Allergens focus of final lesson of National Food Safety Month

As September comes to an end, so does the 2014 National Food Safety Month, but food safety should be your focus every day as you run your restaurant. Each week in September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has covered an important topic from ServSafe food safety and sanitation training course, using the theme, “20 Tips for 20 Years of National Food Safety Month.”  

Fifteen million Americans suffer from food allergies, so it is important for foodservice personnel to understand what the Big 8 are, how to avoid cross contact and how to identify an allergic reaction. The final lesson is about allergens and the Big 8.

A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein (food allergen). While more than 160 food items can cause allergic reactions, just eight of those accounts for 90 percent of all reactions. These eight foods are known as the “Big 8.” They are: tree nuts, peanuts, soy, egg, milk, fish, wheat and shellfish.

Cross-contact is the transfer of an allergen from a food containing the allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen. One of the most important ways you can keep guests with food allergies safe is by preventing cross-contact. Read steps to avoid cross-contact here.

The NRA and the LRA partner to offer ServSafe Allergens, an online, interactive 90-minute training course to assist restaurateurs and foodservice personnel in understanding and communicating the risks associated with serving guests with food allergies. The course is just $22 and can be accessed here.

Finally, there are six key symptoms of a food-allergic reaction. Below is a quiz you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com.

#FoodSafetyMonth: Week 3—Time-Temperature Control

Each week during September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, brings you another best-of food safety lesson from the past two decades as part of National Food Safety Month. This year’s theme is “20-Year Anniversary: Top 20 Tips,” highlights the best of the best, or the most important aspects of serving food safely to the American public.

This week’s lesson is Time-Temperature Control. According to ServSafe, the industry gold standard for food safety and sanitation training, the only way to reduce pathogens in food to safe levels is to cook it to its minimum internal temperature. This temperature is different for each food. Once reached, you must hold the food at this temperature for a specific amount of time. If a customer requests a lower temperature, you need to inform them of the potential risk of foodborne illness. Also be aware of special menu restrictions if you serve high-risk populations.

While cooking reduces pathogens in food, it does not destroy spores or toxins they may have produced. You still must handle food correctly before you cook it.

How to Check Temperatures

To make sure the food you are cooking has reached the right temperature, you must know how to take the temperature correctly. Follow these guidelines:

• Pick a thermometer with a probe that is the right size for the food.
• Check the temperature in the thickest part of the food.
• Take at least two readings in different locations. 

Here is an activity that you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com under Activities. 

The LRA is your provider for food safety and sanitation, alcohol server training

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) is the largest provider of food safety and sanitation and alcohol server training in the state. Members of the LRA receive significant discounts on these state-mandated training courses. Are you taking advantage of the convenience and savings?

ServSafe Manager, the eight-hour course is offered to members at just $109, compared to the non-member price of $160. Classes are offered at numerous locations across the state and year around. The cost includes study material, the in-person course and testing materials in a proctored setting. To date, the LRA has trained over 30,000 foodservice professionals in ServSafe Manager and the course is regarded as the gold standard for the industry.

ServSafe Alcohol training is available online, 24-7; anywhere the individual has access to a PC and an internet connection. The LRA was the first to offer the state-mandated, two hour course online.  Members receive special pricing of just $24 with the a special discount code (call the LRA for the code), while non-members pay $30. The LRA’s Louisiana’s BEST (Beverage Education Server Training) private classes are still available upon request. Call the LRA for details or to schedule your in house alcohol server course at (504) 454-2277.

Voluntary courses are also offered online for ServSafe Allergens and ServSafe Food Handler. More than 15 million Americans have food allergies and the trend is growing each year. Allergens training can help you serve those guests with food allergies safely and gain their repeat business. Food Handler is a two-hour course covering the basics of food safety and sanitation for your front of the house and back of the house staff.

ServSafe Allergens is just $22 and ServSafe Food Handler is just $15. 

For more information, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277 or visit www.lra.org. 

Serving guests with food allergies safely can grow your business

Food allergy training has never been more important. More and more Americans are plagued with food allergies—15 million and growing every year. While there have been no reported deaths linked to food allergies in Louisiana restaurants according to research by the Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals (DHH), the need for more front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff to have the proper training will only become more necessary in the coming years.

