Do you have an allergen program?

Do you “just know” what products you sell contain an allergen?

Without looking, what are the allergens in Hot Dogs, Crackers or Potato chips?

Now go look. Were you right?  Did you possibly miss allergens like milk in many hot dogs and crackers, soy in all three or peanut oil in some potato chips?

Here are some facts about allergies*:

• It is estimated 9 million, or 4% of adults have food allergies,
• 6 million, or 8% of children have food allergies.
• Allergies increased 50% in children between the years of 1997 to 2011, with no explanation as to why.
• Every 3 minutes someone is admitted to a hospital due to food allergies.

What causes the allergic reaction?

It is a bodies negative reaction to proteins in the food. Proteins are not destroyed during the cooking process and can remain on cooking equipment, deep fry oils, batter, breading and utensils.  It only takes a very small about of the protein to cause a reaction.

What are the major food allergens?

Although there are hundreds of foods that can cause a reaction in humans the FDA has determined that 8 foods account for 90% of the negative reactions.  These foods must be clearly identified on the labels of packaged foods.

•                 Wheat
•                 Milk
•                 Dairy
•                 Soy
•                 Fish
•                 Crustacean shellfish
•                 Peanuts
•                 Tree Nuts

What can you do to prevent your customer from having a negative reaction to food from your facility?

 Be proactive. Have a plan in place!  Sounds simple right?  Not so fast.  When I ask students what is your plan where you work.  Many respond by saying “they tell the chef” or “it is marked on the ticket the person has an allergy”.

That is not a plan!  A plan needs to look at every aspect of your facility from design to service.  If a food can not be assured safe then it should not be offered to a guest with an allergy.

Let’s talk about a better method of controlling the risk of allergens.

• Designate a lead Allergen Manager (LAM).
• The LAM should inspect all food that arrives at your facility checking labels for allergens.
• Create a spreadsheet to assist LAM and chef in exploring all foods that enter facility that are commercially prepared. List the 8 allergens across the top and all ingredients that come in to the facility on the left.  Mark an “I” for ingredient in the corresponding box associated with the allergen listed on ingredient list.
• Create a similar spreadsheet for each menu item.  LAM and Chef should work through entire menu identifying which dishes directly contain an allergen and which ones could be affected by cross contact.  Don’t forget about those sub-ingredients!
• LAM and Chef should have a good working relationship and be in constant communication when practices or menu items change.
• LAM needs to share this information with an AM (Allergy Manager) for each shift.
• Shift AM should hold training sessions with all food handlers discussing proper techniques for avoiding cross contamination from receipt of food to service.  Also discuss proper cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces before starting to prepare a dish for a guest with an allergen and of course proper handwashing.
• Shift AM should train wait staff that when a guest requests a substitution they should ask if it is for a personal taste preference, dietary restriction or an allergen.  If it is for an allergen staff should immediately call for the AM on duty to assist guest with the order.
• Place a message on table placard or menu reminding guests “If a member of your party has a food allergy please let your server know.”

In Maryland it is required that you have a poster reminding staff of the 8 allergens.  This poster can be found at http://www.marylandfoodhandler.com/foodSafetyDownloads.php

For further assistance with developing a food allergy program in your facility please contact Sue Farace, CP-FS at 410-382-4325

Source: FARE foodallergy.org

I wanted a healthy version of the classic oatmeal cookie. After searching the internet I could only find no sugar no flour cookies or the classic full of fat and sugar.  So, I came up with my own version.  The bananas, raisins and the little bit of sugar make them enjoyable even for this sweet tooth.  Hope you enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350°F

3 med ripe bananas

1/3 cup applesauce

¼ cup milk

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

1 t baking soda

3 Tablespoons of coconut oil

¾ cup of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

3 cups Oats

½ cup raisins

Add all ingredients except flour, sugar, raisins & oats in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly on medium speed.  Add remaining 4 ingredients.  Depending on the size of your bananas you may need to add more or less flour.  The mix will not be firm like a regular oatmeal cookie however you should be able to spoon out on pan.  Place on nonstick or lightly oiled cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy

This loaf has a soft crust and light texture making it a perfect loaf for sandwiches.   The dough is easy to work with due to the butterfat content and perfect for someone just starting out with bread dough.

