QSR June 2023

SmartChain Food Safety

president and general manager of Sani Professional . “Takeout service provid ers are also driving an improved experi ence using contactless delivery. Tamper resistant containers and sealed delivery bags are visual cues to promote safety.” Operators are showcasing food safety and sanitation practices to accommodate the shift in consumer mindset and help ensure their customers’ peace of mind— including, Carrion says, “changing gloves between preparing each order, having hand sanitizing product readily available at highly frequented areas, utilizing dis posable sanitizing wipes in front of the customer, and increasing the frequency of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting throughout the day.” “Consumers want to see that an estab lishment takes food safety seriously by seeing examples of food safety in the res taurant,” says Chip Manuel, Ph.D., food

safety science advisor at GOJO . “They want to see things like quality hand sanitizer being made available, employees wash ing hands, and employees properly sani tizing tables.” Consumers are also getting savvier about various types of cleaning and sani tizing products used in restaruants. Many are now expressing concerns about the health impact of common disinfectants now that businesses seem to use them more and more frequently. Posa suggests that operators commu nicate with their customers about the “ Consumers want to see that an establishment takes food safety seriously.”

food safety processes the brand follows as well as the types of products it uses. “One way to ensure that customers know that they’re safe is to use an EPA-registered disinfectant that doesn’t contain any bleach, quats, or other harmful chemicals,” Posa says. “This can mean menu, website, or poster signage in the restaurant itself.” Tai recommends adding hand-wash ing sheets in the restroom, positioning PPE requirement signs to be visible from the back of house to the front, and plac ing easily visible allergen warnings on the menu for guests. These actions communi cate to customers that they can feel con fident and safe eating food prepared in a specific restaurant. Strategically placed visual signage is an effective way to increase customer awareness of a brand’s high regard for cleanliness and food safety. “Reminders for everyone—not just employees—to wash their hands, as well as cleaning logs and protocols, will reassure consumers that cleaning and sanitizing are top of mind inside the establishment,” Boyles says. Of course, even with the right mes saging, a brand’s reputation can fall apart quickly if a single food safety incident occurs at any location. “We’ve seen foodborne illnesses like Listeria and Salmonella continue to domi nate the news (ice cream, deli meat, even oyster recalls),” Carrion says. “In addi tion to killing 3,000 Americans each year, foodborne illnesses can wreak havoc on businesses and can result in costs running into the millions.” Preventing cross-contamination that may cause foodborne illnesses remains a major challenge. “Factors that can contrib ute to cross-contamination include poor employee health and personal hygiene, using contaminated equipment, and in today’s environment, failing to adequately protect against public health outbreaks, such as COVID-19,” says Carrion. “The good news is that these are all preventable with products that are effective against a variety of pathogens, proper staff educa tion and training, consistent implementa tion of protocols, and regular monitoring.” Setting up a rigorous food safety pro gram is essential—even and especially if a

GOJO

GOJO / ROSIE HILEMAN

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JUNE 2023 | SPONSORED SECTION