Tips for preventing food poisoning

Millions of people become ill due to food poisoning each year after consuming foods that are contaminated during preparation.
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At restaurants, foodborne contamination is often the result of improper holding temperatures, improper cooling, inadequate cooking, poor personal hygiene of employees handling food, contaminated equipment, or food from an unapproved source.

State and local health laws and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), mandate that food providers make sure their products are safe, wholesome, and unadulterated before the sale.

To reduce the risk of contamination, restaurant owners, managers, and employees can apply the following suggestions.

• Establish clear food safety policies and ensure they are well communicated to all employees.  To make sure everyone understands, use verbal and written communication, place reminders in visible locations, and provide documentation in all languages spoken by employees.
• Thorough and ongoing training is a must. Training should include food safety and sanitation certification. Employees should fully understand how to prepare food properly, clean and sanitize surfaces, and properly dispose of waste.
• Implement a regular cleaning schedule to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. All employees should fully understand the proper cleaning procedures.
• Enact and enforce clear sick leave policies to ensure no employee comes to work sick.

From policies to the use of technology, there are many practices, tools, and techniques that can be implemented to help reduce the possibility of food poisoning.

• Ensure all employees wash their hands and sanitize their work surfaces often, using proper cleaning agents to kill bacteria and other organisms.
• Assign an employee during each shift to clean and sanitize all fixtures and door handles, including automated faucets and flushing mechanisms.
• Use different-colored mops to ensure that those being used to clean the bathrooms are not used to clean the kitchen or the dining rooms, and vice-versa.
• Make sure all kitchen personnel should wear hats or hairnets.
• Use separate cutting boards, utensils, and containers when prepping and handling food. For example, use one set of equipment for raw poultry, one set for raw meat, and a third set for produce. Color-coding the equipment will help keep items separated.
• Keep foods separated from each other to avoid cross-contamination.
• All food should be cooked to the right temperature to ensure bacteria are killed.
• Food requiring refrigeration should never be left out and should be refrigerated promptly.
• Use a high-tech thermometer to help ensure that your food stays the right temperature while in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Never put ice or garnish into a glass with your bare hands, instead use a scoop or tongs.

​Finally, mistakes can happen, so address any problems immediately and transparency.