How Wearing Gloves Helps You Keep Your Food Safe
Food establishments need to be on top of food safety every day to protect the public. Why? Because all it takes is for an employee to handle ready-to-eat foods (AKA TCS) with bare hands to contaminate the food. It is essential to train all employees on food handling and why they ought to follow standard operating procedures. Management needs to have systems in place, so everyone is on the same page. I’m Dario Vasquez with the DRV Institute of Management. As Certified ServSafe Instructor and Registered ServSafe Examination Proctor, my goal is to help foodservice establishments serve quality and safe food to customers. I train managers and employees so organizations can achieve their goals.
Do Not Contaminate
When you are in the foodservice business, you should avoid food contamination in your organization. You need to take care of your facility daily by cleaning equipment regularly. It is beneficial to have everything in working order, good personal hygiene, clean hands, and all of that so your customers can come back. Did you know that some clients check your foodservice establishment out, including its appearance? It happens more than you think; most customers may not complain right away but could speak with their feet. Customers who speak with their feet could leave. Many clients do not want to say anything to you, the manager but may not come back if they see signs of disorganization or poor sanitation.
Frequent Handwashing Is The Key
The best way to not contaminate food is to wash hands frequently, thoroughly for 10-15 seconds, and wear gloves. Here is one example; let’s say a customer goes to your establishment to buy some cookies, a couple of cakes, muffins, or anything like that. Cross-contamination is likely to occur if an employee serves the cookies, cakes, or muffins without gloves. You see, there are many ways food handlers can transmit or pass on germs or bacteria into the food. Please be careful and invest in plenty of gloves and employee training to grow and keep a flow.
Please note that a simple way to contaminate is to try to open a small bag or go container by inserting your hands on it or inside the container. It should never happen; otherwise, you are just contaminating the inside of the bag or to-go container. It matters because when the customer starts eating the treat, the customer can get sick. Always keep your customers in mind because you can’t continue operating your food business without them.
Use Common Sense To Keep Food Safe
Have you ever visited an eatery and noticed employees rushing to serve without washing their or not putting on gloves? How about employees cleaning tables or the floor who make a sudden stop to take your to-go order? You may not have been trained employees properly to use common sense, which is a failure. As a food service manager, you need to lead by example so your colleagues (employees) can follow or emulate you. Washing your hands frequently is something you know or should know already and how important that is. It would be best to have a designated handwashing sink away from food to avoid rapid cross-contamination. The point is not to get a person (employee or customer sick); this is important because that could be a child or an older person. It could also be a person with a compromised immune system who gets sick, so what can you do? You need to wear gloves and if you are an employee and don’t have them, ask your supervisor or manager. Why? Remember the customer who wanted to purchase the cookies? It won’t be easy to put anything inside the bag without touching it unless you have some gloves on or use a pair of tongs. Sometimes, using common sense can help you understand better. It is so important because when you serve food, you provide a service to customers who want to satisfy their nutritional needs.
Be A Food Hero And People Will Remember What You Do
Have you ever considered yourself a hero within the food industry? Until now, you may have taken it for granted, but you are because you feed people! Customers need your service, and you would want to provide it in the most effective and sanitary way. When you do that, you could keep those customers coming back. Now you know that collaboration may lead to progression, and it all starts by keeping your food establishment sanitary and inviting. Wash your hands before putting gloves on, do not handle ready-to-eat food with bare hands, use common sense, and you would be fine.
