Behind the Line

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 […]

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

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

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

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

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

Allergens: Part 3 of 3 Creating an Allergy Safety Plan 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

Part 2  of 3 Allergens: Prevention 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

Part 1 of a 3 part series 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

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