Food Safety Blog and CFPM Resource Hub

April 5, 2021March 5, 2021

Suggestions Food Safety Managers Can Use To Make Takeouts Greener

Takeout and delivery services have become very popular over the course of the past year, and with this increased demand, comes an increase in the amount of takeout-related materials on hand in every restaurant. With so many elements involved in takeout orders, food safety managers should take a few steps to reduce the amount of waste involved when packing takeouts and delivery orders.

Waste Reduction Hints for Food Safety ManagersTo Improve Takeouts and Delivery

When you consider all the elements that go into to-go orders, there is a great potential for waste. Clamshell containers, individually packaged utensils, sauce packets and lids all have the potential to be wasted. Many customers prefer to use their own silverware at home, may have no need for the tiny packet of ketchup or simply toss excess containers in the trash. Sending these items with every takeout order eats into your food safety manager’s bottom line, creates waste and may have a negative impact on the environment.

In order to reduce waste, you may wish to ask customers who place a takeout order if they require silverware, sauces or other optional items. You may find that more of your customers are concerned about waste than you think.

Takeout and delivery don’t just create more waste, many to-go containers, utensils and sauce packets are cmposed of plastics that are harmful to the environment. Here are a few things food safety managers should consider when planning takeout service:

Stock biodegradable containers
Use small recyclable containers rather than prepackaged sauces
Consider compostable straws and utensils over plastic
Utilize reusable bags

Current innovations in recyclable and biodegradable restaurant supplies have made it possible to reduce your environmental impact without sacrificing the quality of your service. While paper-based takeout containers may not last forever, they’ll retain their integrity long enough for guests to enjoy their meals. The same goes for paper straws and biodegradable utensils. By making a few small changes food safety managers can go a long way in reducing waste and being environmentally focused with your delivery and takeout supplies.

Have you looked into how you can be more environmentally conscious with the way you provide delivery services?

March 29, 2021March 4, 2021

Revealing New Studies On Foodborne Illness Prevention

With an increased emphasis on sanitation due to the global pandemic, many have speculated that these regulations have had an impact on other types of illness. We recently came across an article stipulating that foodborne illnesses are down due to coronavirus countermeasures. While the studies referenced were performed in Australia and Europe, we see a direct correlation between food safety training, COVID-19 measures and foodborne illness prevention.

Revealing New Studies On Foodborne Illness Prevention — Image credit: Iakov Filimonov via 123rf

How Coronavirus Measures have Impacted Foodborne Illness Prevention

The study conducted by the Australian Government is rather extensive, so we’ll briefly break down their findings.

The Australian study showed a rather large reduction of foodborne illness cases, especially when it came to the norovirus. Norovirus outbreaks are among the most common foodborne illness issues worldwide. This study shows norovirus cases were drastically reduced, almost 80-percent less than the previous year when compared to e.Coli and salmonella, which were reduced by approximately 50 percent. European studies have also suggested that norovirus rates lowered significantly over the past year.

We can speculate that reduced restaurant patronage contributed to the reduction of foodborne illness cases, but when you consider that the spread of norovirus is easily controlled through a food safety training emphasis on sanitation and handwashing, we can account for the vastly differing percentage when compared to e.Coli and salmonella, two bacteria that can also be spread through contaminated product.

We hope to be out of the water soon when it comes to dealing with COVID-19, but if we continue to emphasize good handwashing and sanitation, maybe we can keep the momentum going on preventing other illnesses that can be stopped by good food safety training.

March 22, 2021March 4, 2021

Should ServSafe Food Managers Worry About COVID-19 On Supply Packaging?

Even though we’ve been dealing with the coronavirus for over a year, we still hear questions and concerns over how the virus is spread and extra steps that can be taken to control it. In a recent discussion, we were asked if ServSafe food managers should be concerned about COVID-19 entering their business on the surface of supplies, food packaging or other materials that they use in their business. The StaySafe MN guidance for restaurants and bars has no specific information on this topic, so we decided to research the matter further.

ServSafe Food Managers Ask, “Can Supply Packaging Spread Coronavirus?”

In the past, we’ve covered the near impossibility of coronavirus infection from food consumption. But, do ServSafe food managers need to be concerned with supply packaging? Does ingredient packaging, shrink-wrapped supplies and other containers that arrive on delivery trucks pose an infection risk to your staff?

While Minnesota COVID guidelines make no mention of this scenario, the CDC briefly addresses this on the consumer level.

According to CDC consumer guidelines, little evidence exists that coronavirus infections spread on food packaging from grocery stores or other outlets. If this evidence holds up for highly populated facilities, this statement would suggest that the same holds true for packaged goods delivered to foodservice businesses.

While COVID transmission risk on packaging may be low, cautious ServSafe food managers should be aware that sanitizing packaging that contains food products poses the risk of sickening customers through the ingestion of sanitizing chemicals. We’ve been asked if quickly sanitizing shipments or inventory would add an extra layer of protection, but we’d advise against it. The best defense would be to thoroughly wash your hands after receiving and storing deliveries. Consistent handwashing protects your guests from many different types of illness, both foodborne and otherwise.

Are you concerned that COVID-19 could enter your business on your supply shipments?

March 15, 2021March 4, 2021

How To Tips For Certified Food Protection Managers Recalling Staff

During the course of the past year, many restaurants have had to lay off or furlough employees and many certified food protection managers have found themselves with a greatly reduced staff. Now that food businesses are increasing their capacity and guests have a desire to return to inside dining, many restaurants and food retail businesses find the need to increase staffing without hurting their bottom line. This week we’ll offer a few insights on how Certified Food Protection Managers can effectively recall furloughed staff while keeping an eye on your budget.

Certified Food Protection Manager Recalling Furloughed Staff — Image credit: Dmytro Sidelnikov via 123rf

A Strategy for Certified Food Protection Managers Recalling Staff and Balancing Labor Costs

We know that nearly all certified food protection managers have had growing concern about their staff’s financial wellbeing during the pandemic, but with restaurant closures and limited capacity there hasn’t been much businesses can do to provide hours for every staff member. Many food service businesses have been able to rely on forgivable PPP loans to fund their payroll even if employees are unable to work due to regulations or a reduction in business. If you’re still struggling to keep your staff employed, you may want to talk to your banker about the possibility of obtaining a PPP loan to pay your staff and keep your business afloat until guests once again begin flocking to your establishment.

If you are in the process of bringing in more staff members, but need to keep an eye on your bottom line, you may want to consider:

Prioritizing furloughed employees
Having an “on-call” list
Coordinating with other similar establishments to keep industry professionals employed

When composing a scheduled, certified food protection managers should prioritize staff they’ve been forced to furlough rather than hire new employees. Not only will this show your loyalty to your former staff, you’ll also be bringing back a trained employee that can begin work right away. You can also reach out to staff members who were once full-time employees and ask them to consider being on-call. An on-call employee may not receive guaranteed hours, but will often be willing to work on short notice.

Once you begin reaching out to former employees to re-staff your establishment, you may find that they’ve moved on to other industries or have found employment in a different food service business. We’ve heard stories that several restaurants have coordinated sharing part-time employees that desire to remain in the food-service sector even if fulltime hours are currently unavailable.

What’s your strategy for recalling staff now that restrictions are starting to lighten?