It's Well into September Already?! Are You Celebrating National Food Safety Month Too?

For more than 20 years, September has been recognized as National Food Safety Month – a time for all of us to focus on building a culture of food safety.

As a restaurant owner or operator, you know that a strong food safety program is critical to the success of your restaurant(s). And your commitment to food safety sets the foundation for your restaurant’s culture and demonstrates to your employees, as well as your guests, that food safety is a priority. This makes it vital for restaurant owners and operators to dedicate the time that's required to build and maintain a strong culture that promotes food safety, including the development of an active food safety program.

According to the National Restaurant Association, studies have shown that food safety training programs can lead to a substantial reduction in the likelihood of a foodborne-illness outbreak.[1] For example, an employee who is properly trained in food safety is less likely to engage in harmful activities, like not practicing good hand hygiene at key moments. In addition, employees become advocates for food safety protocols – ensuring that proper measures including hand hygiene and temperature control are in place and being practiced.

A food safety training program impacts the overall health of your restaurant – your employees, guests and ultimately your bottom line. A comprehensive program, which includes initial and recurrent training, is a must. This month, we hope you're taking the time to have a closer look at your current food safety program. Identify the areas where your employees are excelling, as well as those that present an opportunity for improvement. By taking this step, you're well on your way to making your food safety culture stronger.

[1] National Restaurant Association. The Safe Path to Success: How a Food Safety Training Program for Employees and Manager Is a Critical Component for Restaurant and Foodservice Operations. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.servsafe.com/ServSafe/media/ServSafe/Documents/NRA-The-Safe-Path-to-Success-(1).pdf