I Have to Tell You, This Isn’t The 24-Hour Flu

 I Have to Tell You, This Isn’t The 24-Hour Flu

Every day, local health departments field calls from customers complaining about having the “24-Hour Flu” or “The Stomach Flu.” In truth, the cause of most of these cases is Norovirus. The person calling generally blames the last food they ate for making them sick. It usually isn’t the last meal eaten that made them sick, rather it is something they had within the past few days. The average incubation, or the time it takes for symptoms to manifest, is generally 24-72 hours.

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Debunking the Most Common Food Safety Myths

Debunking the Most Common Food Safety Myths

While we know that having food safety processes and practices in place are critical to the success of any foodservice operation, there are several myths that exist around food safety. From cleaning, to proper temperatures, to how foodborne illnesses spread, it is important for restaurant owners and operators to have the right information to help ensure their food safety program is the strongest it can be.

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How Can You Prevent the Spread of Hepatitis A?

How Can You Prevent the Spread of Hepatitis A?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection that is usually transmitted either through person-to-person contact or through consumption of contaminated food or water[1]. It is usually transmitted when an infected person has not properly washed his or her hands after using the restroom or before preparing and eating food.

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Finding the Right QA Professional for Your Restaurant

Finding the Right QA Professional for Your Restaurant

A quality assurance professional is a critical asset to a successful foodservice operation. This individual is responsible for ensuring established food safety processes and procedures are being followed and that quality requirements are being met. This means that you want a person with both experience and knowledge of FDA Food Code and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in this role.

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What Should be Included in Your Restaurant’s Body Fluid Clean-Up Policy?

A quality assurance professional is a critical asset to a successful foodservice operation. This individual is responsible for ensuring established food safety processes and procedures are being followed and that quality requirements are being met. This means that you want a person with both experience and knowledge of FDA Food Code and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in this role.

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Sharing Our Perspective: Top Blog Posts from April – June 2017

We designed FoodSafeTruth.com to be a go-to source for issues and trends impacting the foodservice industry for restaurant owners and operators. One way in which we share the latest industry news is through our blog, Perspectives.

Perspectives is designed to provide you with insights on topics ranging from foodborne illness outbreaks, to building a strong food safety program, to ways to enhance the guest experience. It’s a place where we share news that you can use each and every day.

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Handwashing: Cool Water as Effective as Hot for Removing Germs

Handwashing: Cool Water as Effective as Hot for Removing Germs

We all know that washing our hands can keep us from spreading germs and getting sick. But a new study I co-authored with GOJO scientists and published in the Journal of Food Protection found that cool water is just as effective as hot water in removing bacteria from the hands. People should use a comfortable water temperature when they are washing their hands, but our study shows us that water temperature didn’t matter. 

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What Do Sanitarians Look for During a Health Inspection?

Two of the most critical aspects of food protection are frequent, thorough handwashing and clean and sanitary surfaces. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified proper handwashing and clean and sanitary surfaces as two of the five most important risk factors related to food protection. And, oftentimes, the vast majority of foodborne illness investigations that are conducted could have been prevented by proper handwashing. So, as a sanitarian, what do I look for once I walk into a facility?

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Norovirus and Lettuce: The Perfect Combination?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 250 different types of foodborne illnesses.[1] Yet, there is one that is the most common – norovirus. In fact, norovirus is responsible for 58% of domestically acquired foodborne illnesses, and nearly half of all foodborne disease outbreaks due to known agents.[2]

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