For more than 20 years, September has been recognized as National Food Safety Month – a time for all of us to focus on building a culture of food safety.
As a restaurant owner or operator, you know a strong food safety program is critical to the success of your restaurant(s). And your commitment to food safety sets the foundation for your restaurant’s culture and demonstrates to your employees, as well as your guests, that food safety is a priority. This makes it vital for restaurant owners and operators to dedicate the time that is required to build and maintain a strong culture that promotes food safety, including the development of an active food safety program.
According to the National Restaurant Association, studies have shown that food safety training programs can lead to a substantial reduction in the likelihood of a foodborne-illness outbreak1. For example, an employee who is properly trained in food safety is less likely to engage in harmful activities, like not practicing good hand hygiene at key moments. In addition, employees become advocates for food safety protocols – ensuring that proper measures including hand hygiene and temperature control are in place and being practiced.
A food safety training program impacts the overall health of your restaurant – your employees, guests and ultimately your bottom line. A comprehensive program, which includes initial and recurrent training, is a must. This month, take the time to take a closer look at your current food safety program. Identify areas in which your employees are excelling, as well as those that present opportunity for improvement. By taking this step, you are only making your food safety culture stronger.