Italiano
Today, we want to discuss a recent scientific paper written by a team of researchers from the University of Harbin (China):
“Pollutant emissions from restaurant cooking in commercial complexes: A comprehensive air quality analysis” (Downloadable HERE)
As far as We know, this is the first study to analyze the impact of cooking fumes inside a commercial establishment.
Basically, the analysis of “Volatile Organic Compounds” was performed inside a “food court“, that is, an area dedicated to catering inside a shopping centre (or similar structure).
However, the establishments dedicated to the preparation and serving of food can be different.
For this reason, the authors have coined the term cooking intensity: a categorization that is based on the frequency with which the food is prepared and the location of the various equipment dedicated to cooking.
Three different categories were found, called T1, T2, and T3 (in progressive order of size of “cooking intensity”):
T1: establishments with fast and localized preparations, with little “thermal plume” (e.g.: Pizza Shops, Sushi, or other small catering establishments)
T2: restaurants that provide different preparations, in which the most used cooking techniques are frying, or stir-frying (different machines, mostly located in the kitchen)
T3: brasseries, preparations of grilled meat or fish, in which the preparations are made with “Heavy-Duty” machinery even outside the kitchen.
The results were quite predictable, let’s say: “cooking fumes and their pollutants penetrate the dining area; the greatest concentration of these are in the hall and the corridors adjacent to the restaurants during peak service hours; the pollutants are more incisive on the floor where the “food court” is located (in this case the third and last floor), but not limited to this.
The conclusions remind us how important it is not only to quantify other parameters in addition to the usual ones (square meters of kitchen, number of equipment, etc.).
And, to do this, you always need to contact ventilation specialists.
Who (probably) will advise you to equip yourself with a professional Aluminox hood for your commercial establishment!
