EHA Group Food Safety and Epidemiology Blog

What’s an air gap?

An air gap is a very complicated feat of engineering!

Essentially, the air gap on a food preparation sink provides a distance of twice the diameter of a sink drain discharge and the lip of the floor drain.

This provides sufficient space to prevent unsanitary water from flowing back into the sink, thereby contaminating the sink and future contents. Gravity is a beautiful thing. Simple!

Melons Melons Melons

Did you know that melons are considered a potentially hazardous food item? Several years ago, cut melons were attributed to outbreaks of Salmonella in New Jersey. Since then, melons such as cantaloupes, honeydew and watermelon have all been classified as potentially hazardous food items, which means that these foods are capable of supporting rapid bacterial growth when thermally abused.

As such, cut melon should always be staged at temperatures of 41°F and below. Before preparation, it is important to thoroughly wash the outside of the melon. Some manufactures even offer a sanitizing wash that has been proven to reduce bacterial levels and is specifically formulated for contact with food items such as melons and other produce items.