Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses in Your Restaurant

Your reputation as a restaurateur is as important as the food you serve each day.  Preventing problems before they start in the kitchen is imperative to keep your restaurant and your reputation intact.  Food-borne illness prevention is one of the main issues that restaurants face each day.  We would like to offer these tips:

• Inspect your restaurant regularly. Look at it through a food inspector’s eyes.  Give the whole place the “white glove” treatment.  If you see anything that needs cleaning or sanitizing, take care of it immediately.
• Make sure all employees are washing their hands after every bathroom trip AND between touching different foods to prevent cross contamination.
• Speaking of the bathroom, make sure it is cleaned regularly. Have signs posted stating the last time the bathroom was cleaned.
• If your restaurant has a self-serve food bar, be sure the food temperatures are correct. Hot foods stay hot, cold foods stay cold.  Have plenty of plates and silverware available so patrons do not reuse old ones.  Assign the task of tending to the food bar to a trustworthy employee.
• Make sure the staff is following all the rules you have set forth regarding food safety. Make sure they are dressed properly to handle foods.  If anyone is sick or has uncovered cuts or sores, have them stay away from food until they are well.
• Store foods properly and always keep a clean kitchen. A good rule to follow in regards to food safety is “When in doubt, throw it out.”  You are better off not taking any chances.

Of course, having a good restaurant insurance policy will help if anything were to go wrong in your restaurant.  We can provide you with that.  However, preventing problems like food-borne illnesses before they start is something we should all strive for in the business.