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.
Remembering the Importance of Food Safety During Food Safety Education Month
In the foodservice industry, every plate that leaves your kitchen carries not just flavors and aromas, but also the responsibility of providing safe and wholesome meals to customers. Celebrated each September, National Food Safety Education Month provides a platform for foodservice professionals to reaffirm their commitment to food safety. It's a reminder that excellence in foodservice operations must always be accompanied by excellence in food safety; a reminder that any great meal begins with safe food as the foundation.
Embracing Technology for Enhanced Food Safety in Foodservice Operations
Technology. We love it, we hate it. I’ve always been fascinated by technology; I remember getting my first Blackberry in the mid-90s and thinking it was the pinnacle of technological advances. Before that, I remember ordering a dictation program in college that was going to revolutionize the way I “typed” my assignments. Looking back, it really wasn’t worth the box that the program came in. Now, we have ChatGPT that will write the entire paper for us!
Meat Color and Doneness: Persistent Pinking
Late in June, my family and I were able to visit the Black Hills, an area of the country in which I have not had the opportunity to spend much time. One evening, as we dined at a local restaurant, I observed a table across the dining room sending back a dinner. While I couldn’t hear the entire conversation and I certainly wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, it was apparent that the customer was unhappy with the cooking of their hamburger and was sending it back because it was too pink in the middle. That immediately brought to my mind the phenomenon known as persistent pinking. A term I became familiar with because of work done by some colleagues here at Kansas State, which they present each summer to a group of foodservice operators who join us on-campus for an in-depth week-long look at all things food safety.
Quat Binding – Why this Can Have a Disastrous Impact on Your Sanitation Program.
In June, I had the opportunity to represent FoodHandler and speak on food safety behavior for customers of Martin Bros. Distributing in Waterloo, Iowa. One of the questions that was asked caught me a little off guard. The question was about quat binding. It caught me off guard not because it was a bad question, but only because it was not something I had previously been asked nor had not yet been exposed to the phenomenon. However, I soon learned that in certain jurisdictions, it is resulting in changes to how sanitizing cloths are to be stored in sanitizing buckets (or not) in the foodservice industry. When I returned home from the trip, I had to dig into it to learn about what quat binding is and how it might impact foodservice operations.
