A series of recent reports compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported by
Nations Restaurant News, indicates that restaurants are not keeping up with advised food safety practices. The report details studies done around the nation that point to missteps in preparation, workers health and cleanliness practices. With approximately half of food borne illness cases in the U.S. coming from restaurants, this is a major source of concern for all involved.
Luckily, as NRN points out, the CDC results indicate it is not an industry wide problem. However, the report also indicates that independent restaurants, rather than larger chains, are the establishments failing to uphold cleanliness standards and safe food practices. This makes sense, larger chain restaurants have the resources and legal teams necessary to implement system wide standards and practices for cleanliness. Were it not for these standardized practices, they would also be the most likely culprits during an outbreak, because of their reach.
The CDC survey points to a few large issues that surfaced during their research. The first of which is that many restaurant employees, 20% of those surveyed, admitted that they have attended work while sick at least once this year, partly for fear of losing their job. Another big issue, safe food handling, seemed to stump some of the surveyed restaurants. When it comes to meat, 62% of those surveyed did not wash their hands after handling raw beef, and more than half of kitchen managers admitted they do not know the temperature at which chicken can be considered safely cooked.
So what is the solution? The Center for Disease Control has announced they will be making efforts to offer a fee online course on safe food handling and prep, as well as implementing a national reporting system so that illness outbreaks can be better tracked and studies, to minimize future problems. Check out Nations Restaurant News's article after the break, and be sure to look at the CDC website for the best information on implementing safe food handling practices in your restaurant.
Source:
Nation's Restaurant News
Tablebases.com
