Mother Nature has had quite the attitude this year! From devastating fires and flash floods to hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes, she has been turning communities upside down. Thank heavens you can plan ahead for such tragic events. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) …
Read More »How To Earn a Passing Grade on Food & Health Inspection
Restaurateurs have a lot on their plate; hiring and training employees, attracting new customers, providing quality ingredients, keeping diners happy, treating workers well to start, but the list never ends. On top of all this these businesses must also make sure that their restaurant can pass a health inspection with …
Read More »Food Service Gloves: Pros and Cons
A line cook at a bar and grill is preparing a hamburger. He puts on food service gloves and grabs a handful of raw ground beef and forms a patty. Without changing gloves the worker proceeds to top the grilled patty with lettuce, tomato and onions. After sending out the …
Read More »Food Safety Update: Time To Get Your Management Certified
The food service industry is buzzing right now about a report released by the Food and Drug Administration last week revealing the results of a food safety study the FDA conducted over the past 10 years. What’s the big deal? The FDA found that “a certified food protection manager was …
Read More »How To Calibrate A Thermometer
Think of a good thermometer as the crescent wrench of your food safety program. Without it, you have no idea what the temperature of your food products are, either when you cook them or when you store them. And that means you can’t tighten the bolts of your food safety …
Read More »Food Safety Tips: Vacuum Breakers & Backflow Valves
Vacuum breakers and backflow valves are an easy thing to overlook in your restaurant’s kitchen. They are relatively easy to install, and since health inspectors are going to require them, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take the time to make sure you have some of these simple plumbing parts …
Read More »Go Green, Save Money, Serve Better Produce
As the past few years have shown, produce can be a food safety liability for anyone in the food service industry. Easy spoilage also makes produce a very difficult item to manage on your inventory. On top of all that, produce takes a lot of time and labor to prep. …
Read More »Food Safety At Turley’s Part 2: Staff Training
Earlier this week I ventured to get a feel for practical food safety practices in a real restaurant. Turley’s, an iconic Boulder, CO eatery known for its eclectic menu full of healthy eating and fantastic international flavors, was kind enough to spend some time talking to me about their food …
Read More »Food Safety Tips: Safe Seafood
Fresh seafood will always sell well in your restaurant, and for many businesses it’s a staple item on the menu. Making sure the seafood you serve is safe requires some careful maintenance and preparation, and it’s good to develop some strategies for ensuring the seafood you serve is safe. More …
Read More »HACCP Principle 6 – Ongoing Verification
Now we are getting into the multiple levels of control that make a HACCP program so effective. Level 1 is monitoring: people who are directly involved with the food product at the Critical Control Point checking to make sure Critical Limits are met. These people have taken direct responsibility for …
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