As more restaurants focus on green initiatives, like 212 Market Restaurant in Chatanooga, Tenn., they are finding food safety also enhanced.

While certainly trendy and a good marketing message to consumers, foodservice operators looking to make their operations more environmentally friendly also need to take into consideration any potential impact these steps could have on food safety. The good news is that many operators with green and sustainable programs indicate that aspects of these practices help enhance food safety programs.

In fact, Paul Kuck, owner of Sustainable Foodservice Consulting, based in Eugene, Ore., says he has not encountered or heard about any instances where going green compromised food safety. This is good news for the more than 300 restaurants that are and will soon be certified by the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association (GRA). In 2007, the number of Certified Green Restaurants™ tripled and interest in going green remains on the rise.

Consumer awareness and acceptance of green practices also is on the rise. The National Restaurant Association's research shows that 62 percent of consumers say they are likely to choose a restaurant based on its environmental friendliness, and nearly one-third of restaurant operators allocated a larger part of their budget to such efforts last year. In addition, more than 60 percent of restaurants invested in energy-saving equipment in the last two years.

"More people are dining with a conscience, realizing that their fork matters," says Mark Doskow, manager of New York City's Candle Café, a Certified Green operation.

The consensus among foodservice operators is that the green movement and food safety go hand in hand. "Nothing green impacts food safety at all," says Christopher Koetke, dean of Chicago-based Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts. "If it ever came down to a choice between green practices and sanitation or food safety, the latter supersedes all else. It's important to keep in mind that there is an educational component and level of understanding as to why we do what we're doing."

At Tayst Restaurant & Bar in Nashville, Tenn., the road to becoming a Certified Green Restaurant is an ongoing process. In its small kitchen, five employees make all food from scratch.

Some, such as Jeremy Barlow, Tayst's chef, point out that the origins of food contamination are the same in a green restaurant as in a traditional operation. "There are two origins, where food safety is concerned. The first source is cross-contamination at the feed lot, processing plant or during food transport. When procedures aren't properly followed, problems can occur. The second origin is during production in the kitchen. Back-of-the-house cleaning and sanitizing programs shouldn't vary, whether the operation is green," he says.

Looking at food safety from an equipment standpoint, the same standards apply. Energy-efficient equipment used in green operations should be NSF-certified, which ensures that safety, health and quality standards are met. Before he recently incorporated Energy Star-rated equipment at Tayst, Barlow made sure each piece was NSF-certified and -rated.

"Energy Star or high-efficiency foodservice equipment has to meet the same criteria as traditional equipment. There's no discrepancy there," Kuck says.

"With refrigeration, going green is about retaining energy. This is a positive in terms of food safety," says Trey Foshee, chef/owner at San Diego's George's at the Cove restaurant. "Doors are properly sealed to retain cold air, which keeps food at safe temperatures."

The Bayside Restaurant, located in Westport, Mass., purchased Energy Star-certified equipment as part of its green initiative. Manager Catherine Stivey concurs that these units offer added efficiency and enhance food safety by keeping temperatures consistent.

Because energy-efficient equipment tends to be newer and incorporates more recent technology, it typically does more while consuming less. "For example, we use low-flow pre-wash sprayers prior to dishwashing. These systems use less water, but do a much better job of rinsing plates than traditional sprayers," Kuck says.

Environmentally friendly waste programs, including recycling and composting, are another aspect to consider when looking at food safety. For example, those operations composting on-site won't have any issues, as long as the compost bin is properly maintained, Kuck says.

Kendall College's first green initiative was to implement recycling and composting programs. The school separates recyclables, cardboard and compostable garbage in separate receptacles. "Dealing with waste has been a major issue for us," Koetke says. "We generate an amazing amount of compostable garbage, so we don't compost on-site." The school generates about 6,300 pounds of compostable garbage each week, which is more than its regular garbage. The college's compost is stored in a dedicated walk-in, which combats odors. A hauler picks up the compostable waste three times a week. Koetke says employees are trained to separate the garbage, a task that is not labor-intensive. "Whether an operation is recycling or composting, it's just a matter of putting garbage in the appropriate containers. It still has to go from Point A to Point B," he explains.

The 212 Market Restaurant, along with other green-certified foodservice operations, are not compromising on food safety in order to operate environmentally friendly businesses.

Depending on the amount of compost and pick-up schedule, operations with limited kitchen space can store this garbage in outdoor bins or containers.

Although George's at the Cove doesn't compost, the restaurant recycles all of its oils, glass, cardboard and paper goods. "The only safety issue we deal with is the risk of injury from hauling the grease to the truck for recycling," Foshee says.

Foodservice management company Compass Group Canada, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, also reports strong participation among its school, corporate and institutional clients in both recycling and composting programs. Laurie Brager, Compass Group's director of sustainability, concurs that these waste programs have not had an impact on food safety.

Green cleaning solutions have come a long way in the last few years, and their use has risen accordingly.

As long as an operation does not compromise its cleaning standards, use of green cleaners should not affect food safety. In fact, many say that the lack of harsh chemicals and their residue makes these products a safe alternative for use around food.

"From a food safety standpoint, it shouldn't make any difference what type of cleaning products are used, as long as they work," Koetke says.