Increasingly restaurants are becoming more aware of the potential for gaining new diners by offering gluten free menu options. Some even take the extra step of asking if any guests have food allergies when taking reservations or the server will ask the question when greeting a table of guests for a meal. But there is still room for improvement in communications between the front-of-the-house and the back-of-the-house to ensure that a guest actually is served a meal free of gluten or other foods a guest may have shared they are allergic to during the ordering process.

“Having taken ServSafe Allergens, I’m much more educated and aware of the challenges facing those with food allergies, especially one of my co-workers,” said Wendy Waren, VP of Communications, Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA). “In one case, my co-worker actually had to send back her entree because the garnish was flash fried. It’s something as small as the garnish that could have made her sick.”

That’s why the National Restaurant Association launched ServSafe Allergens. In partnership with the Food Allergy Research and Education Institute (FARE), the NRA’s ServSafe Allergens product is an online, interactive, 90-minute training course to assist restaurateurs and foodservice personnel in understanding and communicating the risks associated with serving guests with food allergies. The course is available in English and Spanish and is just $22 and can be accessed here. 

“I’m allergic to gluten and dairy,” said Olivia Watkins, Communications Director, DHH. “While dining at a restaurant recently, the server was able to answer my questions regarding menu items that did not contain gluten; however, she missed the mark on the dairy. The first bite of my dish tasted way too good and as my throat began to tighten, I knew that it had been made with butter.”

Recognizing the importance of serving guests with food allergies safely, the DHH included ServSafe Allergens as criteria for a restaurant to be designated a Well Spot as part of the Well-Ahead Louisiana campaign. Well-Ahead is a voluntary program promoting voluntary changes without imposing new taxes and creating new rules. Well-Ahead promotes and recognizes smart choices in the spaces and places we live and work every day, and dining out in restaurants play a significant role in how we enjoy our lives here in Louisiana.

“There are a number of restaurants that I can dine out at that can accommodate my gluten allergy,” said Sandy Riddle, EVP of Expositions, LRA. “I do have to really pay attention though to what is actually served. Thankfully, my husband and friends keep a close eye on my plate too.”

Riddle recently visited a chain restaurant that promotes that they cater to diners with celiac disease. However, during the ordering process, the server was unfamiliar with the gluten-free menu, as was her co-worker. Her and husband decided to pass on the restaurant as she felt it wasn’t worth the risk. There are huge online networks of people with celiac disease and other food allergies that commonly share information about those restaurants able to successfully accommodate these special needs. In Riddle’s experience, if the staff had been properly trained to handle her request, they would have gained her repeat business.

In a recent email to the LRA, a woman wrote that she was on vacation in New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival and unfortunately had to cut her trip two days short. Why? She has celiac disease and dined at a New Orleans restaurant, where the server assured her the meal she was being served was free of gluten. Unfortunately it wasn’t and she got sick as a result.

ServSafe Allergens is voluntary in the state of Louisiana; however, in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, allergens training is required for individuals in foodservice. The LRA strongly encourages restaurants to take advantage of ServSafe Allergens, not only to serve their guests safely, but gain new and repeat business.

The LRA exists to help its members—the cornerstone of their communities—build customer loyalty, rewarding careers and financial success. By accommodating guests with food allergies, this is just one way restaurants can build customer loyalty. 

National Restaurant Association offers training DVDs on harassment prevention, social media use and customer service

The National Restaurant Association has released three new DVDs that offer best practices in dealing with harassment and discrimination, customer service training, and a first of its kind video guide on the use of social media.

The DVDs were created especially to appeal to mid-market and small chain operations. The video series is designed to help owners and managers teach their employees how to provide exceptional customer service; prevent harassment and discrimination; and employee responsibility when representing their brand or their customers on social media platforms.

“These DVDs are designed to educate and train restaurant and foodservice employees dealing with important workplace issues,” said Sara Anderson, the NRA’s restaurant programs manager. “The DVDs are broadly drawn to avoid conflicts with organizations’ standard operating procedures and also offer specific information that could help prevent potential situations that are hurtful to a business’ reputation or costly legal battles.”

The DVDs range between 11 and 22 minutes in length. The topics include: 

• Preventing Harassment & Discrimination, a training course for restaurant employees that explains clearly and effectively how to prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace
• Being Social Media Smart, which explains how social media platforms can allow private information to become public fast, and teaches employees how to be responsible when representing their companies online 
• Customer Service Training, which instructs employees on how to deliver an exceptional customer service experience and know how to react in difficult situations

The DVDs are available for sale on the ServSafe website. For more information about these products, call (312) 715-1010 or e-mail ServSafe@restaurant.org.

