Home / Jorge Hernandez of The Wendy’s Company wins first Outstanding Food Safety Leader award
Honored by his food safety and quality assurance peers from across the industry, Jorge Hernandez knows an effective food safety program when he sees one.
The difference between companies that manage food safety well and those that take risks is that the good managers weave food safety steps into every aspect of their foodservice operation. “In my career, I’ve seen operations approach food safety as a separate training exercise, something they add on top of ‘regular training’ or in addition to it,” says Jorge Hernandez, vice president of Quality Assurance for 6,700-unit Wendy’s, based in Dublin, Ohio. “But food safety is something every employee has to implement naturally and automatically – every day, every meal.”
Hernandez knows what he’s talking about. Few professionals can match the breadth or diversity of experience he’s gained in his 30-plus years as a food safety and quality assurance expert.
Today, in his role at Wendy’s, Hernandez’ work impacts hundreds of thousands of guests a day.
Recognizing Hernandez’s professionalism, passion and extraordinary expertise, the Association’s Food Safety & Quality Assurance Executive Study Group awarded him its first Outstanding Food Safety Leader Award during the group’s annual conference in early October. The award, sponsored by Ecolab, a global leader in food safety solutions and expertise, recognizes food safety champions and has in Hernandez found an ideal, and unique, recipient.
“Effective food safety all comes down to execution,” Hernandez says. “The science behind what keeps foods safe is the same no matter where it’s applied. Wash your hands, cool foods properly, cook foods to temperature, don’t cross-contaminate — but do your employees know why? And are these steps a natural part of every one of their tasks?”
While the food safety science is set, how people absorb the food safety message is completely subjective, he says. “The biggest lesson I learned in my career is that you need to adapt your training to the trainee to find the approach that’s going to stick. That’s the key.”