National Food Safety Month focuses on '4 biggest offenders'

The National Restaurant Association and ServSafe® are kicking off National Food Safety Month with a brand-new campaign, “Food Safety’s Most Wanted: How to Identify, Avoid, and Prevent the Top Violations.”

Don’t get held up by outlaws

The month-long campaign will spotlight four different “outlaw” offenders in restaurant kitchens, who will help staff members identify and stop violations before they cause harm. Bandits, including The Greasy Spoon and Mix-up Menace Max, will illustrate the food-safety risks involved with the violations to prevent potential repeated offenses. In addition, a series of free resources, such as posters, quizzes, and leadership tools, will be available for download.

“Food safety is a foundation of trust between restaurants and their guests,” said Sherman Brown, the Association’s Executive Vice President of Business Services. “Training is essential to creating a culture where safety is second nature. We’re excited to launch this year’s campaign, with its fresh, visual approach that will make learning more engaging and memorable. Customer safety is our first priority, and National Food Safety Month is a powerful reminder of that commitment.”

Patrick Guzzle, the Association’s Vice President of Food Science and Industry said the goal is to highlight what are commonly referred to as the "major risk factors" for foodborne illness:  improper temperature control, inadequate cleaning and sanitizing, poor personal hygiene, and cross-contamination.

“Those violations account for most foodborne illness events occurring in restaurants and foodservice establishments. That’s why we decided to emphasize each one and share information and best practices on what managers and their employees can do to mitigate them from taking place.”

Each week, the Association’s food-safety experts will address the top violations: 

• Week 1: Inadequate cleaning and sanitization: You’ll learn how to spot sanitation failures and the difference between cleaning and sanitizing.
• Week 2: Contamination and cross-contamination: Workers will learn about the science surrounding outbreaks and get a 3-legged approach guide to food handling. 
• Week 3: Poor personal hygiene: Good hygiene starts with constant reminders, and this week’s instruction will go beyond proper handwashing.
• Week 4: Improper temperature control: Time and temps play a major role in food safety during service. That’s why we’ll explain how to know ‘when to hold ‘em and how to log ‘em’.   
• Week 5: You’ll learn how to build a lasting culture of food safety at your restaurant business.

To receive weekly updates and get access to the full suite of downloadable assets, visit foodsafetyfocus.com and subscribe.

Learn more about ServSafe and food-safety practices in the restaurant industry here