Use ServSafe for your food safety training requirements

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) just learned that a Utah company has been spamming Gulf South restaurateurs with deceptive calls referencing faulty required food safety and sanitation courses. A cease and desist was issued by ANSI through efforts of the National Restaurant Association as a result. The LRA is your state approved trusted resource for all food safety and sanitation, alcohol server, food handler and allergens training courses.

ServSafe Manager, the eight-hour course is required by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. ServSafe Alcohol Training Online is required by the Louisiana Alcohol Tobacco Control.  As a member of the LRA, you receive a significant discount on all ServSafe products, both required and voluntary:

REQUIRED:

ServSafe Manager

The Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals requires that at least one person per foodservice establishment complete the eight-hour food safety and sanitation course—ServSafe Manager. The comprehensive course blends the latest FDA Food Code, food safety research and years of food sanitation training experience. The LRA is the largest training provider in the state for ServSafe Manager and LRA Members receive a significant discount. Classes are offered in person and available online here.

Upcoming ServSafe Classes (All classes are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Registered online here.

April 7, Quality Hotel, 210 S. Hollywood Road, Houma

April 28, The Chicory, 610 S. Peters St., New Orleans

May 5, Bossier Parish Community College, 6220 East Texas St., Bossier City

May 7, Courtyard By Marriott, 3830 Alexandria Mall Dr., Alexandria

May 13, Café Reconcile, 1634 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans

May 19, Juban’s Restaurant, 3739 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge

May 20, South Louisiana Community College, 1101 Bertrand Dr., Lafayette

May 21, Sowela Technical Community College, 3820 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Ave., Lake Charles

June 9, Alack Culinary Equipment, 17420 Hwy 190, Hammond

June 16, Chateau Country Club, 3600 Chateau Blvd., Kenner

June 23, Juban’s Restaurant, 3739 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge

June 24, South Louisiana Community College, 1101 Bertrand Dr., Lafayette

June 30, Boomtown Casino, 4132 Peters Rd., Harvey

ServSafe Alcohol Online

Launched last summer, ServSafe Alcohol Online training is the first of its kind in Louisiana and replaces the need for servers of alcoholic beverages to attend a class in person. The ATC mandated, two-hour ServSafe Alcohol Online course is available 24/7 anywhere servers have access to a PC and the internet. LRA members receive a 10 percent discount on the regular $30 cost.

VOLUNTARY:

ServSafe Food Handler

ServSafe Food Handler is designed to add an additional layer of protection for your restaurant’s patrons. The two-hour course is available online for just $15 and provides your staff with the basic knowledge they need to serve your guests in a safety and sanitary manner. 

ServSafe Allergens

The most recent product released by the LRA is ServSafe Allergens—a 90-minute online course developed to assist restaurant staff in serving the 15 million Americans with food allergies safely. This voluntary course teaches restaurant staff about the various food allergies and implications for guests, how to properly communicate with guests and other restaurant staff, and proper procedures for front and back of the house staff, avoiding cross contact, inventory and preparation controls and what to do in case of an emergency. With the increased demand for gluten-free menu options and other alterations, this course can help you become more trusted among diners with food allergies. The cost for LRA members is $19.80. 

If you receive a call of this type referenced above or have any questions, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277 today.  

SCAM ALERT: Oregon company calls to solicit sales for "mandated" food handler training

Restaurants across the Gulf South are the target of an Oregon company’s solicitation regarding “mandated” Food Handler training.  While the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) offers ServSafe Food Handler, a two-hour course on the basics of food safety and sanitation techniques, and best practices for front and back of the house restaurant personnel, it is NOT REQUIRED in Louisiana.

While this “SCAM” is relative to the term “mandated,” food safety and sanitation training is certainly not the issue. 

The Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals requires that at least one person per foodservice establishment complete the eight-hour food safety and sanitation course—ServSafe Manager. The comprehensive course blends the latest FDA Food Code, food safety research and years of food sanitation training experience. The LRA is the largest training provider in the state for ServSafe Manager and LRA Members receive a significant discount. Classes are offered in person and available online here.

ServSafe Food Handler is designed to add an additional layer of protection for your restaurant’s patrons. The two-hour course is available online for just $15 and provides your staff with the basic knowledge they need to serve your guests in a safety and sanitary manner. While this is voluntary in Louisiana, in states like California is mandatory for all restaurant staff.

