Creating Food Safety

ServSafe.com CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Large Industry, Large Responsibility

ropelled by eight consecutive years of sales When food safety procedures are diligently followed gains, the restaurant industry is projected to top and rooted in the , reduced error rates, Pover $800 billion sales in 2019, according to increased customer satisfaction, heightened employee industry forecasts. engagement and other selected key performance For many economists, the restaurant industry is indicators are regularly achieved. a dependable barometer of the U.S. economy. In the following pages, we’ll explore the importance of Historically, an expanding restaurant sector generally creating a comprehensive food safety culture that is signifies a healthy economic engine driven by embraced throughout your . Food safety confident consumers. goes far beyond passing health inspections and With nearly 15 million employees, the restaurant meeting regulatory requirements. industry is the nation’s second largest private-sector Proactive, well-executed efforts prevent employer, providing jobs and careers for about one detrimental to the health of your guests and business. in 10 U.S. workers. (By 2027, the number of Through your diligence, the industry as a whole restaurant industry employees is expected to becomes an even stronger . increase to 16.3 million.) The size of the restaurant industry workforce is enormous. But its scope pales in comparison to the number of people who are affected by foodborne illness annually in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. As a whole, the food industry has undertaken scores of safety measures to combat these staggering — and very human — statistics. In particular, the restaurant sector has turned to employee training and education as a critical conduit to deliver safer, quality meals to consumers. In annual industry surveys, restaurant operators voice a commitment to creating food safety in their . Fostering a winning food safety culture, however, is no small task. It is a complex brew requiring reflection, patience and planning. Senior management must lead and reinforce the cultural shift, ensuring organizational attitudes, values, goals and practices are embraced from the top down.

2 ServSafe.com CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Finding Your System

here is no one size fits all paradigm for instituting • Recognizing potential foodborne illness hazards in an effective and sustainable food safety culture. day-to-day operations While individual may trek different T • Defining standard operating procedures for critical paths toward fulfilling this mission, they share one steps uniform goal: keeping consumers safe. • Monitoring the effectiveness of actions utilized to To accomplish this, company leadership should control hazards implement a food safety management system consisting of programs and procedures that effectively • Training employees to prevent hazards by following control risks and hazards through the flow of food. specific control procedures One food safety management system that has gained • Having certified food protection managers on staff significant traction across the restaurant sector is active managerial control (AMC). Often linked and commonly compared to HACCP principles, AMC is a proactive approach to food safety that includes:

ServSafe.com 3 CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Food Safety Culture in Action

ith more than 2,300 operations primarily in procedures result in higher quality food and enhanced the U.S., Chick-fil-A, a family-owned and profit margin through prevention. Accordingly, the Wprivately-held restaurant company, has College Park, GA-based company actively networks successfully woven AMC principles into its corporate with regulators, academia, associations and other culture. industry stakeholders to continuously strengthen its For example, all Chick-fil-A food handlers wear color- food safety system. specific gloves for various kitchen tasks to avoid Chick-fil-A and other high-performing companies cross-contamination. In respect to cleaning and continually evaluate their food safety procedures to sanitation, staff members can use disposable sanitizing stay ahead of potential foodborne illness crises. To this wipes, rather than reusable cloth towels, to clean dining end, BJ’s Restaurants, a California-based, 174-unit tables. Customers in eating areas are also provided chain, audits its restaurants at least 12 times a year to with pre-moistened sanitizing hand wipes. not only gain a clearer understanding of operations, As a ServSafe certification training partner, Chick-fil-A but also to reinforce the importance of proper food is a staunch believer that exemplary food safety safety behaviors.

