Ventilation in a gastronomy business

When planning a catering facility, it is crucial to provide an efficient and reliable air exchange system. Ventilation in catering has several important functions:

Controlling accumulated smells: Catering establishments such as cafés, pizzerias, bistros or restaurants often have intense smells associated with food preparation. An effective ventilation system helps to reduce these smells, ensuring the comfort of both staff and guests.
Capturing grease and other contaminants: Catering kitchens contain fat particles, carbon dioxide and other contaminants. Proper ventilation in the kitchen enables effective air filtration, which contributes to the hygiene and safety of the premises.
Preventing vapour accumulation: In areas where food is prepared, there is often a large amount of water vapour. An adequate ventilation system allows this vapour to be effectively discharged to the outside, which is important for the comfort of employees and guests.

Ventilation in catering. Regulations.

The regulations governing ventilation in catering establishments are set out in detail in the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April 2012. (paragraphs 147 to 154). In addition, it is worth becoming familiar with the PN-83/B-03430 standards for ventilation in public buildings. It is crucial to maintain the right temperature, humidity level and effective discharge of pollutants to the outside.

With effective ventilation, we can avoid a situation in which smells from the kitchen or toilets penetrate into the hall.

Requirements for ventilation in catering establishments

The requirements for ventilation in catering establishments are crucial to ensure proper working conditions and comfort for both staff and guests. An improperly planned supply and extract system can lead to serious consequences such as:

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air: A malfunctioning ventilation system can result in a build-up of carbon dioxide, which is hazardous to health.
Iinadequate temperature: the ventilation system affects the temperature in the premises. The optimum temperature should be between 20 and 22°C to ensure the comfort of employees and customers.
Long-lasting unpleasant smells: Effective ventilation helps to remove the intense smells associated with food preparation, affecting the quality of your stay in the premises.
Increased humidity: High humidity encourages the growth of bacteria, mould and fungi. An adequate ventilation system helps to maintain the right humidity level (40-50%).

It is worth noting the difference in air exchange between the kitchen and the hall:

Commercial department (consumer room): 5-10 air changes per hour are recommended.
Production department (kitchen): 10-50 air changes per hour are required.

In addition, in sanitary areas (bathrooms, toilets), mechanical air exchange systems with a negative pressure system should be used. This prevents air infiltration from the sanitary facilities into other parts of the premises.

Types of ventilation in catering

There are several types of ventilation in catering, each of which plays an important role in ensuring proper working conditions and comfort in catering establishments. Here is a breakdown of the ventilation types:

1. General ventilation:
  - Is responsible for bringing clean air into the premises and for the flow of air.
  - Drains contaminants such as smells or carbon dioxide.
  - Restaurants and catering kitchens often use hoods, which are divided into:
    - Exhaust hoods: These are the primary category of equipment for extracting grease and other contaminants.
    - Supply and extraction hoods: In addition, they let clean air into the premises.
2. Local ventilation:
  - Works with the general network and removes waste from specific locations.
  - The function of local ventilation is often performed by the aforementioned hoods.
  - Extracts air from bathrooms.
3. Air conditioning:
  - Air-conditioning units maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity in catering establishments.

It is also worth noting that there are different types of ventilation hoods depending on their use:

Type I: Designed to remove grease vapours, smoke and other contaminants resulting from the heat treatment of food.
Type II: They remove contaminants such as heat and steam, e.g. when washing dishes.

When selecting cooker hoods in catering establishments, it is worth paying attention to the material of construction. The hoods should meet several key criteria:

Grease and moisture resistance: hoods must be resistant to grease and moisture, which are inherent in catering kitchens. When choosing hoods, it is worth making sure that they are easy to clean and do not lose their properties when they come into contact with grease or steam.
Non-combustible material: hoods should be made of materials that will not burn. This is important for safety reasons.
Lighting with cover: If the cooker hood includes a light, remember to use a cover. This protects the light source from dirt and makes it easier to maintain hygiene.

In sanitary areas, such as bathrooms or toilets, mechanical ventilation with an appropriate pressure system is necessary. It is important that air from the toilet does not penetrate into other parts of the premises, especially those with higher sanitary requirements.

WHAT A CORRECT DESIGN OF VENTILATION FOR CATERING SHOULD CONTAIN

The technological design of ventilation should take into account the guidelines of the general technological design for the entire facility. A correctly implemented design will avoid malfunctions, unforeseen problems during the installation of equipment and ensure the durability of the installation.

The design document should include the following elements:

Room heat balance: An analysis of the heat flow in the premises, taking into account heat sources and heat losses (e.g. through walls, windows).
Hygienic air balance: Determination of the amount of fresh air required for the comfort and health of employees and visitors.
Contaminated air balance: Analysis of the amount of contaminated air (e.g. kitchen fumes) requiring effective ventilation.
Determination of airflows removed by general and local ventilation: Precise determination of the amount of air that needs to be removed from each zone of the premises.
Ventilation system for toilets: Ventilation design for the toilets to ensure proper hygienic conditions.
Technical description: Detailed description of the technical solutions, equipment and materials used.
Graphic: Graphical representation of the ventilation system in the premises.
Inventory of equipment: List of all ventilation equipment used.

Ventilation in catering establishments is a key element that determines the comfort of employees, the satisfaction of guests and compliance with sanitary requirements. The technological design of ventilation is a complex task that should not be underestimated.