Managing Retail Food Safety Operations in a Food Service Establishment

Food safety is very important to keep your customers and the community safe. Now during the pandemic it’s even more important. Continue to follow established food safety protocols and best practices for retail food establishments. Here are some tips that keep this in mind to help you out. 

Retail Food Safety Best Practices

• Always follow the 4 key steps to food safety from the FDA: Always — Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
• Wash, rinse, and sanitize food contact surfaces, dishware, utensils, food preparation surfaces, beverage equipment, and any other items that staff and custumers will use after each use.
• Also disinfect surfaces frequently touched by employees and/or customers such as door knobs, handles, and counters.
• Clean and disinfect floors, counters, and other facility access areas using proper disinfectants often.
• Prepare and use sanitizers according to their label instructions.
• When changing your normal food preparation procedures, food service, delivery functions, or making staffing changes, apply procedures that ensure:
• Cooked foods reach the proper internal temperatures prior to service or cooling.
  1. Hot foods are cooled rapidly for later use – check temperatures of foods being cooled in refrigerators or by rapid cooling techniques such as ice baths and cooling wands.
  2. The time foods being stored, displayed, or delivered are held in the danger zone (between 41°F and 135°F) is minimized.
  3. Proper training for food employees with new or altered duties and that they apply the training according to established procedures.
• Help customer maintain safety and social distancing by:
  1. Discontinuing operations, such as salad bars, buffets, and beverage service stations that require customers to use common utensils or dispensers.
  2. Apply markers to encourage spacing between customers while in line for food service or check out in accordance with state or local requirements.
• Verify that your ware-washing machines are operating at the required wash and rinse temperatures and with the appropriate detergents and sanitizers. Temperature monitoring systems can help you ensure this.
• While not optimal, hot water can be used in place of chemicals to sanitize equipment and utensils in manual ware-washing machines.