 In a restaurant, a food safety issue can snowball quickly into a health and public relations concern. Your employee training can help contain the issue. If and when a guest alerts your staff to a food safety issue, do you trust that your staff communicates in a way that protects customers and maintains trust?
Your staff can manage a reported food safety concern by acknowledging the incident and apologizing without getting defensive. They can record what the guest ate and when, as well as any symptoms they experienced, then agreeing to investigate the cause and follow up with them. From there, your team can review the preparation process of the suspected dish, checking storage, cooking, and serving practices to ensure proper hygiene and temperature control. Inspect the ingredients for signs of spoilage or contamination and verify supplier records. Investigate risks of cross-contamination, such as improper handling of raw and ready-to-eat foods. Were cleaning protocols followed for utensils and surfaces? Examine staff hygiene practices, equipment cleanliness, and the overall kitchen environment for lapses. Review food safety records, including temperature logs and cleaning schedules. If you suspect foodborne illness, notify health authorities and cooperate fully. Finally, take corrective actions, such as enhancing staff training or updating procedures, and follow up with the guest to provide transparency and reassurance.  At a time of year when seasonal illnesses run rampant, foodservice operations must manage a difficult balancing act: When an employee feels unwell, should they come to work – or take time away from a busy shift to recover? If you’re like most foodservice businesses, you have a written employee health policy that helps guide your operation’s management of staff wellness. But that doesn’t mean it’s doing its job. According to a recent study by the International Association for Food Protection, over 98 percent of foodservice businesses surveyed have a written employee health policy. Yet when it comes to demonstrating accountability for and awareness of that policy, the numbers drop dramatically. For example, only 9 percent of respondents said they had a wellness check before a shift and 7.5 percent said their policy was reinforced by management. If this sounds familiar, consider how your operation compares to the restaurant brand First Watch, which was awarded the 2024 Food Safety Excellence Award from Steritech. Winners of this award must demonstrate their food safety performance against seven pillars: leadership, communication, standards, training, scorecard, oversight and recognition. In a recent webinar from Steritech and the National Restaurant Association, First Watch food safety leaders explained that their employee wellness policy is something that all staff must read and agree to. From there, the restaurant uses the third-party service Zero Hour Health to manage their health program. All employees are trained that when they feel ill, they have to report to their manager and complete an electronic survey about their health symptoms. Nurses and health representatives from Zero Hour Health review the responses and provide clear feedback (in the form of a green check or a red X) indicating whether it’s okay to return to work and when. Looking at your own operation, do you see opportunity to remove any food safety risks related to employee wellness?
 Keep pace with tech’s food safety risks
Technology has brought a number of safety-enhancing changes to foodservice kitchens: Sensor-connected appliances are helping to ensure foods are cooked to the proper temperatures, while voice-activated and touch-free technology are containing cross-contamination risks. However, some innovations have introduced new risks to manage. Tablets and other smart devices with touchscreens, specifically, can pose contamination risks, according to a new study by Queens University in Belfast, Ireland. During the study, participants had their hands and personal devices swabbed to analyze for bacteria. During a 30-minute cooking activity, they touched their smart device almost six times on average. After cooking, around 6 percent of pre-cleaned devices were contaminated with potential food-poisoning bacteria. A Food Safety News report about the study said using antibacterial wipes containing alcohol can reduce contamination on smart device surfaces. However, microbial analysis found that Salmonella and E. coli could survive on tablet touchscreens for more than 24 hours at room temperature, potentially contributing to cross-contamination. In the context of a large residential facility or a business serving vulnerable populations, a safety risk (whether in the front or back of the house) can multiply quickly. As foodservice practices evolve, so should food safety – and the training that supports it, according to food safety expert Francine Shaw. “I encourage food businesses to view advancements in food safety…as meaningful investments rather than mere expenses,” she said in a recent report from Quality Assurance Magazine. “When implemented effectively, the return on investment can be substantial. These initiatives can help minimize recalls, lower labor costs, enhance consumer trust, reduce foodborne illnesses and ultimately save lives.” |
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