FESmag

Joseph Carbonara

Food Safety Is Always in Season
July 22, 2008

As more operators, commercial and non-commercial alike, continue to embrace the notion of sustainable foodservice, they seem to do so with an emphasis on the ingredients they use. And much like the morning glories that continue to grow rampantly in my backyard, the movement seems to show no signs of slowing down.

The notion of bringing the farm to the restaurant table by having the foodservice operator source locally, or regionally, grown, seasonal ingredients is a pretty good one. I like it because it seems to me as if changing ingredients with the seasons challenges operators to keep their menus fresh, which should spur further creativity and keep consumers like myself engaged.

As refreshing as this seemingly new-found emphasis on ingredients and their sourcing may be to all of us, it does not take the emphasis off some of the most fundamental aspects of operating a foodservice facility, namely food safety.

Want proof? Look no further than the salmonella outbreak from earlier this year. Initially, the authorities suspected that tomatoes were the main reason for this outbreak, when it was first reported back in April.

Just last week, though, the FDA declared it was OK to eat tomatoes again and indicated that hot peppers, such as raw jalapenos and serranos are under investigation to determine if they played a role in the outbreak. The people who grow tomatoes and have menu items that prominently feature this key ingredient, probably breathed a sigh of relief at the news despite the fact that the residual effect of this outbreak is that many people remain wary about the safety of everyday foods.

Foodservice Buyers Be Aware
And that wariness extends to their view of foods purchased away from home. In an effort to shore up consumer confidence, some major multi-unit operators have launched significant advertising campaigns that showcase the great pains they take to ensure quality ingredients. Of course, none of this matters if they are not able to maintain a food-safe environment at the store level.

While I encourage foodservice operators to embrace the concept of sustainability by shopping farmers’ markets and sourcing their ingredients in other ways that make sense to their business, it’s important to remember to examine what effect these changes will have on your ability to maintain a food-safe environment.

That’s because in reality, the most sustainable practice of all is building a growing and thriving foodservice operation that can withstand the tests of time.

Other Suggested Articles:

Sustainable Equipment for Sustainable Food

Operating a Food-Safe Environment

Designing a Food-Safe Kitchen

Posted by Joseph Carbonara on July 22, 2008 | Comments (0)