This past year, Respro started having Spanish food safety workshops. Some would call it a "class," but there are no books, notepads, pencils or tests. It's an honest discussion of food safety topics for Spanish-speaking staff members in restaurants. After a one-hour sit-down discussion, it's common for a tour to be given with the staff and Spanish-speaking food safety professionals in their own restaurant. Open dialogue is had with staff members about their positions, discussing what food safety issues they may be faced with and how to deal with them. Many of our clients have expressed concerns with not having access to enough food safety training materials in Spanish. There are plenty … [Read more...]
Delivery 101: Inspection Tips for Food Safety
June 15, 2013 by 1 Comment
One area of food protection and food safety that often gets overlooked is delivery. Food should always be stored properly even when being delivered. All the same protections should be in place such as holding temperature, separating raw from ready-to-eat foods, and using containers that protect the food from insects or rodents. Food is delivered in many ways. Larger organizations have commissaries that produce food and then send it out to other locations using trucks, suppliers deliver large amounts of food to many restaurants all day, and many restaurants deliver meals right to customers' doorsteps. In each of these cases, the deliverer should be taking proper steps to ensure the food is … [Read more...]
Food Safety Report
June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Food safety stories are always in headlines. Here's information on one with a confirmed outbreak, one with an outbreak but kept anonymous, another banned from serving raw meat, and a restaurant in Wisconsin closed for unsanitary conditions. Margarita's Linked to 200 Norovirus Cases A Michigan restaurant, Margarita's, is suspected in a norovirus outbreak. So far, 200 people who ate at the restaurant have become ill. The Ottowa County Health Department closed the restaurant after confirming the norovirus cases. Health Department Not Disclosing Source of E. coli Outbreak Last April, a restaurant in Orange County, California, was linked to an E. coli outbreak from romaine lettuce. … [Read more...]
No Bare Hand Contact Battle Heads to North Carolina
June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Recently we watched as Oregon restaurant chefs were successful in convincing state officials to opt out of the "no bare hand contact with ready to eat foods" rule from the 2009 FDA Food Code. They cited increased waste from extensive glove use and a disconnection in the food handling process if they aren't able to directly touch food items. Now North Carolina is in the same position. North Carolina has adopted the 2009 Food Code. This means that on September 1 chefs will no longer be able to handle food with bare hands. Just like Oregon, chefs are upset about it. One restaurant owner, Spero Poulos, actually said that he can't tell when mushrooms are bad unless he can feel them. That's … [Read more...]
Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Can Happen Anywhere
June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Most of the largest outbreaks we track come from contaminated food that results in many foodborne illness cases across the country, but it's important to understand that restaurants, public picnics and other food establishments run the risk of large-scale foodborne illness outbreaks when they handle contaminated food improperly. The following are foodborne illness outbreaks associated with individual food establishments: Denny's Salmonella Foodborne Illness Outbreak Three people were hospitalized with Salmonella Montevideo infections after eating at Denny's in Rochester, Minnesota. Health officials still aren't sure how the bacteria entered the restaurant, but they required Denny's … [Read more...]
Utah Food Safety Blog Updates: No Gloves for Oregon, and More
June 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Here's an update on some food safety stories we have talked about on the blog. No Bare Hand Contact Rule Confuses Oregon Restaurants We've previously written about the debate in Oregon over wearing gloves when handling food. On July 1, 2012, the new law regulating no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food was set to go into effect. In response, the Oregon restaurant industry banded together to fight the new law. The industry was able to get a couple of government officials to listen to their complaints. Then restaurateurs convinced these government officials that outlawing bare hand contact with food was unnecessary. As a result, Oregon chefs can now handle food with bare hands. … [Read more...]
A Restaurant Manager’s Guide to Passing a Health Inspection
June 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Passing a health inspection can be very difficult and may sometimes seem impossible, but policies and procedures can be put in place to help any manager handle a surprise health inspection. Employees have already been trained on keeping track of temperatures, wearing gloves, washing hands and managing their drinks according to the 2009 FDA Food Code, but what can a manager do to make sure these procedures are followed when an inspector shows up? First and foremost, it's extremely important that a manager walk through with the inspector. All employees should be trained that when an inspector arrives, the manager needs to be notified immediately. A manager should accompany the inspector so … [Read more...]
Dennis Keith has been working as a restaurant and food safety professional for more than 20 years.