Launched last summer, ServSafe Alcohol Online training is the first of its kind in Louisiana and replaces the need for servers of alcoholic beverages to attend a class in person. The ATC mandated, two-hour ServSafe Alcohol Online course is available 24/7 anywhere servers have access to a PC and the internet. LRA members receive a 10 percent discount on the regular $30 cost.

The most recent product released by the LRA is ServSafe Allergens—a 90-minute online course developed to assist restaurant staff in serving the 15 million Americans with food allergies safely. This voluntary course teaches restaurant staff about the various food allergies and implications for guests, how to properly communicate with guests and other restaurant staff, and proper procedures for front and back of the house staff, avoiding cross contact, inventory and preparation controls and what to do in case of an emergency. With the increased demand for gluten-free menu options and other alterations, this course can help you become more trusted among diners with food allergies. The cost for LRA members is $19.80. Allergens training is not required in Louisiana, however in states like Massachusetts it is required of all restaurant staff.

For more info about the suite of ServSafe products, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277. 

Final lesson of National Food Safety Month

Each week during the month of September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has brought you different aspects of serving guests safely with food allergens. Based on the newly-released National Restaurant Association online training course—ServSafe Allergens—we’ve learned about the Big 8 and cross-contact, reading labels, preventing cross-contact in the front of the house, purchasing and transportation and finally, separation in equipment and storage.

One of the main ways to prevent cross-contact is to keep food and equipment separate. Use separate equipment and utensils when preparing food for people with food allergies, and store food containing food allergens separately from other food.

Equipment and utensils that have touched a food allergen can spread that allergen to other food. So it’s important to always wash, rinse and sanitize all equipment and utensils correctly. One extra step that can be taken is having designated equipment for food that contains allergens. This equipment should be stored separately and it should be labeled in some way to signify that it is only to be used on food allergens.

One common designation is to use purple-colored equipment and utensils for food containing allergens.

When storing food that contains food allergens, keep it separate from other food. A good way to do this is to store the allergen-containing food in separate, sealed containers. It should then be kept in a completely separate area from other food that does not contain allergens.

Visit www.foodsafetymonth.com for downloadable activities to help you and your staff understand the tenants of serving guests with food allergies safely.

Interested in Opening a New Restaurant? Let the LRA be your guide

There is so much to know and learn when opening a new restaurant and the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) has your guide to what you need to know. First up- you need to know if the value of LRA membership. We can assist you as you get your footing in the business through a number of programs and services designed especially for budding restaurateurs.

The LRA offers a number of benefits to members. The first is the LRA Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation program. In Louisiana, it is mandatory to have workers’ compensation for your business. Workers’ compensation protects employees who are injured on the job. It is the law that “all” Louisiana employers must maintain comp coverage. Those failing to meet this requirement are subject to individual fines per occurrence, with the potential total penalty reaching $10,000 per business.  To get a quote for your workers’ comp, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277.

A business must possess an alcoholic beverage permit to sell such beverages in Louisiana. The guide contains information for operators to obtain their liquor license from the Alcohol Tobacco Control and your local municipality. Also, it is also mandatory in Louisiana that anyone serving alcoholic beverage obtain a Responsible Vendor Permit. The LRA is the first and only provider in the state of these permits to offer the two-hour course online at www.laserverpermit.com.

Beyond these necessities, there’s your food permit required by the Louisiana State Sanitarian Code, through the Department of Health and Hospitals. The law requires all foodservice licensees must have a valid food safety certificate. The LRA is the largest provider of the required eight-hour course through the nationally-recognized ServSafe food safety and sanitation course. Click here for a complete schedule of classes offered statewide.

From the average wage for various restaurant positions, to wage and hour laws and overtime calculations, the LRA’s Opening a New Restaurant guide covers this and so much moe.  Other important information like copyright laws if you intend to play music – live or recorded; reporting newly-hired workers, opening checklists, dual membership in the National Restaurant Association and what you need to know about the Affordable Care Act are also included in the guide.

The LRA is your advocate on local, state and federal issues impacting the restaurant industry in Louisiana. For more information about the LRA’s suite of benefits available to members, visit www.lra.org today or call us at (504) 454-2277.

