Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Making food safety commitments you can stick to
The beginning of a new year is often greeted with solemn promises to make an improvement in some aspect of our work, social or personal lives. From getting fit to learning a new language, New Year's resolutions are a moment when we reflect on what would be better for us. Unfortunately, New Year's resolutions are notorious for falling away: by the end of January we might be lucky to remember what they were, let alone have stuck to them. With Spring finally upon us there is a new perceived opportunity to make some more meaningful resolutions that your business can stick to.
In the foodservice industry, any opportunity to take a step back and consider what would make us better is welcome. The frantic nature of day-to-day work, particularly in a busy kitchen, makes such moments hard to come by.
In the spirit of resolution making, what could your foodservice business focus on improving in 2013? Well, certainly food safety procedures should always be given consideration - particularly as these are the kind of things that can all too easily get forgotten when you're busy. Yet, as we are all well aware, a slip in food safety and hygiene is likely to damage your business: one bad customer experience as a result of slipping hygiene standards can do untold damage to your reputation.
So why not make your business's resolution to focus on the highest standards of food safety and hygiene? Aim to:
Clean as you work: making sure cleanliness is maintained at all times will avoid it becoming an afterthought, particularly important during busy service. Make a habit of cleaning surfaces and clearing spills, with wipes available and in easy reach.
Be your own inspector: make it your goal to foster a culture where keeping an eye out for breaches of hygiene and safety is second nature - and sharing them is constructive and healthy.
Keep records up to date: it may not be the most exciting part of foodservice, but committing to keep documentation up to date could prove vital. These records could be used to prove you have robust safety standards in place if you are ever called upon to illustrate due diligence.
Now is the time to commit to maintaining the highest standards of food safety and - unlike many New Year's resolutions - sticking to your resolution!
25th April 2013