Certified kitchen questions ; need help

[red hott farmer]

In Georgia we have to have a seperate Kitchen away from the primary house kitchen to use if we want to sell Processed foods. ie' jams, breads, salsa's etc. The health dept. has to inspect it and Certify it. I can either do a Sheetrock ceiling and do recesed lights and paint the ceiling in a scrubbable Gloss paint or do a drop down ceiling and use the kitchen fireproof, washable tiles witht e lights that sit in the Grids.
Preferences by you guys and why. I would greatly appreciate it.
Richt now The building is just studded out on the inside and power and insulation installed. So i am to this point. for ceiling and walls.

[tyusclan]

If the original cost is not prohibitive I would suggest the drop-down ceiling. If you ever have to add anything overhead it's a snap to remove a few tiles, do what'cha gotta do, and drop'em back in place. No muss, no fuss.

You can also get the lighting, and A/C diffusers to fit the grid. Makes everything simpler.

[Charleen]

You might consider renting an already approved kitchen. Some churches & schools make theirs available.

[Meg Z]

Congrats on getting the building up! NC has the same laws. I'd love to do my jams and jellies, and breads. Folks I've gifted them to frequently come back asking about buying. I can't find a rentable kitchen to use. The only ones I've found are in churches where you have to be a member. It'd bepretty hypocritical of me to become a member for the benefits! I've considered building my own, but I figured it'd be pretty cost-prohibitive. Can you share what you're doing and what the costs are?

As said,though, all other things being equal, go for the ceiling that's easiest for repairs later!

Meg

[fin29]

I have a licensed kitchen and I would recommend against can lights--they collect grease and dust and it's important to clean inside the cans and on top of the lightbulbs to keep the dust/grease nuggets from falling into the food. I would recommed against a traditional drop ceiling unless you can find one that has a smooth finish tile (some are made of a melamine-coated fiberboard)--the traditional ones catch grease and dust in the texture of the tiles. The national food code (generally what states go by) requires a cage over any exposed lightbulb--in case the bulb gets broken it catches the shards--so, make sure you find that out before you invest in anything; it can be a substantial cost.