Know your holiday alcohol service

The upcoming holiday season will be a busy one for restaurants, as millions of Americans celebrate the occasion by dining out. Beer, wine and cocktails can be great additions to the holiday meal experience, so it's important for restaurant operators to train staff in responsible alcohol service.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) is one of the largest provider of alcohol server training in the state. The two-hour Louisiana's BEST course meets the states requirement that all servers of alcohol complete the course and pass to obtain a Responsible Vendor Permit, or a bar card as it's often referred.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has created a “Know Your Holiday Alcohol Service” infographic to illustrate key facts. The NRA's ServSafe social media team will hold a Twitter party featuring two alcohol service experts on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 2 to 2:30 p.m. CT/3 to 3:30 p.m. ET to answer operator and employee questions. Follow @ServSafe and use the hashtag #ServSafeSeason to join.

Don't be the turkey this Thanksgiving

If you eat in a restaurant on Thanksgiving, which an estimated more than 30 million people do, the food safety and sanitation practices are covered by the chef and kitchen staff. But for the rest of Americans, they’ll likely be dining at home or be the guest at another’s abode for the Turkey Day Feast. Preparing that meal safely will ensure an enjoyable holiday with family and friends and the tips below will protect your reputation should someone get sick.

Thanksgiving dinner can be fraught with contamination is
the home cook does not keep food safety top-of-mind.

“Food and cooking are a big part of holiday celebrations, so putting food safety practices in focus this time or year will help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience,” said Greg Beachey, Senior Academic Relations and Program Manager with the National Restaurant Association. “Whether cooking at home or in a professional foodservice kitchen, basic principles like cleaning and sanitizing, and cooking to proper temperatures should be part of everyone’s food safety knowledge base.”

The food safety tips recommended by the NRA for preparing a Thanksgiving meal are:

Thaw your turkey in the fridge. While you can thaw a frozen turkey under running water or in the microwave, the best way is in the refrigerator overnight (or longer). Be sure to follow the instructions on the package.
 

Store raw turkey away from ready-to-eat food. Make sure your raw turkey is covered and stored in a leak-proof container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. You want to keep it away from foods that are ready to eat, such as desserts and salads, to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

Clean and sanitize your sink and counters. After rinsing your raw turkey thoroughly, properly clean and sanitize the sink and surrounding area before starting to prepare any other food.

Cook your turkey to safe internal temperature. Use a properly calibrated meat thermometer to check that your turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Insert the thermometer to the dimple on the stem in the thickest part of the breast and thigh for accurate readings.

Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Prep salads, cranberries and other colds items first and store them in the fridge until ready to serve. Then prep your hot dishes closer to serving time so they stay hot. Keep all food items outside the “temperature danger zone” (41 to 135 degrees) as much as possible.

 
Safely reheat leftovers. Whether from a meal prepared at home or picked up from a restaurant, leftovers are part of the holiday tradition. Store each dish separately in clean, sealable, leak-proof containers and reheat to 165 degrees when you’re ready to enjoy round two of your Thanksgiving meal.

Through its ServSafe Food Safety program, the NRA is the leading source of food safety training and certification for restaurant and foodservice industry professionals for nearly 40 years. To date, more than 5 million ServSafe certifications have been issued. ServSafe is offered year round, statewide by the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

Part of the NRA’s continuing efforts to educate the industry and consumers about food safety best practices is its National Food Safety Month campaign, held each September.  This year’s theme is “Be Safe – Don’t Cross-Contaminate,” focusing on how to avoid transferring potential contaminates from one food or surface to another. National Food Safety Month 2012 is sponsored by SCA, a global hygiene company and makers of the Tork® brand of away-from-home paper products.

Food Safety Month concludes, but is a year round practice for restaurateurs

This week is the final one for the annual September is National Food Safety Month awareness campaign. Although we focus on food safety during September, it is a daily practice for every restaurant. Preventing foodborne illnesses is of the utmost importance for the Louisiana Restaurant Association and for restaurants, as only one outbreak can be dire for the future of an establishment.


Week 5 of National Food Safety Month focuses on
cross-contact of food allergens to prevent illness.

We’ve explored the theme, “Be Safe, Don’t Cross Contaminate,” each week this month beginning with personal hygiene practices that prevent cross contamination. The second week’s topic was focused on proper hand washing, followed by week three with cleaning and sanitizing practices to prevent cross contamination. During week four, we discussed preventing cross contamination during storage, preparation and cooking.

