QSR June 2023

SmartChain Food Safety

Keys to a Strong Brand Reputation Consumers now expect food safety practices to be visible.

Sani Professional

compared to times before the pandemic, when consumers often assumed that see ing employees cleaning meant something must have gone wrong. “In today’s world, highly visible sanitation practices are obligatory,” says Chris Boyles, vice presi dent of food safety at Steritech . “Customers are watching for cleaning and sanitiz ing, careful handling of food and utensils, and no signs that employees are working while ill. If they don’t see sanitation hap “ The pandemic made people much more germ-aware in general.” pening, they might assume the worst.” “When a customer walks into a location or goes through the drive thru and sees everything is clean, they automatically infer that the store maintains a high level of food safety. Conversely, the opposite is true,” says Isaac Fouts, lead chemist at Ecolab . “And once a customer has a nega tive experience, it’s hard to get them back.” Guests expect a clean environment to enhance their dining experience, whether they eat in the dining room or off-prem ises. They want to see cleaning tak ing place throughout the restaurant, and they want to see evidence that the brand is thoughtful and proactive about clean ing and sanitation. “Operators are taking the extra step by transitioning from tradi tional cleaning methods, such as a rag and bucket, to an enhanced cleaning and dis infection practice utilizing effective, cost efficient, and easy-to-use products that enable their staff to maintain a clean envi ronment,” says Esperanza Carrion, vice

SANI PROFESSIONAL

I n the wake of COVID-19 and the rip ple effect it sent across the supply chain, restaurant operators now face a new test: ensuring food safety in a world that changed seemingly overnight. “Restaurant operators must now be con scientiously maintaining hygienic prac tices and demonstrating excellent sani tation habits to stay a trusted brand in the industry,” says Poyee Tai, executive vice president of Tronex . “Not only those within the food industry, but its consum ers too, now have a broadened knowledge of cross-contamination and virus preven tion.” To maintain a strong brand reputa tion and ensure safe food experiences for

their customers, operators are commu nicating their food safety practices more openly and taking steps to guarantee best practices are consistently followed. “The pandemic made people much more germ-aware in general, so they’re attuned to what’s being sanitized and how,” says Sandy Posa, CEO of Force of Nature . “Customers want to feel confident that their space is being sanitized and dis infected, and with products that won’t cause any side effects.” Visibility and transparency in clean ing and sanitizing practices are more important than ever before. This repre sents a complete reversal in best practice

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JUNE 2023 | SPONSORED SECTION