In the United States, the CDC estimates that over 48 million people a year contract a foodborne illness.
Foodborne illnesses can range from an upset stomach to a life-threatening condition, and thousands die every year because of them. If you’re in the food business, preventing foodborne illnesses is essential as they are both deadly to your customers and expensive to your business.
What steps can you take to make sure that you’re safe?
It should come as no surprise that cleanliness is very important in preventing foodborne illness. Having a clean place to work, store and handle food is essential to food safety. In order to give you the information you need, we’ll have to get more specific.
-
Handwashing
Encourage your staff to wash their hands. Depending on where you live the food code will have specific requirements for handwashing. After using the restroom, after handling raw food, before and after putting on gloves are all common in most health codes.
If you promote handwashing as part of the culture of your business, it will get done more often. Don’t risk having a customer exposed to foodborne illness because of negligence on the part of your staff.
-
Handling Raw Meat
One major step in how to prevent foodborne illness is the proper handling of raw meat. Raw foods should never come into contact with ready-to-eat foods or be in the same area of the kitchen. Removing them from the presence of each other will limit the chance that an accident can occur.
-
Expiration Dates
One way you can start preventing food poisoning is to ensure that end dates are followed. Foodborne illnesses in restaurants can come from expired foods. They can also come from food packages that are open and not dated. Make sure your staff dates everything so you can always check its freshness.
-
Staff Training
There are a lot of training programs out there, some mandated and others encouraged depending on your local laws. You can click for more information about that. Remember, training doesn’t stop when work begins, make sure your staff continues expanding their knowledge about food poisoning risks.
-
Sanitize Work Spaces
Viruses and bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses don’t go away. If an area has had food on it or will have food on it, it needs to be sanitized. This goes for prep areas and anywhere else that raw or ready-to-eat food will be handled.
You’ll want to use sanitation agents as directed, and make sure they are safe for foodservice environments. Protect yourself, your business, and your customers by sanitizing often.
Preventing Foodborne Illness in a Business
While it may seem like it costs a lot to take all the required steps, the benefit is enormous. Failure in preventing foodborne illness can lead to lawsuits and heavy fines, not to mention the knowledge that you may have contributed to someone getting sick or dying. To learn more about qualified training, we hope you’ll take some time to explore the link above Learn More