During the final week of NFSM, we’ll explore a topic that is increasingly a challenge for many Americans—food allergens. A food allergen is a protein in a food or ingredient that some people are sensitive to and occur naturally. When enough of an allergen is eaten, an allergic reaction can occur. You must make sure that allergens are not transferred from food containing an allergen to the food that is to be eaten. This is called cross-contact.

Here’s how cross-contact can occur:

• Cooking different types of food in the same fryer oil
• Putting food on surfaces that have touched allergens
• Not washing, rinsing and sanitizing utensils

Steps to avoid cross-contact include:

• Wash, rinse and sanitize cookware, utensils and equipment after handling a food allergen
• Washing your hands and change gloves before prepping food
• Use separate fryers and cooking oils when frying food for customers with food allergies
• Prep food for customers with food allergies in a separate area from other food
• Label food packaged on site for retail sale. Name all major allergens on the label and follow any additional labeling requirements

Be aware of common allergy symptoms and common food allergens. The symptoms include: nausea, wheezing or shortness of breath, hives or itchy rashes, swelling of various parts of the body like the face, eyes, hands or feet, vomiting and/or diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Common food allergies include: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans.

Through ServSafe, a nationally-approved and recognized, good standard curriculum for food safety and sanitation, the LRA has trained thousands of restaurant and foodservice employees.

To register for a ServSafe course, click here. Classes are offered across Louisiana.

Food Safety Month, Wk.4: Preventing Cross-Contamination during Storage, Prep & Cooking

We’re now in week four of the National Food Safety Month awareness campaign, started in 1994 by the National Restaurant Association, to raise awareness of the importance of food safety. In partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA), we’ve been sharing the various ways to prevent foodborne illnesses through cross contamination each week in September. This year’s theme is, “Be Safe, Don’t Cross Contaminate.”

This week will explore how to prevent cross-contamination during storage, preparation and cooking.

Pathogens can move around easily in your home kitchen or a restaurant’s kitchen. Cross contamination can happen at almost any point in the flow of food. Knowing how and where it can happen is the key to prevention. The most basic way to prevent cross contamination is to keep raw and ready-to-eat food away each other. Here are some guidelines:

Storage
Keep all storage areas clean and dry. Food must be stored in ways that prevent cross contamination.

• Store all items in designated storage areas
• Store items away from walls and at least six inches off the floor
• Store single-use items (e.g. a sleeve of single-use cups) in original packaging
• Store food in containers intended for food that have been cleaned and sanitized
• Use containers that are durable, leak proof, and able to be sealed or covered
• Never use empty food containers to store chemicals, and never put food in empty chemical containers
• Store dirty linens away from food
• Clean dollies, carts, transporters and trays often
• Wrap or cover food. Store raw meat, poultry and seafood separately from ready-to-eat food. Make sure packaging does not leak.

If raw and ready-to-eat food cannot be stored separately, it advisable to store ready-to-eat food above raw meat, poultry or seafood. This will prevent juices from raw food from dripping onto ready-to-eat food. Store raw meat, poultry and seafood in coolers in the following top-to-bottom order: seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat and ground fish, who and ground poultry.

Preparation and Cooking

Use separate equipment when handling different types of food. Colored cutting boards and utensil handles are good ways to help keep equipment separate.  The color tells the food handler which equipment to use with each food time. An example is using red for raw meat and green for vegetables.

• Prep food at different times when using the same prep table. For example, by prepping ready-to-eat food before raw food, you can minimize the chance of cross contamination.
• Clean and sanitize work surfaces and utensils after each task. This includes thermometers.
• Buy food that doesn’t require much prepping or handling. For example, buying chopped lettuce instead of chopping it yourself reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

This lesson is part four of a five part series. Week One's lesson was Personal Hygiene, Week Two's lesson was How to Prevent Cross-Contamination through Hand washing, and Week Three's lesson was Cleaning and Sanitizing to Prevent Cross-Contamination.

Through ServSafe, a nationally-approved and recognized, good standard curriculum for food safety and sanitation, the LRA has trained thousands of restaurant and foodservice employees.

To register for a ServSafe course, click here. Classes are offered across Louisiana.

Prevent Cross-Contamination through Handwashing

September is National Food Safety Month and this year’s theme is one that we can all benefit from, whether you work in a restaurant or prepare meals at home for your family and friends. “Be Safe, Don’t Cross-Contaminate,” focuses on best practices to avoid the spread of pathogens from one food or surface to another.

