Food Handlers

Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining, Part II – Back-of-house

2021-08-04T08:11:23+00:00

In our first blog this month, we discussed the importance of front-of-house practices as we emerge from the pandemic this summer and into fall.   Making your guests feel safe will be an important point as we welcome them back to our establishment.  The safer they feel, the more likely they are to revisit and this could, in turn, be a competitive advantage for your business.

Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining, Part II – Back-of-house2021-08-04T08:11:23+00:00

Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining

2021-08-04T08:12:17+00:00

Spring is my favorite time of year, as we head out of the winter months, welcome warmer weather, and increase the daylight hours.  As such, we turnover a new leaf and welcome new life as our grass, trees, and perennials come out of dormancy. This year as the Coronavirus vaccine continues its roll out and we welcome a third vaccine onto the market this morning, perhaps this spring we are turning over a ‘new leaf’ in a much more profound way, as we see light at the end of the Coronavirus tunnel.

Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining2021-08-04T08:12:17+00:00

Developing Good Food Safety Habits

2021-08-04T21:34:02+00:00

Good habits and habit development are something that has fascinated me for several years. If you’ve attended any the training programs or presentations that my colleagues and I have conducted through our Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, you’ve likely heard me opine about the importance of habits and how habits are created. Many times, in foodservice operations we wonder why our staff don’t follow the food safety practices we have established in our operation. Perhaps they don’t wash their hands when they are required, perhaps they just don’t use the proper method of handwashing, or perhaps we find that they don’t complete our HACCP logs as often as our program dictates should occur. And while we can stomp our feet and say “it is their job, they should just do it”, it really isn’t that simple. We can’t order people to change, although if we could, business and human resources would be so much simpler.

Developing Good Food Safety Habits2021-08-04T21:34:02+00:00

Getting Started with Building the Infrastructure

2021-08-04T21:29:43+00:00

Hopefully in our first January blog, we convinced you of the importance of establishing an infrastructure within your operation to support a safe food culture. So, how does one go about doing this? Well, like any major project, break it into small bites. In our opinion, having a written guide for employees that documents expectations related to food safety basics of employee health and hygiene, temperature controls, and cleaning and sanitizing is the first step. Having this documentation serves as a reference for training and helps fulfill the mission of most foodservice operators which is to serve safe, quality food.

Getting Started with Building the Infrastructure2021-08-04T21:29:43+00:00

Food Safety Resolutions for the New Year

2021-08-04T20:42:34+00:00

Finally, 2020 is in our rearview mirror and we can all turn the page to 2021! Resolutions for the new year might be more of the same from prior years (lose weight, exercise more, less screen time, etc.) OR you may have identified new practices to implement in your operation. If the latter, likely goals included some practices related to food safety – especially given the turmoil of 2020 and heightened concern by customers. It is our philosophy that attention to safe food handling practices is a win-win for any operation because of the direct relationship between food safety and food quality, which in turn leads to customer satisfaction. This past year has also demonstrated that attention to safety can affect the bottom line. Thus, the topic of our first SafeBites webinar for 2021 is on the topic of the return on investment of food safety, it is scheduled for January 20, so register now and please plan to attend.

Food Safety Resolutions for the New Year2021-08-04T20:42:34+00:00

To Toss or Not to Toss? That is the question.

2021-08-04T21:35:49+00:00

Our first blog for the month emphasized the basic safe food practices needed to keep you and your guests healthy (and happy!), especially during these times of COVID. The impact of foodborne illness can range from an uncomfortable few days to hospitalization or death. Foodborne illness IS preventable and the steps taken to keep food safe also maintain quality of food, and ultimately profitability. Think of attention to food safety as part of quality control and a win-win business strategy. Knowledge about food safety can be helpful when controlling costs as making wise decisions when determining the fate of unserved food can affect the bottom line.

To Toss or Not to Toss? That is the question.2021-08-04T21:35:49+00:00

Holiday Food Safety Controls

2021-08-04T21:37:40+00:00

In case you have not noticed - the holidays are here! We have seen store decorations up since mid-September and early bird deals advertised for several weeks, stretching the typical Black Friday deals throughout the month as retailers strive to ensure market share, while following increasingly stringent mandates for physical distancing

Holiday Food Safety Controls2021-08-04T21:37:40+00:00

Food Poisoning: Responding to a Complaint

2021-08-04T21:43:13+00:00

Be prepared to respond to a direct complaint from a customer who thinks they got sick from eating at your foodservice. Long before you ever receive that call or email from a guest who thinks the food they consumed at your operation made them sick, obtain or prepare an intake form to guide the conversation with the customer.

Food Poisoning: Responding to a Complaint2021-08-04T21:43:13+00:00

Food Poisoning: Identifying a Foodborne Illness

2021-08-04T21:40:14+00:00

Be prepared to respond to a direct complaint from a customer who thinks they got sick from eating at your foodservice. Long before you ever receive that call or email from a guest who thinks the food they consumed at your operation made them sick, obtain or prepare an intake form to guide the conversation with the customer.

Food Poisoning: Identifying a Foodborne Illness2021-08-04T21:40:14+00:00

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