Though the usage of environmentally friendly cleaners in commercial foodservice operations has increased, there are still those who are skeptical about these products' cleaning ability.

For example, George's at the Cove does not yet use green cleaning products. "Our cleaning supplies are purchased from a local company that's not comfortable with the quality of these products," Foshee says. "We are a big, busy operation. It would be a major issue if we had to spend more time cleaning ovens and floors. These products aren't powerful enough yet."

Some restaurant operators, like Barlow, are still in search of the perfect green cleaner. Although he says some brands clearly perform better than others, most get the job done.

Boxcar Cantina, a Greenwich, Conn., restaurant, has incorporated green products into its program, but General Manager Adrianna Ibanez admits that there are drawbacks. "We have to clean areas every day that we normally would clean once a week, and it takes longer to do the same job," she notes.

New York City's Candle Café and other green restaurants report no food safety concerns with products purchased from local suppliers.

With the growing numbers of green cleaning products available, Kuck says it is difficult determining what products work well. "The effectiveness of green cleaners depends on what's being cleaned and the cleaning solution being used," he says.

One area that is lacking, however, is sanitation. Neil Houtsma, executive vice president of Chicago-based Nuance Solutions, a green cleaner manufacturer, says green food prep cleaners are not yet available.

Because it can be difficult determining which cleaners are environmentally friendly, green products have been certified by companies such as EcoLogo and Green Seal. Certified products are required to go through standardized performance tests. If they don't pass, they're not certified.

Generally speaking, most operators have had mixed results with green cleaners. "I've found the majority of the green products clean as well as traditional products, like glass cleaner," Kuck says. "With others, like heavy degreasers, more effort is needed to achieve the same result."

The Bayside Restaurant is phasing out the use of bleach in its cleaning program in favor of green and natural cleaners, including white vinegar. "We're on a septic system, so these less harsh cleaning products are better to use," Stivey says.

The result was not so favorable for the dishwashing solution. "These cleaners weren't working well enough in our machine, so we're using a non-green brand with less harsh chemicals," Stivey says. "If we upgrade our dishwasher, we'll be able to switch back."

Aside from effectiveness, there have been misconceptions that green cleaning products are much more costly than traditional solutions. Koetke says this is not necessarily correct. "We are working with a company that has interesting green cleaning solutions that will, in some instances, save us money," he says. At the writing of this article, Kendall College was undergoing a cleaning supply audit to see how to incorporate more green cleaners into its program. "Operators need to do a little digging when searching for green cleaning products, because there are great products out there."

By purchasing foods locally, operators not only reduce fuel usage and decrease environmental pollution, but they may also eliminate food safety risks. With the recent food illness outbreaks involving peanut butter and spinach, many foodservice professionals are calling into question the safety of U.S. processing and production plants. "I've never heard of or experienced this issue with small, local farms," Kuck says.

Many green operators say purchasing produce, dairy and meats from small, local suppliers can reduce the risk of food contamination during mass production, lengthy transports and long-term storage. "By purchasing from local farms and independent food suppliers, we eliminate pathogen concerns from salmonella and E. coli," Barlow says.

Like cleaning supplies, however, there are sometimes increased costs associated with these products. Meat suppliers providing product to foodservice operations must be USDA-certified. "These USDA safety standards are set up for mass production and to protect the industrial food system," Barlow says. Because smaller, local operations need to cover the same costs for certification, some of these meat suppliers are forced to pass on certification expenses to operators.

The same certification requirements don't apply to produce, so the impetus is on operators to do their homework. "We build relationships with the farmers we work with, so we know how they operate," Barlow says.

Operators who purchase food locally say knowing exactly where food comes from is key to ensuring food safety. Many make regular trips to farms and become familiar with the operations. It helps that, unlike with mass production, there typically is no middleman.

Boxcar Cantina sources its meats from local USDA-certified farms and purchases produce from area organic growers. "This has been a positive where food safety is concerned," says Ibanez.

Because Compass Group Canada's clientele includes schools and healthcare facilities, its food suppliers are required to comply with government safety regulations. Brager says the company also is working on a program that will require local produce suppliers to use methods of cultivation that forego harmful chemicals or products that can transmit chemicals or pathogens onto produce.

Like many green operators, Kendall College sources its local food items from reputable farms that have been in business for decades. "Food safety comes down to the end-user being prudent, no matter where the product is sourced from," Koetke says.

Foshee says local suppliers have more of a vested interest in making sure their foods are safe. "When you're dealing with companies that are focused on production commissions and making quotas, there are bound to be failures in the system [with food safety]," he says.

By comparison, small, local farms have a lot more to lose if the safety of their products is called into question.

"If a family farm sells tomatoes laced with salmonella, they're out of business. Smaller, local suppliers have more at stake, so food safety is always a priority," Foshee says.

Brager says operators can maintain food safety protocol with green initiatives. "As with any program, training is important."

By considering the implications on food safety with each green initiative, operators can prevent issues before they occur. "Food safety will always be the No. 1 issue in foodservice. Despite the emphasis and importance of green initiatives, no one is willing to make exceptions to these procedures," Kuck says.

The bottom line is that foodservice operations maintaining the same level of safety and hygiene when implementing green and sustainable initiatives will not experience any conflicts that will compromise their operations.