FOOD SAFETY

Food safety begins in the supermarket. There are many things to keep in mind when shopping for the food that you will take home to consume. When browsing packages on the shelves, never choose cans or contains that are dented, cracked, swollen or leaking. Flaws in packaging provide an opportunity for bacteria to penetrate the food item and potentially make you ill. Check that frozen or refrigerated foods are being stored at the proper temperature. Inspect foods for evidence of being soiled or moldy. Dry products such as breads should not show evidence of moisture inside the packaging. You should also make it a habit to check the date on perishable foods, especially chilled and frozen items.

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. In this way Food Safety often overlaps with Food Defense to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry to market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market to consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer.

If the food served in a hospitality establishment is not stored, cleaned, and handled properly, it may become infected with bacteria or viruses. Consuming these products will cause food poisoning that can have some very serious consequences, including death. This is why it is imperative that every employee of a hospitality business is trained in food safety.

Food safety training teaches people how food must be handled from the time it is grown to the moment it is prepared and served. It includes studying these following areas:

• Personal hygiene rules. Every person that comes in direct contact with food, tools used to prepare or serve it, or areas where it is stored must follow strict personal hygiene rules. They must wash their hands every time after using a lavatory or coming into the building from the outside. They also need to keep their hair covered at all times, and also their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing.
• Cleaning and disinfection regulations. All tools and surfaces that come in contact with food must be sanitized on a regular basis.
• Pest control. The building must be inspected by a pest control specialist no less than once a year.
• Food preparation rules. People directly responsible for preparing dishes must know the proper rules of doing so, and comply with them.

Interesting menus, friendly staff, high quality customer service, and beautiful interiors are important factors that make up a good hospitality business. However, none of these will matter if the food safety rules are not followed. In case an infringement is spotted in an official inspection, the business will be required to pay a fine and present proof that the necessary changes have been made. If this breach of safety regulations results in a case of food poisoning, regardless of its severity, the establishment may be closed and its owners and other responsible individuals might be subject to legal persecution.

Enforcing food safety rules will not only help hospitality business owners avoid legal problems and heavy fines, but can be used to improve food management strategies. This will allow the business to reduce waste, and keep the quality of its products at the highest levels. This in turn will increase customer satisfaction.

Every hospitality business must follow food safety rules, and its employees must be trained to handle products properly. They are mandatory requirements for these types of businesses because they are directly responsible for the safety of their customers. Following these regulations will also help any hospitality establishment raise its profits.