An Emphasis on Food Safety

The emphasis of detailed food safety procedures is sadly overlooked and taken for granted by management in many restaurants. This lax attitude can lead to "FoodBorn" illnesses that can be devastating to a restaurants business.

Because of this very dangerous and naive attitude to the importance of food handling practices, many local municipalities requiring "a food handlers health cards" as a requirement for restaurant employment. To obtain a "health card" from the Local Health Department, the prospective employee must attend a series of classes designed to instruct them on the hazards of "Food Born" illnesses. In other municipalities, Health Departments may offer classes on a voluntary basis.

Certainly any Health Department will have a wealth of comprehensive literature on the subject. Participating in these programs or providing your own classes as an integral part of the restaurants training program is a good idea and helps to put the restaurant in the good graces of the local health department. Food safety is a practice that every restaurant or food facility must closely adhere to.

The following comes right out of the health department manual and is information I've used in franchises that I've owned and or helped to develop.

Foodborne Illness (FBI) is a disease that is transmitted to people by the food they eat, and can range from mild to severe. A mild case, may feel as though one has the flu and suffer symptoms such as an elevated temperature, vomiting, and diarrhea, which may dissipate in a few hours or continue for several days. Some cases can be so severe they require hospitalization, and the most severe episodes can result in death. A single outbreak of Foodborne Illness is not only devastating to the person who gets sick but can severely damage the reputation of the restaurant as well. Some of the costs associated with food poisoning can be an increase in insurance, loss of customer sales, embarrassing news stories, and lawsuits.

It is the responsibility of restaurant management to ensure that their guests are protected from Foodborn Illness.

The most common causes of Foodborne Illness are:

1. TIME/TEMPERTURE ABUSE: Caused by failure to cook, cool, and hold foods to specified time and temperatures.

2. POOR PERSONAL HYGIENE: Caused by failure to wash hands properly or frequently, team members who work when they are ill, and team members who improperly treat and/or cover cuts, scratches or boils.

3. CROSS-CONTAMINATION: Caused by transfer of harmful microorganisms from one food/food surface to another, failure to clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces properly, and allowing raw food to touch or drip onto fully cooked, ready-to-eat food. FBI Illness is 100% avoidable with these very simple and easy to follow food handling procedures. Additionally, with enlightened health practice training and carefully placed "reminder" signs, posted in the kitchen, it is easy to protect against FBI.