Food Safety: Vision 2020
When we hear the words 2020, we usually think of having perfect vision. Periodically, we go to the eye doctor to have our eyes checked to make sure our vision is good. And, many of us have prescription lenses to recalibrate our eyes so that our vision is as near 2020 as possible.
What is your vision for your food safety plan? Is it in perfect focus? Things change, so have you done any recalibrations to make sure that your plan still meets the changing needs of your operation? Just like going to the eye doctor for a check-up, we need to evaluate how we are doing in the area of food safety, and make adjustments to make sure our vision is clear and that we are implementing practices needed to protect our customers and our brand.
Most of you know the seven principles of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program. But what is sometimes forgotten in the “busyness” of running a foodservice operation is that HACCP is an iterative and on-going process and that as our operation changes, our HACCP program also must change. Has your menu changed? Do you have new pieces of equipment? Are you purchasing food differently? Has your state adopted a new Food Code? Any of these changes may mean that your food safety program needs to be tweaked.
The “check-up” is also a good time to make sure the food safety program is operationalized according to the plan. Are the SOPs sitting in a book on a shelf? Do you sometimes hear staff say, “The manual says to do it one way but we don’t really have to do that way”? Management by walking around – or MBWA – is part of every supervisor’s job. Observing employees’ food safety behaviors helps to identify if there is a need for program changes or additional employee training and supervision. In past blogs we have provided checklists for back and front of house, so check them out if you think they might be useful. Here are some key behaviors you may want to observe as part of your MBWA:
- Are employees washing their hands when needed and in the correct way?
- Are employees wearing disposable gloves when needed and changing them when they should?
- Do employees check temperatures of refrigerators and freezers?
- Are foods stored properly?
- Are end-point cooking temperatures checked?
- Are foods held at the appropriate temperature?
- Are ready-to-eat foods handled properly?
- Are cleaning and sanitizing of dishes, silverware, equipment, and work surfaces being done appropriately?
- Are measures in place to protect against cross-contamination?
- Is there documentation of food safety practices?
While these behaviors are basic, sometimes they are not performed consistently. When things get busy, workers may let these good practices slip. For instance, employee handwashing should be more than a “splash and dash”. Just like thermometers need to be calibrated in order to be effective, employees also benefit from periodic check-ups and coaching. Remember, 2020 vision for our food safety programs provides clear guidance on how to avoid foodborne illnesses. Risk nothing!
Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining, Part II – Back-of-house
In our first blog this month, we discussed the importance of front-of-house practices as we emerge from the pandemic this summer and into fall. Making your guests feel safe will be an important point as we welcome them back to our establishment. The safer they feel, the more likely they are to revisit and this could, in turn, be a competitive advantage for your business.
Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining
Spring is my favorite time of year, as we head out of the winter months, welcome warmer weather, and increase the daylight hours. As such, we turnover a new leaf and welcome new life as our grass, trees, and perennials come out of dormancy. This year as the Coronavirus vaccine continues its roll out and we welcome a third vaccine onto the market this morning, perhaps this spring we are turning over a ‘new leaf’ in a much more profound way, as we see light at the end of the Coronavirus tunnel.
Developing Good Food Safety Habits
Good habits and habit development are something that has fascinated me for several years. If you’ve attended any the training programs or presentations that my colleagues and I have conducted through our Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, you’ve likely heard me opine about the importance of habits and how habits are created. Many times, in foodservice operations we wonder why our staff don’t follow the food safety practices we have established in our operation. Perhaps they don’t wash their hands when they are required, perhaps they just don’t use the proper method of handwashing, or perhaps we find that they don’t complete our HACCP logs as often as our program dictates should occur. And while we can stomp our feet and say “it is their job, they should just do it”, it really isn’t that simple. We can’t order people to change, although if we could, business and human resources would be so much simpler.
Getting Your Playbook for Food Safety Organized
As anyone who has ever worked in a foodservice operation knows, from the time food is received in your establishment to the time it is served to your customers, following proper food safety practices is crucial. What many don’t often think about is this time really should extend from the time the manager places their orders with their suppliers (including which purveyors you utilize), through the time the food is consumed – even if that consumption occurs off your premises and days after the original order was picked up by the guest. This is something that has certainly been highlighted by the pandemic as customers across the nation are utilizing take-out, curbside to go, and third-party delivery options more so now than ever before.