Ingredients:

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and room temperature.

appx 2 cups bread flour

appx 1 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

In mixer bowl with flat beater add water, sugar and yeast.  Mix then allow set for 2-3 minutes.  Add melted butter, eggs, salt and one cup of the bread flour, mix until smooth.  Slowly add 1/2 cup of all purpose flour at a time and mix again until smooth.  Mix for 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic looking.  Change beater to dough hook.  Add flour 1/4 cup at a time alternating between bread flour and all purpose.  When dough forms a ball and cleans sides of bowl kneed for another 5 minutes. You can add flour a tablespoon at a time if needed.

Continue mixing until smooth looking.

Change beater to dough hook.  Add remaining flour alternating between bread flour and all purpose.  When dough forms a ball and cleans sides of bowl kneed for another 5 minutes. You can add flour a tablespoon at a time if needed.

Scrape down if dough starts "riding up" hook. Add just a sprinkle of flour.

Remove from bowl and form ball.  Place in lightly greased bowl and cover.  Allow to rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.   Punch down and form into loaf.  This dough is very forgiving and can be used for rolls if desired.

Allow to rest for another 40 minutes or until doubled again.

Bake in preheated oven at 375° F for about 30-40 minutes. For a thicker, chewier crust add a pan of water to bottom of oven to create steam. Allow to cool on rack.  

Slice and ENJOY!

Have you ever had a foodborne illness outbreak at your facility? Most will answer NO!  But how do you really know?

The CDC estimates that 48 million people will be ill from a foodborne illness each year.  That is one in six Americans.

THE STATS

In 2013 there were a total of 818 outbreaks resulting in 13,360 illnesses.  Identified outbreaks a small percentage of total estimated cases of 48 million.   Of the total 818 outbreaks 433 of all outbreaks were a restaurant.  351 were from sit down dining locations as opposed to fast food.  The remainder of outbreaks occurred in the private home, catering /banquet facilities, institutions, nursing homes / hospital, churches, or other commercial locations.

Why are there so many outbreaks / illnesses that go unreported?  Part of the problem is many people do not equate having diarrhea or vomiting with having a foodborne illness.  I hear people all the time stating it is a bug going around or something they ate didn’t agree with them.  Many just don’t want to go through the trouble of contacting the local health department.  There are many more reported foodborne illness cases reported that do not become an outbreak statistic.  Maybe so far you have been lucky.  Reminder, it only takes 2 individuals with the same illness from the same time span and you find yourself part of an outbreak investigation!

THE COST

According to the CDC, the cost of foodborne illness is estimated at $365 million in direct medical costs.  Costs that you will be expected to pay if found liable!  The loss of your reputation can often be attributed to suspected foodborne illness. It can also affect your bottom line as well in the form of increased insurance premiums, loss of sales and legal fees defending yourself in a court of law.

Executives like Eric and Ryan Jensen of Jensen Farms have been charged criminally liable for the outbreak associated with listeria tainted product.  In 2013 they entered a plea deal and in 2014 they began a six month home confinement sentence.  CEO, Stewart Parnell of Peanut Corporation of America is now serving a 28 year sentence for liability related to Salmonella tainted peanuts.  Brother Michael Parnell is serving 20 years and the plants quality assurance manager, Mary Wilkerson is serving 5 years.

The department of justice is currently looking at charges against Blue Bell Ice Cream for listeria tainted ice cream and Chipotle for recent  E.Coli and Norovirus outbreaks

These examples demonstrate the FDAs warnings that they will enforce criminal penalties.  If you are a person in charge, you must create a food safe culture in your organization and put policies and procedures in place to make sure staff are following the rules.

PREVENTION

Regardless if you are a single location restaurant or part of a larger corporate entity you should have a good Food Safety Management system in place.

Corporations spend thousands and have binders filled with policies and procedures.  But that should not intimidate that small business owner.  They should also have plans in place to create a consistent and food safe culture.

FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A Personal Hygiene Program is paramount!  Having good personal hygiene is the best prevention against the number one single pathogen that causes foodborne illness, Norovirus.

A Food Safety Training Program is also critical.  Most likely someone in your facility has been properly trained in food safety.  But training should not stop there. Everyone in the facility, food handlers and non-foodhandlers need to understand how to protect the food and the customer.  Ongoing in house training is essential.

SOP’s should be written clearly.  They should not be a boiler plate of rules and regulations.  They should be the procedures you follow in your facility. Included in SOP’s would be supplier selection, proper cleaning and sanitizing, cross contamination prevention, employee health and hygiene and employee illness reporting.

HACCP Plans should be maintained and up to date.  It is advised to have your plan reviewed at least every 5 years. It is mandatory in Maryland that your plan accurately reflect your current menu and should be updated as menu items change.

Allergen Prevention is certainly an area that should not be ignored.  It is not advisable to rely on kitchen staff to know if a food contains an allergen.  I can help you set up an easy system that will take the stress off of the staff when a customer mentions they have an allergy.

Pest Control should be under the guidance of an authorized pest control operator.  A good PCO will assist you in the analysis of your facility and areas that need improvement.

Of course, each facility is going to have its own individual needs and plans need to be in place to address those needs.

SMF Training & Consulting can assist your organization in developing a comprehensive food safety management system.  Sue Farace, CP-FS can be reached at 410-382-4325 or by email at Sue@SueFarace.com

I grew up in Maryland and spent my youthful summers at my Grandparents house on Tilghman Island, MD. Much of my day was filled with fishing and crabbing. From a young age I learned early how to properly prepare some of the bays finest of offerings, including the soft shell crabs or as we call them soft crabs.

Hard crabs molt and slough the hard shell off. The process  is called shedding. For a very short period of time the crabs have a soft exoskeleton and for those precious few days we have a soft crab.

This is the biggest soft crab I have ever seen, purchased from Vince's Crab House in Middle River, MD!

Unless you are lucky enough to catch a “doubler” and then wait for the female to shed or wade through the shallow marshes of the bay scooping gingerly for the recently shed softies, you will have to resort to buying from your favorite seafood shop. When selecting your soft crab it’s best if they are still alive. You can get them frozen but to me it is just not the same. The best way to select your crab is to touch it. When you gently press on the shell of the crab it should not buckle or feel like paper. If it does it is going to be tough to eat. The large pincher claws should not be able to move although the smaller legs may be able to move the ends. Late spring is when the fresh soft crabs start to arrive in Maryland and continue until late in the season.

When I heard Vince’s Crab House had a monster like this one I had to have it!! It is true that many feel the smaller ones are more tender but I believe that it is all in how you cook them and how newly shed they are.

Now that I have my soft crabs at home I want to show you how to clean them. Of course, you could just ask the friendly staff  to clean them for you at no additional charge. The process is relatively easy but a little messy, so put some paper under your cutting board to do them over the container they came in.  The first step is to cut back about 1/2” from the face of the crab with kitchen shears. Be sure that you removed the entire mouth. Next turn crab over and cut off the apron. Turn back over with shell facing up and fold back the points. You want to remove the lungs or as Marylander’s call them the “devils” or “devils fingers”. That is it; you are done cleaning your soft crab.

Time to cook them. I remove excess moisture by patting with a clean paper towel.
Next I dredge in a mix of flour, cornmeal and Maryland’s own Old Bay Seasoning. You don’t need to mix up a lot and only want a light coating. For 3 crabs I would use about 1/3 cup flour, ¼ cup cornmeal and 1 ½ t Old Bay. Using a heavy skillet melt about 2 – 3 T butter. Do not use oil. Do not use margarine. Please for all that my Grandmother taught me, use butter!

Your dredged crabs should have a very light coating of mix.

