Ensuring restaurant-goers do not encounter unsafe food is a top concern for restaurateurs. Though every day hundreds of millions of people in the United States buy and eat an incredible range of safe food products, implementing proper food-safety procedures and techniques continues to be a vital task for a restaurant's staff.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 76 million people suffer from food-borne illnesses each year in the United States, accounting for 325,000 hospitalizations and more than 5,000 deaths. Therefore, it is imperative that foodservice operators understand the causes of food-borne illnesses and are fully equipped with solutions that prevent such illnesses from happening.

Causes of Food-borne Illnesses Back to top

To prevent food-borne illnesses, it's important to first consider the contributing factors. The International Food Safety Council identifies the leading cause of food-borne illness as improper holding temperatures, accounting for 30 percent of food-borne illness cases. Food can become contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and naturally occurring toxins. Norovirus affects more people than all of the other contaminants combined. Some of the most commonly recognized food-borne infections are those caused by the bacteria campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, which are also referred to as food-borne pathogens.

"Food-borne pathogens are basically germs that cause disease or illness to its host and cause the greatest threat to the safety of food," says Bobbie Randall, MEd, RD, LD, ServSafe® instructor. "Restaurants must properly manage issues like employee turnover rates, cross-contamination and food handling as key measures to prevent food-borne illnesses."

With employee turnover common in the foodservice industry, it is critical that restaurants ensure the highest standards of food-safety training for their staff. Randall explains that some of the most common food-borne pathogens, such as E. coli or salmonella, can come from any number of sources along a chain of growing, harvesting, processing, packaging and selling. Additionally, harmful bacteria can be transferred from one food to another food by using the same knife, cutting board or other utensil to prepare foods without washing, rinsing and sanitizing the surface or utensil in between uses. Even a food that is fully cooked can become recontaminated if it touches raw foods or drippings from raw foods that contain pathogens.

"The severity of food-borne illnesses can range from minor nuisances such as fever and abdominal cramps to more severe symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, to fatal situations, especially if left untreated," Randall says.

There are three kinds of hazards restaurateurs and employees should be aware of:

• Biological hazards, which consist of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Plant and seafood toxins are also considered to be biological hazards.
• Chemical hazards, which are toxic chemicals and metals that result in a food-borne illness. For example, using galvanized containers could result in zinc poisoning, or lead leaching from plumbing can result in lead poisoning.
• Physical hazards, which occur when a customer's dish includes contaminants such as glass, metal shavings, hair, nail polish, bandages, cigarette butts or tainted food.

Another vulnerability restaurants can be susceptible to is the food allergens of their customers. Many times, a customer's food allergy and the resulting severity of the allergy are not communicated to the kitchen staff. Allergies can be so severe that if the fare even touches a food that the consumer is allergic to, a reaction can occur. The top food allergens include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and tofu, peanuts and tree nuts such as pecans and walnuts. Health issues from such allergic reactions can be very sudden and severe. Symptoms include hives, coughing, swelling of tongue and throat, and even loss of consciousness.

Preventing Food-borne Illnesses Back to top

Given the many ways food-borne illnesses can occur, it is important for restaurants to put in place strategies to help prevent this scenario from happening. One simple measure, Randall explains, is to ensure employees wash their hands.

"Just as you wouldn't want a surgeon to skip proper sanitation practices before going into surgery, foodservice professionals can't skip sanitizing their hands before and after working with food," says Randall. "Staff should always wash their hands using soap and running water that is 100 degrees Fahrenheit while rubbing hands vigorously while paying special attention to the backs of the hands, wrists, between the fingers, under the fingernails and both thumbs to ensure bacteria can't hide anywhere. Then immediately cover washed hands with clean gloves to prevent recontamination."

In addition, proper cooking can kill most kinds of harmful bacteria. Heating food to an internal temperature above 165 degrees Fahrenheit for even a few seconds is sufficient enough to stunt the growth of parasites, viruses or bacteria. Moreover, refrigerating food properly and promptly prevents bacteria from multiplying and preserves them in a state of suspended animation.

Other strategies restaurants can implement to enhance protection include investing in equipment that specializes in food safety. For example, Traulsen undercounter refrigerators and freezers feature advanced temperature maintenance systems to keep food cold without taking up valuable space. Additionally, Traulsen blast chillers can quickly and safely take food through the temperature Danger Zone (135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit). Hobart warewashers can help ensure dishes are cleaned and sanitized properly. Finally, ensuring the wait staff communicates any food allergies customers have will help prevent allergic reactions from happening.

As a restaurateur, it is imperative to stress the importance of food safety and prevent food-borne illnesses by educating employees in prevention procedures. For more information on food safety, visit ServSafe as well as the National Restaurant Association.