More and more, food allergies are becoming a big issue. As it is now, around 15 million people have a food allergy, and this number is growing. The CDC is reporting an 18 percent increase in food allergies from 1997–2007, and the prevalence of peanut allergies among children tripled in that same time period. These 8 foods account for 90 percent of all food allergies: Milk Eggs Peanuts Tree nuts: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans Wheat Soy Fish Shellfish: crab, crayfish, lobster, shrimp With so many people having food allergies, it's important to properly disclose what foods have allergens. Commercially packaged products are required to disclose allergens, … [Read more...]
Total Recall: Hold Suppliers Accountable for Their Outbreaks
Foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants often have many casualties. The customers and restaurants assume the consequences. Paying hefty settlements to victims and the loss of reputation can cripple an organization while the supplier remains untouched. Even restaurants with the best food safety practices can't escape an outbreak, which is why we see outbreaks associated with restaurants almost every day. Jimmy John's keeps getting ripped apart for serving contaminated sprouts, but should we be blaming them for sourcing sprouts that were contaminated from their supplier? Maybe so, but when suppliers ship out product that is contaminated and it leads to an outbreak, they often find ways … [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...]
Anatomy of a Foodborne Illness Complaint: Introduction
Restaurants deal with complaints every day. Customers complain about customer service, wait times, food quality, prices, and more. What happens when the dreaded phone call comes in about a foodborne illness complaint? This can be the most difficult type of complaint to handle because the average manager doesn't have adequate knowledge about pathogens involved, incubation periods, symptoms, testing procedures, or appropriate costs associated with such a case. So what is the best procedure for handling an illness complaint? For the most part, the general public is largely uneducated about this topic as well. People are likely to blame the last place they ate rather than using the time … [Read more...]
Tips to Avoid Bare Hand Contact with Food
You won't find a more debated or controversial topic between food safety inspectors and the restaurant industry than bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. According to the FDA, you can't do it. This results in many chefs having to wear gloves. As an inspector myself, I've heard all the arguments: "I don't have to wear gloves because I wash my hands so often. "I can't prepare the food properly with gloves on." "If I can't feel the fish while cutting it, then I'll cut my hand!" "The plastic in the gloves changes the taste of the food." For the most part, none of these arguments get very far during an inspection. The food industry either needs to provide better ways to prevent … [Read more...]
Stop Bacteria Growth, Cool Hot Food Quickly
Cooling hot foods is a very important and difficult task for most restaurants. Hot foods that won’t be served right away must be rapidly cooled down and stored in a cold-holding unit below 41° Fahrenheit (F). If this process is done improperly, bacteria will grow, leading to poisoning customers who eat the contaminated food. Reheating will kill some bacteria, but other bacteria form spores and toxins that are heat stable and won’t be killed in the reheating process. Having an effective cooling process will help protect the quality of the food as well as provide a good defense against foodborne illness. Proper Cooling Times and Temperatures Food must be cooled from 140° F to 70° F in the … [Read more...]
Fight Foodborne Illness: Know the Right Temperature
All restaurants battle with the problem of keeping food in temperature. Knowing the right temperatures for food is key in fighting foodborne illness. Temperature abuse is the most difficult problem to control in the kitchen and can have the worst consequences. All potentially hazardous foods (for example, meats, pastas, cooked foods, cut tomatoes, melons, and cut leafy greens) must not be held between 41⁰ F–135⁰ F. This is what is called the danger zone. If these foods are held in this zone, bacteria that is already present will begin to grow. This is what leads to foodborne illness. What factors are keeping you from controlling temperatures? Equipment: Old, unmaintained, broken, … [Read more...]
Dennis Keith has been working as a restaurant and food safety professional for more than 20 years.