Food shields protect food from safety hazards caused by customers' coughing, sneezing, and breathing on or interacting with products.
While self-serve buffets first made an appearance at the 1939 World’s Fair, it was a restaurateur who ran a chain of smorgasbord eateries who invented the first food shield for commercial use in 1959. He was a self-proclaimed germophobe and patented the creation, which altered food safety standards in the industry.
While the original food shields were rudimentary in design and made of flimsy material, this category evolved substantially over the years. Operators can choose from countless portable, suspended and permanent styles of food shields that feature adjustable, ornate, institutional and custom designs. A wide range of designs, colors and options are available to complement a concept’s aesthetics and support a brand’s message.
Food guards’ basic function is to protect menu items from being contaminated by patrons. Constructed of glass panes or clear acrylic material, food shields serve as an effective barrier between the customers and food. They also merchandise the food in an appealing manner, which can increase sales. Operators can use food shields in a variety of foodservice applications, from buffets and food bars to catered events and cafeterias.
Restaurant buffets, hospitals, schools, self-serve eateries and food carts are required by federal and state health regulations to use food shields. Requirements for food shield installation and use vary by state, city and municipality. The National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe program recommends placing food shields 14 inches above the counter, extending at least 7 inches out in front of the food pans, although this should be confirmed with state and local regulations. This placement helps prevent potential contaminants, such as airborne particles from sneezes or coughs, from reaching the food.
Food shields come in a variety of formats. Pass-over units are most common in serving-line-style operations where customers view their food options and staff hand them their choices. Such units can accommodate one or two display shelves and are almost always built into the serving line.
Reach-through units are common in buffet- or self-serve-style operations, where customers reach under the food shield to retrieve their selections. Buffets typically use canopy-style shields, which allow customers to see the food from all sides.
Portable food shields either sit on or are attached to tables with brackets. This type of shield is best suited to caterers that serve product in a variety of settings or convenience store-style operations that want to offer a self-serve option.
A food shield can be any length. It is made of sections, each usually less than 5 feet long. Often, food shields are custom manufactured to fit the specific needs of the customer; however, health departments and NSF dictate specific sizes to meet safety needs. Sizes are also limited by the material selected. For example, a 3/8-inch-thick piece of glass should not exceed 66 inches in length to prevent deflection of the glass.
The most common food shield materials are tempered glass, safety glass and clear acrylic. Glass panes typically measure 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2 inches thick. Panes can be flat or curved. The brackets that hold the glass are typically constructed of aluminum or stainless steel. Posts are typically nonoxidizing metals or powder-coated metals. Food shields made from recycled materials, both in the glass as well as the metals, are also available.
Adjustable food shields allow operators to change menu selections as well as service capabilities within their facility. Merchandising options are also available. Some food shields allow designers and operators to take advantage of the unused space above the counter by providing additional display capabilities. Holders, trays, signs and brackets provide platforms to market food and increase sales volume.
NSF classifies food shields into functional categories: self-serve, cafeteria-style and full-serve. A fourth type is a vertical partition designed for the front of a cooking or carving station. Each category has specific design guidelines.
According to NSF, a food shield shall provide a barrier between the mouth of a customer and unpackaged food to minimize the potential of food contamination. Food shield glass shall conform to the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 51. Glass shall be protected by tight-fitting channels, stripping materials or other means such as rounding the edges of tempered glass to protect against chipping and exposed edges.
A vertical barrier should be included at each end of a food shield, according to NSF specifications. It must be a minimum of 18 inches deep front to back, beginning at the bottom leading edge of the food shield. The minimum height of the vertical barrier should be equal to the overall height of the food shield. The maximum distance from the bottom edge of the vertical barrier and the countertop should be 1½ inches. The maximum open space in any plane between adjacent food shield panels should be 2 inches.
With self-service food shields, NSF requires the maximum vertical distance between a countertop and the bottom leading edge of the shield be 13 inches. The minimum horizontal distance between the front inside edge of displayed food and the bottom leading edge of a food shield should be three-quarters of the vertical distance.
For multiple-tier food shields, NSF requires all tiers above the bottom one to have a permanently attached label restricting use to wrapped or packaged serving portions. NSF requires vertical food shields to provide a barrier to a minimum height of 60 inches above the finished floor. The maximum vertical distance from the bottom edge of the food shields and the countertop should be 6 inches.
