To help restaurants through the challenges related to COVID-19, we have created a list of resources. We are committed to keeping you informed and will continue to add to this list. We also invite you to our sister website, MyFoodSafetyNation.com, where we have news articles around the themes of restaurant food safety, training, HACCP, technology, and other resources. How to Prevent Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Your Restaurant Restaurant Coronavirus Exposure Plan COVID-19 Restaurant Survival Guide PDF Overview: Coronavirus Exposure Plan COVID-19 Poster (18x24 inches) to print and hang in your restaurant 5 Steps to Wash Your Hands Correctly … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Restaurants Need the Food Safety Nation Newsletter
Last week we launched the Food Safety Nation newsletter for restaurants and were pleased to see so many owners and managers signing up. Each edition will provide up-to-date and relevant articles about restaurant food safety, sustainability, technology and training. Every day restaurants go through worst-case scenarios such as outbreaks, government closures and crippling lawsuits. Each edition of the newsletter will inform subscribers of the necessary information about cases like these in order to learn from them. If you haven't subscribed yet, you should so you can start learning not only how to protect your restaurant operation but also your brand. Here are more reasons for signing up for … [Read more...]
Building a Food Safety Nation for Restaurants
Sign up below to receive the Food Safety Nation newsletter, and we'll send you the best links related to the restaurant industry. SUBSCRIBE HERE Brought to you by the creators of Respro Food Safety, Food Safety Nation is a network of restaurant professionals providing and sharing the latest in food safety and sustainability for restaurants. We will be scouring the internet every day to find expert information and important news that all restaurant operators should know. Now more than ever restaurants need to pay attention to their food safety practices and learn from past mistakes to prevent illness and protect their brands. Food Safety Nation will be creating content in an … [Read more...]
The Best Way to Protect Your Restaurant from Outbreaks
Today there was yet another restaurant outbreak in the news. Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill in Chicago is suspected in a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreak affecting at least 25 people. Not only that, on June 29, the City of Boston closed the Thai Dish Restaurant for too many food safety violations. Looking at these two examples of foodborne illness outbreaks, they are independent organizations that most likely won’t survive the financial and liability impact of closures and sick customers. Given the high stakes, how could they put themselves in this position? Local independent restaurants across America are having a hard time effectively managing food safety. Many of them don’t have … [Read more...]
Get a Restaurant Food Safety Plan in Less than 30 Minutes
Managing food safety in a restaurant can be a daunting task. Oftentimes it can be such a big job that it doesn't get done at all. Restaurants can't afford not to have a food safety plan given the amount of contaminated food delivered each day. At the very least, try to commit 30 minutes at the start of each shift for food safety. If each manager can do this, it will greatly reduce the chance for foodborne illness. If you only have 30 minutes, this is what you should focus on: 1. Check all cold-holding units. Temperature problems are a major source of foodborne illness. Verify the food is at the right temperature. If it's not, call a repair person to look at and fix the unit. Move the … [Read more...]
How an Internal Audit Will Improve Food Safety
An internal audit is necessary to ensure effective food safety plans. Many food operations are inspected by regulatory agencies yearly or quarterly to check to see that they are following proper food safety procedures. The frequencies that these establishments are inspected are essentially inadequate to preventing foodborne illness. If they were as effective as we hoped, then there wouldn't be any outbreaks, but foodborne illness outbreaks are part of our common food environment. This is a big reason driving the new FSMA regulations. Food processor businesses and retail outlets, such as restaurants, should incorporate their own internal audits or inspections to verify their food safety … [Read more...]
Dennis Keith has been working as a restaurant and food safety professional for more than 20 years.