The food handlers should be clean, wear clean uniform, gloves, caps and masks (as required).
A personal hygiene checklist must be given to each food handlers and should be monitored
periodically
4. Plates, utensils and trolleys which are used for serving should be cleaned regularly and should
be free from dirt or stink
5. Cold storage refrigerators should receive preventive checks to ensure that that temperature is
maintained
7. The housekeeping materials like, broom, mops, cleaning agents etc. must be stored in separate
location away from food
8. Other general topics like, employee rights, use of fire extinguisher, emergency codes etc.
F. Quality Indicators