UPDATE:  09/12/17

SMF Training now offers a free employee illness training for your use.  The training takes approximately 10 minutes and briefly explains what foodborne illness is, the causes, symptoms, why it is important to report illness to management, prevention, proper glove use and hand-washing, reportable symptoms and explanation of the form.   Link for the training can be found on our website MarylandFoodHandler.com

________________________

Do you have a sick worker policy?

Many restaurants do not have a policy that complies with the FDA recommendations. The majority of foodbourne illness comes from the transfer of feces to food due to poor personal hygiene. Feces of ill workers are a serious and high level risk in your facility.

According to a study performed by Environmental Health Services ¹ Almost 70% of managers could remember a time they had worked when sick and one in ten said they had symptoms of foodbourne illness.

Prevention:

• Educate managers and staff about when to restrict employees from working with or around food and when to exclude the employee. If you need assistance on this topic please contact me, I would be happy to answer any questions.
• Teach proper handwashing techniques.
• Avoid bare hand contact with food.
• Teach proper glove use.

Training & Education:

Create an environment where your employees feel comfortable reporting illness. An employee should never be reminded of lost wages, job security or made to feel guilty about under-staffing.  A valued and responsible employee will not abuse the illness rules just to get out of work.

Proper training and education of what illness must be reported is paramount in protecting your facility from a possible outbreak caused from employee illness.

We have put together a free poster for you to print and  display.  The poster describes what illnesses need to be reported.  The link for the poster is here.

In addition to the poster we have linked the FDA recommended Employee Illness forms that should be maintained in the employee file. Form 1-A Conditional Employee or Food Employee interview. Provide this form to employee AFTER job has been offered. You can not ask potential employees to complete this form. Also have employee read and sign form 1B Conditional employee or food employee agreement. This states that the employee will report illness to you and is evidence that you have informed employee of their obligation.

The FDA forms can be found here

Be food safe my friends!

Sue Farace, CP-FS

I hope you found the information in the previous 2 segments useful.  We will now take that information and help you create a plan that will provide a seamless and less stressful order process for your customer and allow your staff to provide honest answers that are accurate.

STEP  1: Identify the staff members to serve as your go-to-people and one person to serve as the Allergen Manager. You should have one go-to-person available for every shift.

STEP 2: The Allergen Manager should identify all foods in facility that contain common food allergens. This includes;

• checking labels of pre-made items like frozen items,
• check labels of all commercially processed foods like powdered creamers or drink mixes,
• review all recipes or meet with Chef to go over each menu item.

STEP 3: The Allergen Manager should meet with Chef and walk through procedures for the preparation of each item. Begin identifying items that may be cross contaminated through;

• Deep fryers,
• breading or batter,
• steamers,
• close contact with air borne particles. (pizza dough maker for instance could also be a problem for gluten)

STEP 4: Create Spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet listing menu items on the left and 8 allergens across the top. Now in each box put an X if that menu item contains or potentially contains the allergen. Use this chart when assisting customers.

STEP 5: Train ALL staff, including go-to-people, waitstaff & kitchen staff.

Review all preventions we discussed in part 2 of this article

All staff should be familiar with the following;

• Proper procedures to clean and sanitize equipment, utensils and other food contact surfaces using new wash water and sanitizer,
• How to prepare an allergen kit. Use a different colored cutting board and tools,
• How to avoid cross contamination of products during storage by following good food safety procedures
• Understand the importance of following all recipes exactly and not making any deviations without prior permission.
• Chef must understand the importance of notifying Allergen Manager about changes to the menu, procedures or new sub-ingredients.
• Waitstaff must understand they need to utilize the go-to-person on duty when someone mentions an allergen.

Although this may take some time and  effort to properly implement, it will create a better experience for the customer and help avoid potential law suits. If you need assistance creating your plan we are here to help.

Contact Sue at 410-382-4325 for a free consultation. 

What should a restaurant do to prevent problems?

As with every part of your food safety management system, prevention is the best method. Informing employees of potential problems starts the conversation of prevention. Many jurisdictions require an allergen poster to be posted in an area that employees can readily see. Here is a link for a poster you can download: http://marylandfoodhandler.com/pdf/foodallergposter140206.pdf although this does not replace an Allergen Safety Plan (ASP) it provides valuable information to staff.

