To Ensure Food Safety, Train and Train Again

Whether the issue is cleaning sharp, crevice-filled equipment or preparing ready-to-eat foods, the biggest piece in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks is staff training.

This best practice needs to happen on the store level and under the guidance of well-trained managers, asserts Julie Heinrichs, product line manager for food machines at Troy, Ohio-based Hobart.

Often with bigger chain operators, equipment manufacturers will provide on-site training, as well as training videos or YouTube links. Safety reminders posted near the equipment are also helpful, as are cleaning schedules, checklists and visual instructions for disassembly.

“We recommend as many layers of training as possible to minimize any risk of injury,” stresses Heinrichs.

The final layer of training is consumer education, which Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute offers through its work with the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) to ensure that consumers employ best food safety practices once they bring home their groceries.