4 ServSafe.com CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Setting the Standard

eople are typically creatures of habit, often behaviors in the workplace. In food safety, mixed making it difficult for employees to modify or signals can lead to confusion and costly errors. Pchange their on-the-job behaviors. In forging To fortify training messaging, trainers should use a food safety culture, operations should leverage consistent terminology, and when possible, teach available tools and methods to attain desired training employees in their native languages. Years ago, outcomes. researchers found it can be difficult to teach proper The ABC Model, a cognitive management tool, states food handling techniques to workers when their native that an individual or group needs a set of antecedents language is not used, such as for Spanish-speaking (A) to consistently achieve desired behaviors (B), employees in a predominately English-speaking which then bring consequences (C). The section below environment. illustrates how a quick service restaurant manager and When Spanish-speaking individuals are taught in their food server trainee might use ABC: native language, their food safety examination scores rise markedly. Manager explains the importance of handwashing Visual aids and participatory exercises can positively A and provides a first-hand demonstration using proper impact the learning process. When you encourage techniques employees to ask questions on a concept or procedure they do not fully understand, you open communication lines and start a dialogue. Following his/her example, the food server washes B his/her hands, independently applying the handwashing Regardless of the size of your organization, the importance of following written standard operating techniques as shown procedures (SOPs) should be an ongoing part of such training dialogues. SOPs provide workers with step- Manager praises the trainee for successfully by-step instructions to complete tasks consistently C accomplishing the task, reinforces when handwashing while promoting accountability — a coveted food safety is needed, and explains how clean hands prevent the culture attribute — through documented guidelines. spread of microorganisms that can sicken guests Written materials can be valuable reference tools for new trainees and seasoned employees alike. Accordingly, SOPs should be readily accessible to Training professionals stress that consistent workers at all times and revised as needed to reflect consequences are crucial to starting and stopping changes in workplace procedures.

ServSafe.com 5 CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Empowering Your Team

y nature, most employees are resistant to Effective and ongoing training involves expense, but it change. Workers largely become content with steers off much larger, reactive costs stemming from Bthe knowledge they have gained, satisfied with foodborne illness outbreaks. According to the National the skills they have acquired, and comfortable in the Restaurant Association, a foodborne illness outbreak daily nuances of their jobs. Change can provoke doubt, can cost an operation thousands of dollars or even prodding employees to question their competency. result in closure. In creating a food safety culture, organizations must Food safety pays for itself in several different ways. In a invest the necessary resources to address this culture where employees are more likely to comply with trepidation while providing training that will allow procedures, operations with negligible code violations personnel to perform all designated tasks correctly can usually secure lower insurance premiums and and completely. minimize losses incurred by trashing tainted food. “Training empowers employees,” said William Weichelt, ServSafe director. “They feel a part of the process and a part of your team. The more training employees receive, the more they feel valued and the more likely they will act as brand ambassadors for your operations.”

6 ServSafe.com CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Evaluating Your Culture

n a winning food safety culture, each and every FINDING YOUR SYSTEM employee is dedicated to ensuring the food they make • Is my food safety management system Ior serve is safe. Company leadership bears the duty effective? If not, why isn’t it? of implementing a culture that emphasizes cleanliness, accountability, teamwork and the importance of following • What training certification program is the best fit recognized food safety systems and protocols. for my restaurant? Saying this, have you prioritized food safety by • Would incorporating company-specific training incorporating it into your restaurant’s culture? When benefit my staff and customers? implementing or analyzing your current situation, EMPOWERING YOUR TEAM complete this exercise: • Do you emphasize the value and purpose of food SETTING THE STANDARD safety training to your staff? • Are you and other senior leaders exhibiting strong • Are you highlighting the importance of food safety modeling behavior? on individual and team levels? • Does your training messaging use consistent • Do team members, in turn, feel confident in their terminology? food safety knowledge? • Do employees know senior leadership was involved in the training development process?

ServSafe.com 7 CREATING FOOD SAFETY CULTURE Sources About ServSafe

1. USDA Economic Research Service. Food away he ServSafe program provides food and alcohol from home. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda. safety training and certification to help protect gov/topics/food-choices-health/food-consumption- businesses, employees and customers. demand/food-away-from-home.aspx STervSafe leads the way in providing current and 2. America’s food industry has a $55.5 billion safety comprehensive educational materials to the restaurant problem. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/food- industry. Our complete suite of products (which includes contamination/ ServSafe Manager, ServSafe Food Handler, ServSafe Alcohol and ServSafe Allergens) will help prepare 3. How your approved supplier program can reduce foodservice employees for front-of-house and back-of- your risk. Retrieved from https://foodsafetytech.com/ house situations. tag/supplier-approval-program As the first-movers to offer online food safety 4. Effective supplier programs. Retrieved from http:// eCertificates, ServSafe provides each user with www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/effective- the flexibility of training online or in the classroom. supplier-programs/ServSafe is the premier provider ServSafe training and certification is offered in multiple of educational resources, materials and programs to languages, accepted in all 50 states and is recognized help attract and develop a strong industry workforce. by more federal, state and local jurisdictions than any other food safety certification. ServSafe is backed by industry experts to ensure you receive reliable and actionable information.

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