“Every day our hands touch surfaces covered with pathogens that we cannot see,” said Pam St. Pierre, Louisiana Restaurant Association VP of Member Services. “Even healthy people can spread pathogens and for this reason, handwashing is the most important part of personal hygiene.”

Hands should be washed in a sink designated for handwashing, not in sinks for food prep, dishwashing or utility sinks. The proper steps to wash hands should take about 20 seconds. Here are the five steps to correctly washing your hands.

1.      Wet hands and arms. Use running water as hot as you can comfortably stand. It should be at least 100° F.

2.      Apply soap. Apply enough to build up a good lather.

3.      Scrub hands and arms vigorously. Scrub them for 10 to 15 seconds. Clean under fingernails and between fingers.

4.      Rinse hands and arms thoroughly. Use running warm water.

5.      Dry hands and arms. Use a single-use paper towel or a hand dryer. Consider using a paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door when exiting the room.

“While it may seem basic, food handlers must wash their hands correctly and as often as needed to prevent hands from becoming a vehicle for cross-contamination,” added St. Pierre.

Knowing when to wash your hands is also key to reducing cross-contamination. Food handlers must wash their hands before starting work and also after the following activities:

• Using the restroom
• Handling raw meat, poultry and seafood (before and after)
• Touching the hair, face or body
• Sneezing, coughing or using a tissue
• Eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum or tobacco
• Handling chemicals that might affect food safety
• Taking out garbage
• Clearing tables or busing dirty dishes
• Touching clothing or aprons
• Handling money
• Leaving and returning to the kitchen/prep area
• Handling service animals

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the LRA partner year around to raise awareness of the importance of food safety to the restaurant industry and our diners. Through ServSafe, a nationally-approved and recognition, gold standard curriculum for food safety and sanitation, the LRA has trained thousands of restaurant and foodservice employees.

Registration for ServSafe, a food safety and sanitation course, can be done online here. Classes are offered across Louisiana.

Dual Membership has many benefits!

Louisiana Restaurant Association members
are also a member of the National
Restaurant Association. Double the benefits!
 

As a restaurant member of the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA), you are also a member of the National Restaurant Association (NRA)—which increases your knowledge base through additional resources, tools and solutions. The NRA’s website offers an array of industry related articles, tips, facts—particularly about how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will impact restaurants of all sizes.

Bread & Butter, a free, twice monthly e-newsletter is designed to increase your knowledge and provide tools to help restaurant owners succeed and prosper. Sign up today here. In the Sept. 6 issue of Bread & Butter, articles included, Why one operator shares his P&L with his employees; Use the right people and tools for prep work; Food, nonalcoholic beverage cost ratio dips in latest NRA survey; and how to stop card processing “cost creep” in its tracks.

Working in tandem, the NRA and LRA combined benefits
provide a full spectrum of tools, solutions and services
designed to help restaurants maximize their profitability.

Other available resources can be found at www.restaurant.org include NRA News, a blog containing industry specific, relevant and timely information on everything from regulatory, legislative, food safety, national trends through research and insights, sustainability and much more.  Member-only webinars on a variety of topics can be viewed in real time as they occur or even months later, as recordings and presentations are housed here.

On the LRA side, our website contains current state specific news on its home page under Association Happenings, which contains important information regarding resources available for those impacted by Hurricane Isaac. The number one reason people visit www.lra.org is to register for ServSafe food safety and sanitation courses and BEST Alcohol Server Training, of which the LRA is the largest training provider in the state.

Members and prospective members can find out about the LRA Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation, which is celebrating 30 successful years in 2012. Exclusive to restaurants, foodservice operators, bakers, florists, distributors, etc. you really should take a look at the LRA SIF for your workers’ comp policy. Offering competitive rates with up to a 15% premium discount for restaurants, free loss prevention and safety services at your site, local claims handling and now, the ability to offer coverage through your preferred insurance agent, or write your policy direct with the LRA, let us quote your coverage today.

Daily, the LRA Communications team pens original content about what’s happening in Louisiana’s restaurants, tips for success, resources available, individual success stories, food safety, and the drought’s impact on food costs and more. In addition to the website and blog, the LRA maintains an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even Pinterest. This provides members and the public with up to the minute industry related information they can use.

Are you taking advantage of all your dual membership has to offer? Not a member? Call us today, (504) 454-2277, to find out more!