 If recent years are any indication, we’re likely to experience periods of record-setting heat in the coming months — and this can impact food safety from several different directions. A number of foodborne infections, including Salmonella, E. coli and others, peak in the summer months. Research has also found that food recalls increase during the summer. The blackouts that have become more common on sweltering days can further put food at risk — such events put restaurants in the position of having to keep foods chilled during power outages when outdoor temperatures are compounding the problem. Even on hot summer days when you’re not dealing with the issues above, your kitchen team may still struggle to perform at their best when working over hot equipment — particularly if your kitchen isn’t climate-controlled or well ventilated. It’s a good time to assess how all of these potential issues could affect your restaurant, then put some plans in place to help you avoid problems later. Perhaps that means connecting with suppliers with any concerns about tracing and reporting summer food recalls, having a food safety backup plan in place in case you experience a blackout, and adjusting staffing or work protocols to allow for more frequent breaks during the hot season.
 Despite the rise in real-time, tech-based controls designed to help businesses monitor foodborne illness risks, outbreaks continue to be an issue for foodservice operations. The CDC recorded 519 norovirus outbreaks between August 2023 and January of this year, a sharp rise from the previous year’s numbers, and Salmonella has impacted people across 32 states in recent months. On top of food safety technology that helps foodservice operations monitor protocols and stay alert to problems, old-fashioned food safety practices are just as important. A Food Safety Tech report says this should include thorough, frequent handwashing; proper hand hygiene prior to handling food; and the use of alcohol-based sanitizer as an added precaution – not a substitute – for handwashing. It’s also important to clean and sanitize high-touch surfaces and equipment regularly – and wash and sanitize produce to eliminate contaminants (the recent Salmonella outbreak was linked to cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products). The report also advises careful handling and proper cooking of seafood, particularly shellfish, and having an employee policy with clear guidelines for managing staff illness, especially regarding when it’s important to avoid handling food or reporting to work.
 Sixty percent of worker’s compensation claims are the result of slips, falls, strains and burns at work, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Between 2020 and 2021, the council found that among the costliest lost-time claims by cause of injury were burns ($52,161 for each claim) and falls or slips ($49,971 for each claim). Unfortunately, these risks are common in restaurants – and tasks such as managing cooking oil increase risks of both burns and slips or falls. If you’re experiencing losses in these areas, it’s worth conducting an audit of the risks that tend to generate worker’s compensation claims. Addressing them can deliver a ripple of benefits. For example, if you’re still managing your cooking oil using manual processes, automating it can improve staff safety, labor efficiency and food quality, as well as reduce your overall oil usage and expense, according to a new report from Restaurant Dive. The tech-based monitoring that accompanies automated oil management can also help you keep tighter control on your oil quality and costs by alerting you when there are problems.
 As the weather warms up and your guests are craving the rainbow of local, farm-fresh vegetables you may be offering on your menu, it’s important to take a step back and think about food safety. Vegetables can come across as inherently fresh, clean and appealing to eat right off the vine – especially if they carry labels like “organic” or “sustainably grown,” for example. But that’s a misconception. As food safety professional Doug Powell said in a report from US Foods, “Fresh produce is the biggest source of foodborne illness in the U.S. and North America, and it has been for at least a decade.” Because fresh produce has been responsible for tens of thousands of foodborne illnesses over the past 10 years, it pays to scrutinize the sources of the produce you buy, as well as the food safety practices your suppliers use. That means tracing potential contaminants right down into the soil in which these foods are grown. For example, Powell advises collecting information about the water farmers use for irrigation, if and how they amend their soil to suit crops, and how well they enforce hand-washing practices.
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