Ensuring Food Safety in Emergency Foodservice Operations
As we were reminded earlier this month, emergencies can strike unexpectedly, whether due to natural disasters, health crises, or supply chain disruptions. Hurricane Helene, which impacted many parts of the Southeast was expected, but still had devastating effects on areas which were not necessarily expecting to be so hard hit. Thus, having a robust emergency preparedness plan is essential to safeguard your operation, protect your staff, and ensure the safety of your customers. In previous blogs, we’ve discussed the importance of developing an emergency plan and we even have a blog that provided some great resources. But, if you still haven’t created your emergency plan, now is the time to start!
Conduct a Risk Assessment
The first step in creating your plan is to identify potential risks specific to your operation. Some risks might include natural disasters, health emergencies, and other operational disruptions such as equipment failures, power outages, and staffing shortages.
By understanding which type of emergencies could affect your business, you can tailor your plan accordingly, developing ways to overcome these challenges.
…creating an emergency plan can be a lot of work….and I mean, a lot of work…it may seem overwhelming, but remember the adage, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Establish an Emergency Response Team
Designate a team responsible for implementing the emergency plan. Some key stakeholders you’d want to have represented on your team include your management and key leadership who can make decisions and communicate with staff, staff members from various departments who can help with execution of the plan and provide much needed communication with staff across the operation, and safety officers or other individuals trained in health and safety protocols – these may be staff within your organization, or they may be external members who serve in these types of roles in the community. Whomever you select, be sure they clearly understand their roles and responsibilities during an emergency.
Develop Clear Procedures
Outline specific procedures for each type of emergency you determined might impact your foodservice operation in your risk assessment. Be sure to include evacuation plans, communication protocols, and food safety measures, including guidelines for food storage, handling, and preparation during emergencies, especially if power outages or supply disruptions occur.
Training and Drills
Once you have your plan developed, be sure to run through training and drills with staff members and your team. These are often essential for ensuring that staff are prepared to respond effectively. When training, be sure to cover the specific emergency procedures, and this may include evacuation routes, where to shelter in place, first aid protocols, and practices to protect the integrity of your food and water supply.
Mock drills should be held periodically throughout the year, not just once. The repeated practice will help staff become familiar with the plan and reduces panic in real situations.
Establish Supply Chain and Staffing Contingencies
A reliable supply chain is critical for foodservice operations. Plan for disruptions. If COVID and other recent natural disasters didn’t force you to do this, take some time to think through possibilities. Identify backup suppliers and determine how much of a small reserve for critical items you should maintain.
Create a Communication Plan
Effective communication is vital during emergencies. Develop a plan that includes both your internal and external stakeholders. Ensure all staff members know how to access emergency updates and who to contact for information. For external communication, preparing messages for customers about changes in service, safety measures, and any temporary closures will alleviate you having to do so when the emergency occurs and may give you a competitive advantage against other businesses. Transparency fosters trust and understanding with both internal and external stakeholders.
Review and Update Regularly
An emergency preparedness plan should be a living document that should evolve. Regularly review and update your plan to reflect and changes you’ve had in your operations or lessons you’ve learned after putting your plan in action.
I am not going to sugar coat it, creating an emergency plan can be a lot of work….and I mean, a lot of work. After you complete your risk assessment, it may seem overwhelming, but take it slow. Remember the adage, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Creating an emergency preparedness plan for your foodservice operation is not just about compliance; it’s about ensuring the safety and well-being of your staff and customers while maintaining operational continuity. By assessing risks, establishing clear procedures, and training your team, you can navigate emergencies with confidence. A proactive approach to preparedness will not only safeguard your business but also enhance your reputation as a reliable and responsible foodservice provider. And, when the next disaster comes…and it will come someday, you will thank yourself for being prepared. Risk Nothing.
Protecting Fresh Produce Post-Harvest, Integral to Safe Food
During the height of the summer, at least in the Midwest, farmers markets are in full swing and fresh produce is plentiful. Every backyard gardener is reaping the benefits of their work, with bountiful harvests of tomatoes and cucumbers. Everyone seems to have a neighbor who is trying to pawn off his or her over-production of cucumbers or summer squash during this time of year. When picking up that produce at the farmer’s market or from your neighbor down the street, have you ever given any thought to the microbial safety of it? Honestly, even in my position, it certainly is NOT the first thing that comes to my mind. But, earlier this month, I came across a news story out of Wisconsin discussing a Salmonella outbreak associated with shelled peas sold at a local farmers market. Who would have thought shelled peas would be impacted? The story noted, and it served as a great reminder, that most outbreaks associated with Salmonella in produce are due to mistakes made in handling or transportation of produce after harvesting.
Properly Cleaning and Sanitizing: The Right Chemical Mix to Maintain Ultimate Effectiveness
A few weeks ago, my family and I had the pleasure of setting sail on a cruise vacation. It is truly one of the only ways that I find that I am able to unplug from work and relax for a small spell. However, as I walked around the ship in our post-COVID world, I couldn’t help but admire all the extra cleaning steps the staff were undertaking to keep us all as safe as possible while in the middle of the ocean with 3,000 other vacationers. All of this cleaning and sanitizing had me thinking about how we each clean and sanitize our own operations and which chemicals we chose to use.
Proper Cooking Temperature: A Basic Food Safety Measure
Each summer, we see an increase in the incidence of foodborne illnesses. Perhaps this is because of the warmer temperatures making temperature control for Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) food more difficult or perhaps it is the increased amount of people who are barbequing this time of year – it is National Picnic Month, after all!
Changing Climate: The Unseen Impact on Food Safety
In June, I was asked to participate in the Allinfoodz podcast, put on by a colleague, Dr. Amit Sharma, at Penn State University. One of the points Dr. Sharma wanted to discuss was the impact of climate change on food safety, which is something I was certainly aware of, but not something I had done much research on. However, when preparing for the interview and podcast, it was interesting to learn more about the relationship between the two.
