Food safety and reducing the risk of foodborne illness is top of mind for many of us. As consumers, we assume we will not become ill when dining out with our family and friends at a restaurant. As restaurant owners, operators or managers, we believe our restaurant could never fall victim to an outbreak, and as restaurant employees, we are confident we follow safe food handling practices.
While we all believe we are taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of foodborne illness, one striking fact remains – foodborne illness still occurs way too often! In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that contaminated food caused 47.8 million illnesses a year in the United States.1 The CDC also reported that of these foodborne illness outbreaks, 60% of them happen in restaurants.2 And according to the National Restaurant Association, a foodborne illness outbreak can be costly. One outbreak can cause an increase in negative media exposure, lawsuits and legal fees, insurance premiums, plus staff missing work and the possibility of having to retrain them.1 In addition, your sales, reputation and staff morale all go down.1
Now, more than ever, is the time for all food service establishments to re-evaluate their current food safety practices to ensure they are doing enough to mitigate the risk of foodborne illness, which can impact not only a restaurant’s bottom line, but reputation as well.
With this in mind, GOJO scientists developed a bulletin that takes a closer look at food safety in the food service industry. It examines the current state of the industry, the most common foodborne illnesses and the components of a strong food safety program, which includes good hand hygiene practices.
You can download the complete bulletin here.