Processes and procedures vary from establishment to establishment  and the plan your facility creates could be vastly different from another facility. Please note we are not discussing manufacturing and labeling requirements here. These are recommendations for restaurants that provide on-demand food service.

Have a go-to-person

Having a go-to-person or special menu is an essential part of your ASP. A go-to-person would be someone that has been trained in processes and procedures of the kitchen, familiar with the 8 common food allergens (see previous post), can demonstrate knowledge about allergens, and has time to discuss safe options with the customer. As an alternative many larger restaurant chains have opted to create a menu designed specifically for someone with allergens. However, this takes a lot of resources and may limit chefs from making seasonal changes to the menu. Most small to medium restaurants opt for a go-to-person.

The go-to-person and Chef need to have a good working relationship. When the Chef changes any process or procedures they must notify the go-to-person of these changes so they can discuss whether it affects any menu items. In addition to processes and procedures, the go-to-person must check all ingredient labels and all the sub-ingredients used in a dish. It is easy to identify common allergens on labels. The eight common food allergens must be listed separately under the ingredients with a clear “contains: “ statement.  Not all foods are what your think they are. Did you know there are milk proteins in many hot dogs and soy in most prebreaded items?

Cross contamination is also very important to understand. In food safety we think of cross contamination as the act of pathogens being transferred from one surface to another. However, when creating your ASP you have to look a little deeper. For instance, it is perfectly acceptable to use one deep fryers for all products. There are no food safety concerns. Remember though with allergens it is the protein that causes the negative reaction and proteins can survive in cooking oil temperatures. So, by simply cooking fried shrimp in the same deep fryer that you cook french fries in those fries could cause a reaction in someone allergic to crustacean shellfish, even if they are not cooked at the same time. Does this mean that you can’t cook french fries and shrimp in the same grease? No. It just means that the go-to-person must be aware that this is the procedure. The same result could also occur if using the same egg wash, breading or batter for fish and crustacean shellfish. These are two different allergens.

Cross contamination could also occur during storage. General food safety procedures require that all products should be stored separately and different utensils should be used for each ingredient. This is very important when working with the eight common food allergens. The go-to-person should make observations of the kitchen staff on a regular basis to make sure they are following proper procedures.

When an order is placed by the customer, with the assistance of the go-to-person, the order should be flagged that it is for someone with an allergy and what food they are allergic to. This alerts the kitchen staff that they need to go into allergy mode. Gloves should be removed and hands must be washed. All surfaces that the order will come in contact with must also be cleaned and sanitized before proceeding. This includes equipment as well. It may not be reasonable to clean certain equipment in the middle of a rush, a flat top for example. So this is something also that needs to be addressed with the go-to-person in advance. Okay, so the order is in the kitchen and all surfaces are cleaned and sanitized, however, wouldn’t it add a extra layer of protection to have an allergy kit. In this kit could be a knife, cutting board, utensils, etc…anything necessary to prepare an order. This equipment must be properly cleaned and sanitized in advance and stored in a separate tote allowing kitchen staff to create the order with minimal interruption.

Now that the order is complete it is recommended that the go-to-person carry allergen order to table to avoid any cross contamination with other dishes carried by server. Remember, never use a multi use wiping cloth to clean sides of plates, use a single use towel for each dish. Also, train staff to never thumb plates when serving.

In the next segment we will provide you with a check list to assist you in the creation of your ASP.

Do you have an allergen safety program?

If not your are putting your consumers and your business at risk.  In this three part series we will discuss what allergens are, what restaurants  are required to do and what good practices should be followed by all staff members and help you create an allergen safety plan for your facility.

During my food safety training classes we discuss the topic of allergens. Often I hear stories from food handlers who just didn’t believe the customer was really allergic to the food.  They believed that the customer was just saying they were allergic to get special foods prepared for them. This is a BAD and DANGEROUS attitude to have in the culinary world. Food handlers need to take every order presented to them as if the customer has the most serious off allergies. 

What is a food allergy?

