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...]
Label Sanitizer Buckets
This week's tip is about labeling sanitizer buckets. It's important to understand that even if your red buckets are only used for sanitizer, they still need to be labeled in writing. Typically, red buckets come pre-labeled, but over time the writing wears off. The FDA Food Code specifically states that any container with chemicals needs to be labeled with the common name. As you can see in picture A, the buckets have the label printed on them. In picture B, you can see the same style bucket with no label. Once the sanitizer printing has worn off, make sure to write "sanitizer" or simply replace the bucket with a new one. … [Read more...]
Restaurant 911: Prevent Imminent Health Hazard Closures
"Sorry, we're closed"—These 3 words are possibly the worst a manager can hear from a health inspector. There are very specific events that can lead to an imminent health hazard closure. It could be an interruption in service in one facility or a large-scale emergency that could lead to all facilities closing down. It's important to understand what could lead to a closure and how to develop plans to avoid it. 2009 FDA Food Code Imminent health hazard means a significant threat or danger to health that is considered to exist when there is evidence sufficient to show that a product, practice, circumstances or event creates a situation that requires immediate correction or cessation of … [Read more...]
Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’: Norovirus Rules the High Seas
I've never been on a cruise, but my mother loves them. The idea of living in a confined space with 3,000 other shipmates for an extended period of time scares me. So when I see stories about the recent tragedies with the Costa Concordia and Costa Allegra, my fears seem justified. These tragedies, however, overshadow another problem that the cruise industry deals with every day—Norovirus. This stowaway has been wreaking havoc on cruises for decades. The CDC estimates there are 20 million cases of Norovirus every year resulting in 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths. The symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramping. Most people will be sick for only a couple of days, but … [Read more...]
Anatomy of a Foodborne Illness Complaint, Part 4: Outbreak
It's unsettling to think that food served from a restaurant can lead to hundreds of people getting ill and possibly dying, but it happens more often then we would like to admit. It can be the result of untrained or sick employees, serving contaminated products or an overall lack of respect for food safety. A restaurant's involvement in an outbreak can be devastating. It often starts with 1 or 2 phone calls from sick customers. This doesn't seem too alarming since complaints occasionally come from customers, but nothing ever resulted in a confirmed foodborne illness. However, in an outbreak, there could be more calls coming into the health department at the same time. The health department … [Read more...]
Anatomy of a Foodborne Illness Complaint, Part 2: False Accusations
How do you spot a false foodborne illness complaint? Oftentimes, this can be very difficult to see. There are generally two main types of false complaints—one from someone who is really ill but didn't get sick from your restaurant and one that comes from a dishonest customer who just wants to extort money. Make sure you ask the right questions. Use the Foodborne Illness Report (also found in the Manager's Toolbox) to help you, and look for the signs. There are some common signs, and a fair amount of research may need to be done before you can make the determination that a claim is false. Common Signs of a False Foodborne Illness Complaint The signs listed here aren't true in every … [Read more...]
Dennis Keith has been working as a restaurant and food safety professional for more than 20 years.