You need a sneeze guard, or another form of protection, wherever unpackaged food is on display within reach of customers: buffets, salad bars, self-service counters and open service lines. The FDA Food Code requires food on display to be protected from contamination by packaging, by food guards at a counter, service line or salad bar, by display cases, or by other effective means.
Shop the equipment in this article: commercial salad bar, Deli cases and steam tables. Freight is included on every order.
What the Food Code says
We read the following today in a state adoption that reproduces the Food Code text.
- Food on display must be protected from contamination. Packaging, counter, service line or salad bar food guards, display cases and other effective means are the ways named.
- Whole raw fruits and vegetables and nuts in the shell that the customer will wash, peel or hull are excepted.
- Ready-to-eat food offered for self-service must be provided with suitable utensils or dispensing methods that protect it.
- Self-service operations such as buffets and salad bars must be monitored by food employees trained in safe operating procedures.
The Food Code text we read does not give guard dimensions. Heights, angles and how far the guard must extend come from equipment standards and from your local health department, which has the final say. Ask your inspector what they measure before you buy or build a guard.
Where a guard is expected
Common practice, subject to your inspector:
- Self-service salad bars, hot buffets and breakfast bars
- Cafeteria and deli lines where customers walk past open pans
- Toppings bars, bakery self-service and sampling tables
- Open counters where prepared food sits between staff and customers
Food that is fully wrapped, or kept in a closed display case, is already protected and does not need a guard as well.
Self-service or staff service
The two layouts use different guards.
- Self-service: the customer reaches under the guard to serve themselves. The guard is a canopy over the food, often with glass on both sides of an island bar, and with end panels.
- Staff service: the customer points and an employee serves. The guard is a taller front panel, usually angled or vertical, that closes off the customer side completely while the staff side stays open.
Decide which way you serve before you choose equipment. A staff service guard on a self-service line blocks customers from the food, and a self-service canopy on a staffed line leaves a gap at face height.
Equipment that comes with a guard
Buying the guard as part of the unit is the simplest route, because the guard is made to fit the pans below it.
- Refrigerated salad bars and buffet tables with a sneeze guard, tray slide and pan cover. Ours come in 36, 48, 60 and 72 inch lengths.
- Employee service salad bars with an angled or lighted glass guard and a cutting board on the staff side, in the same lengths.
- Countertop refrigerated salad bars with a glass topping rail, from 48 to 80 inches.
- Electric and gas buffet tables with a sneeze guard, in two to five pan sizes.
All of the refrigerated units are in our commercial salad bar category.
Adding a guard to a steam table you already own
We list sneeze guards made for steam tables in 30, 48, 60 and 74 inch lengths, and four-sided tempered glass guards in the same four lengths. Match the guard to the brand and length of the table. A guard made for one maker’s table may not line up with the mounting points on another.
Display cases instead of guards
Where customers do not serve themselves, a closed display case does the same job and holds temperature as well. Deli cases, bakery cases and heated cases all count as protection under the Food Code wording. They also keep cold food at 41 F or below and hot food at 135 F or above more easily than an open pan under a guard.
Measuring before you buy
- The length of the food area, end to end. The guard should cover all of it.
- The depth from the customer edge to the back of the farthest pan.
- The counter height, and whether children can reach over or under.
- Which side staff work from, and whether they need to reach under the glass to restock.
- Where the lights and heat lamps will go. A guard with built-in lighting saves a separate fixture.
Cleaning and upkeep
Wipe both sides of the glass at every meal period with a cleaner that is safe near food. Fingerprints and splashes on a guard are the first thing a customer sees. Check brackets and clamps weekly, replace cracked or chipped panels straight away, and never tape a damaged panel.
Mistakes to avoid
- A guard that is shorter than the row of pans, leaving the end pans open.
- No end panels on a bar that customers can approach from the side.
- Utensil handles lying in the food. Each item needs its own utensil with the handle out.
- Nobody watching the bar. The Food Code requires trained employees to monitor self-service.
- Assuming a portable acrylic shield made for a checkout counter is acceptable over food. Ask first.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sneeze guard required by law?
The Food Code requires food on display to be protected, and food guards are one of the named ways to do it. Whether a particular setup needs one, and what size, is decided by your local health department.
Do I need a sneeze guard if staff serve the food?
If open food sits where customers can breathe or reach over it, expect to need protection on the customer side. A staff service guard or a display case does that.
Can I add a guard to my existing steam table?
Often yes. Guards are sold by table length, so match the length and the brand.
What do you sell with a guard included?
Refrigerated salad bars, buffet style steam tables, display cases and heated display cases. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, powered equipment has a 7 day return window, and financing is offered on orders from 500 dollars.