An allergic reaction occurs when your bodies immune system negatively reacts to the proteins in certain foods. A  food allergy can be very dangerous. There are also some individuals that also have food sensitivity or food intolerance. Although they can be disruptive and cause mild symptoms they are not nearly as dangerous. 

A typical allergic reaction can cause symptoms ranging from upset stomach and mild rash to swelling, difficulty breathing and in some cases possibly death. Restaurant staff need to take customers seriously when they state they have an allergy and know what to do to protect the customer.

The FDA identified 8 foods that cause 90% of reactions in humans, they are as follows:

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Fish
• Crustacean Shellfish including crab, shrimp & lobster ¹
• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts 2

When someone enters your restaurant and states they are allergic to an ingredient on the list of eight the staff should be trained to get the go-to-person.  But what happens when someone states they are allergic to something not on the list of eight? Be honest! Now is not time for guessing. Unless you have access to all the ingredients and ingredient labels in all the sub-ingredients used to make the product, know all the processes and procedures for that product  you must state that you just don’t know and offer another option.

What about the chefs secret and very special sauce and the chef is off today? There are no secrets when it comes to food allergies. You don’t need to disclose the entire ingredient list but at minimum allergens must be disclosed to “go-to-person”.

Understanding what causes the allergic reaction is just the start. Your facility should have a plan in place for how to handle allergens. Imagine your busiest time and staff is maxed out and moving at a speed most people don’t even understand. Now a question is thrown at the cook about a particular dish. Is he/she really able to process the question and give a safe answer? NO. In the reverse can the average waitstaff handle questions? Are they knowledgeable about ingredients used in sauces, marinades or binders? NO. Having a plan already in place should be a priority for every facility. In tomorrows installment of this series we will discuss what a restaurant is required to do, explain the go-to-persons responsibilities and understand cross contamination that could occur.

If you have any questions about this topic please feel free to ask question on our facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com/MarylandFoodHandler

1 – this does NOT include Molluscan Shellfish like oysters, clams and scallops

2 – Common or usual name of treenuts; Almond, Beech nut,Brazil nut, Butternut, Cashew, Chestnut, Chinquapin, Coconut, Filbert/hazelnut , Ginko nut, Hickory nut, Lichee nut, Macadamia nut/Bush nut, Pecan, Pine nut/Pinon nut, Pistachio and Walnut ( English, Persian, Black, Japanese, California), Heartnut Butternut 

Most if not all major restaurant chains participate in third party inspections on a regular basis.  Why?  Accountability of staff and desire to strive to be the best.

The owner or stockholder must stay informed if they are going to protect their investment.  Costly mistakes in the kitchen can include loss of product or worse a facility outbreak.  A third party inspection provides the owner with a view of how the food handlers are complying with the food safety system in place.  They understand the need for continual improvement and how that translates positively on the bottom line.

I often hear complaints from independent restaurant owners about how hard it is to compete with the big chains and franchises.  I completely understand.  Chains have an advantage.  They have programs in place that provide for a consistent product, on going food safety training, regular maintenance and more.  This allows them a competitive edge.  Lets face it.  Consumers like consistency.

An independent business owner with one or two locations can now compete with the big boys.  It is difficult with all of the other responsibilities of ownership to watch over the kitchen and keep up with new trends in food safety and current regulations.  A third party inspection can arm the owner with the same information as a big chain and give you a competitive edge.    We can inspect your facility, provide a detailed scored report and an action plan for correcting violations and make recommendations to help your facility operate at top compliance.   The best news is we can do this for a very affordable price.  Our first inspection is $195 and provides a complete report.  Depending on the size of your facility and frequency of inspection we will provide you with a quote for future inspections.  There is no obligation beyond the first inspection.

We are confident that as a business owner you will find value in the inspection.  You can contact Susan Farace, CP-FS directly at 410-382-4325 or call the office at 410-687-1015.

Susan Farace, CP-FS is certified as a Certified Professional of Food Safety by the National Environmental Health Association and a Certified Food Safety Trainer by NEHA and ServSafe.