QSR June 2023

SmartChain Food Safety

are rethinking ways to optimize their labor resources. This includes looking for new products and solutions that are sim ple, easy to use, and require minimal training to implement,” says Esperanza Carrion, vice president and general man ager of Sani Professional . “There is increas ing preference for the use of disposables over reusables, from utensils to condi ments to cleaning products. More and more, operators are looking for disposable cleaning alternatives to the reusable rag and bucket to better prevent cross-con tamination of surfaces.” Equipment that automates certain food safety procedures can also save time when a restaurant is short-staffed. It can enhance food safety outcomes, as the potential for human error is reduced. “One example is machine warewashing,” Fouts says. “We use dishwashers in our homes every day, and operators are now bring ing this technology into the restaurant. Automated processes such as warewash ing require less training, shorten labor time, and enhance sanitation compliance, leading to safer food.” Keeping things as clear and straight forward as possible is key when it comes to food safety. That’s especially true in terms of protocols—it’s essential to ensure staff can actually learn and apply them, even with regular turnover. “The more complicated it is to sanitize and disinfect, for example, the higher the risk that it won’t be done to the level that it needs to be,” says Sandy Posa, CEO of Force of Nature . Restaurant operators are providing regular training to keep protocols top of-mind among employees and to update them on new procedures and best prac tices. Most food safety depends on the actions of food handlers, after all, and reinforcement of key concepts is criti cal. “Proper and consistent education is key, and explaining the ‘why’ behind food safety will help food handlers and employees understand the importance of following every food safety step and pro cedure,” says Chris Boyles, vice president of food safety at Steritech . Boyles recommends writing effective corrective and preventive action plans. These plans should address the root cause

the common mistakes come from lack luster monitoring, processes, and train ing,” says Kylie Uvodich, general manager, Americas at SafetyCulture. “The good news is that technology is ever-evolving and can standardize many of these incon sistent processes.” Operators and managers must culti vate a culture where food safety is prior itized. “Consistent and quality manage ment will firmly reinforce hygienic prac tices and create a proactive culture that guides everyone to make the right deci sions when it comes to the safety of food, operators, and customers,” says Danté Parisi, marketing at Tronex . “This includes proper product handling practices, sani tation stations in both the front and back of house, and optimizing communica tion channels between both the team as well as the consumers in optimum health safety practices.” That means investing time and money into a food safety program, and ensur ing that all levels of management under stand what’s at stake. “The costs of a solid food safety program are incremental because the basic practices are no differ ent from the rest of the business,” Boyles says. “Management—all the way up through senior management—should be fluent in the vocabulary, processes, and risks of food safety so that they can direct resources, drive improvement, and hold people accountable, just as they do for the rest of the business.” Senior leadership may not need to be certified in food safety, Boyles says, but they should be familiar with the topic. They may find it helpful to take a course. And brands must ask themselves if they have a food safety policy state ment—a written commitment to food safety that guides decisions. According to Boyles, when it comes to food safety as much as any other initiative, the actions of senior leadership speak volumes. “Do senior leaders approve food safety initia tives with measurable goals, then hold the business accountable for achieving them? Do they talk about food safety as often as they talk about financials and growth? What they say and do sends a strong mes sage to the rest of the business.” SC

GOJO

GOJO SANI PROFESSIONAL

Sani Professional

“ Proper and consistent education is key.”

of any issue, diving deeper to discover why it occurred—and how to prevent sim ilar mishaps in the future. “Many peo ple require managers to write a response, but they typically write something like ‘Cleaned it’ or ‘Discarded it,’” Boyles says. “That might be the corrective action, but it does nothing to prevent the issue from happening again. Managers need to go into more detail, explaining the ‘why’ behind each food safety action in order to gain the most benefit from each action.” “While the pandemic shone a light on some mistakes that would not be accept able in today’s world (like restaurant workers coming in with a cold), most of

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JUNE 2023 | SPONSORED SECTION