Getting Started with Building the Infrastructure
Hopefully in our first January blog, we convinced you of the importance of establishing an infrastructure within your operation to support a safe food culture. So, how does one go about doing this? Well, like any major project, break it into small bites. In our opinion, having a written guide for employees that documents expectations related to food safety basics of employee health and hygiene, temperature controls, and cleaning and sanitizing is the first step. Having this documentation serves as a reference for training and helps fulfill the mission of most foodservice operators which is to serve safe, quality food.
We suggest working on one section at a time. For instance, gather materials currently used with staff that address employee health and hygiene measures. Take a look at existing written information given to employees and be sure it is consistent with the Food Code regulations in your state. Ideally the written information contains the “who, what, when, where, how, and why”, although not necessarily in that order. Adults want to know the rationale behind specific instructions – that is the why. Does the operations currently have a written standard operating procedure or SOP about handwashing? This is a key basic practice and while it might be easy to “pooh pooh” the need for one, it is necessary to not assume everyone washes their hands when and how they should. Maybe the current communication strategy is posting of signage. If the signage includes the key elements of an SOP, that is ok! Here is one example available through Iowa State University Extension.
…logs provide proof that measurable benchmarks were met. These can be a valuable defense should there be a complaint…or even a lawsuit.
Details of an SOP include what needs to be done (handwashing), why it matters (prevention of contamination), who these pertain to (everyone!), and how to complete (soap, water, 20 seconds) along with when it needs to be done (between clean/dirty and raw/ready to eat) as these specifics avoid confusion.
The good news is that there are many SOP templates available in the public domain that address food safety basics. You might start with developing SOPs that focus on employee health and hygiene; temperature controls for food during receiving, storage, transport, preparation and service; and cleaning and sanitizing (both manual and machine practices). Iowa State University’s Food Safety Project offers these free of charge in a downloadable Word format for Assisted Living, Child Care, Schools, and Restaurants. An operator could start with these and customize for their specific foodservice, such as adding the operation’s logo or adding additional practices. Other written guidance, such as an Employee Handbook template and Cleaning and Sanitizing Guide are also available for download.
Another piece of infrastructure is a record-keeping system. Records provide documentation that food safety practices were followed. Logs are one record-keeping tool. Logs are the document where employees note that specific actions were taken, or metrics met. For instance, a cooking log, where chef’s record end point cooking temperatures of temperature controlled for safety foods, or a service log documents that hot foods were served hot (above 135°F) and cold foods were served cold (below 41°F.). Refrigerator storage logs (often posted on the exterior door of the walk-in) provide at least a daily record that internal temperatures of the unit kept cold foods below 41°F. In essence, the logs provide proof that measurable benchmarks were met. These can be a valuable defense should there be a complaint from someone, or even a lawsuit. Sample logs are available in the Annex of the Food Code.
Once you get the basic written infrastructure completed (SOPs, written communications to employees, and logs), it is important to communicate this with employees, stressing that these are the expectations for this operation. Because some people learn best by reading, some by hearing, some by story-telling, and some by doing, mix it up when in-services are held. There are many online modules and videos available that can be interspersed into the training. FoodHandler has some great videos on handwashing and glove use that can be freely downloaded. A benefit of the training is that it helps build a sense of belonging. Some tips for training were presented at the end of the September 2020 SafeBites webinar, so check that out as a starting point. For those who remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a sense of belonging is part of the search for fulfillment. Many foodservice operators consider their teams as family. Shared experiences like training that reflect best practices also instill a sense of community – these reduce turnover and risk! Risk Nothing!
Refrigeration Tips to Keep Your Food Safe
A refrigerator is one of the most important pieces of kitchen equipment for keeping foods safe. In a food service environment, our existence depends on the cooling equipment. The science of refrigeration has evolved from prehistoric times when man found his wild game would last longer packed in the coolness of a cave or packed in snow. Our ancestors harvested ice to keep food cold. Now, if the power goes off, we are instantly reminded of the refrigerator’s importance to our daily life, at home and certainly in a food service facility.
Food Service Hand Hygiene: Basic Handwashing – Part II
Ignoring handwashing as a priority is easy until faced with a crippling lawsuit. Your risk of transmitting a foodborne disease via a food workers hands will never be zero, but the good news is training your crew about handwashing is not complicated. Molding behavior to do it at the right time, using the correct method is the tough part. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says the single most effective way to stop the spread of infection is through handwashing. Last month’s article was on the physical equipment to help get better handwashing compliance. The most important part is the practice of the basic handwashing steps:
The Physical Elements of Food Service Hand Hygiene – Part I
September is National Food Safety Education Month and the theme has a rhyme to it – “Keep Hands Clean with Good Hygiene”. Hand washing is one of the public’s best defenses against the spread of both common and rare, even life-threatening, diseases including those caused by food, and against gastrointestinal infections caused by such organisms as the Norovirus, which plagues the cruise ship industry and food service in general.
The Incredible, Edible Egg Safety Quiz
This nutritious, delicate food is a part of many food service menus as a main course and one of the most common ingredients. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says Americans consume an average of 234 eggs per person per year. Eggs have also been the source of some significant foodborne outbreaks in the U.S. from one specific type of Salmonella. While eggs are an important source of protein in the diet, an estimated 1 in 20,000 eggs in the U.S. supply will contain the SE (Salmonella Enteritidis) bacteria and can cause illness if eaten raw in foods or not thoroughly cooked before consumption.