Why is it important to have a written policy and effective training for employee illness? The cost of an outbreak is reported to be between $6,330 and $2.6 million dollars depending on type of retail facility and the severity of the illness. 3 An outbreak is classified as 2 or more people. However, most illnesses […]
Employee Illness in retail food facilities Read Post »
Monitoring refrigeration units. Have you ever had a unit break down in the middle of the day? How about a unit that just can’t seem to maintain food temperatures below 41°F? Both present potential risks to food safety. Proper monitoring of your units can avoid the costly choice of throwing food away that has become
Monitoring Food Temperatures Read Post »
The internet is blowing up about Chipotle and their bowls. Guess they are an easy target since they have had some mis-steps in the last few years. However, I feel like they deserve a little pass on this one. Let me explain. I did a little research and read the article by Joe Fassler. He
PFA’s in compostable carry out containers Read Post »
How often do you check your cold hold and hot hold temperatures? In food service we must be careful to maintain proper temperatures on temperature control for safety foods (TCS), sometimes referred to potentially hazardous foods (PHF’s). Temperature control will control the growth of pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms that could cause spoilage. Regulation Remember,
Monitoring cold and hot holding temperatures Read Post »
Have you ever noticed your bartender doing some unsafe practices when making your drink and thought, “It’s cool the alcohol will kill it!”. You may be onto something when it comes to bacteria. Certain amounts of alcohol can kill the bad stuff in our gut! But wait, there is something you should know. Although wine
Can your beverage make you sick? Read Post »
Easter is almost here! What a fun time coloring and decorating hard-boiled eggs with friends and family. But have you ever wondered about how to safely handle your hard-boiled eggs? Below are some of the top questions I get asked during the ServSafe Manager Training. How can eggs make you sick? The pathogen of concern
Easter Time Egg Questions Read Post »
Raw sewage is flowing into our streams and rivers and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay. Where is this sewage coming from? A key source is an antiquated storm water and sewage system for Baltimore City. In 2002 the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) sued Baltimore City and an original consent degree to correct overflow
Baltimore City sewage and the Chesapeake Bay watershed Read Post »
When a facility has a functioning Food Safety Management System (FSMS), team members perform better, and customers will receive a consistent message when visiting. In Maryland a HACCP plan is required for every moderate and high priority facility when they start up. Often, they become forgotten until a health inspector asks to review it. A
Retail: Is your food safety management system healthy? Read Post »
Social media can be an excellent source to share information. But when bad information is shared it can unfairly harm a business’s reputation. I often see posts where someone claims that they became sick or got food poisoning from a restaurant. The problem is most often you did not get sick from the last thing
You think the last place you ate made you sick? Here is what to do. Read Post »
Do you use time as a control? Are you wondering what that means? Here are some examples of when my clients have successfully used time as a control on TCS foods; Breading mixes that are in almost constant use. You may be breading items like fish or chicken every 15-30 minutes and refrigerating the breading isn’t
Time as a control for food safety. Read Post »
