The word “smoothie” hasn’t always referenced the well-blended, fruit filled, cold, refreshing beverage that many enjoy today.
Whether it’s full-service, quickserve or fast-casual, there are more sandwiches on restaurant menus than any other food item.
DÉBUT has the scoop on new products and trends that are popping up in today’s kitchens.
Dish washing… a necessity for every restaurant, but we’re willing to bet that your feelings toward washing the dishes might have to do with the cleaning method your restaurant has available.
When restaurants were forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many owners learned some hard but valuable lessons about insurance and risk.
Thinking about profitability comes with the territory when you’re an owner or operator of any business, but especially within the foodservice industry.
When you stop to think that Canada’s 84,000 restaurants and commercial dining establishments serve more than 5.4 billion meals each year, it might not be a surprise to learn that there are approximately 4.8 million confirmed cases of foodborne illness in this country annually.
“EFFICIENCY” ISN’T EXACTLY SEXY, but it can be exciting, especially when it results in your business operating smoothly, successfully, and safely. Peter Druker, the legendary management consultant, explained it best: “Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.” It’s finding those areas of improvement and optimizing your efforts for equal or better return. In fact, when it comes to the foodservice industry, lack of efficiency can be a frightening thought – chaos, anarchy, frustration, and anger for your staff, paired with upset, disappointed and potentially sick customers. No matter how you look at it, efficiency is pinnacle to your reputation with customers, staff and within the industry.
In this edition of DÉBUT magazine, we’re celebrating efficiency in its many forms. We’ll explore ways to make your kitchen – heck, your entire restaurant –function more optimally.
From finding ways that will let you cook your food faster and increase your output while lowering labour costs, to discussing best practices for keeping your kitchen impressively clean (even your local health department will be in awe) – you’ll be ready to improve your kitchen’s efficiency. And we can’t forget about the front of the house, we’ll explore ways to keep the public areas of your restaurant safer and share tips for working with your insurance provider more efficiently.
With the help of a few of Canada’s leading industry experts, including Amana, Hobart, Robot Coupe, Thermor, Vitamix, and Excess Underwriting Inc., you’ll start to feel the excitement that efficiency can bring to the table.
Without further ado, may we present you with DÉBUT –
The Efficiency Edition.
Dave Ross President of ESI Marketing Group
Your resource for in-depth information on top quality, innovative products
A publication of ESI Marketing Group Fall 2022 | Issue 2
John Zuga ROBOT COUPE
Camille Godet HOBART CANADA
Graeme Finnell EXCESS UNDERWRITING Jennifer Pulis THERMOR
Mark McEwan FOOD SERVICE SOLUTIONS www.esimktg.com ESI Marketing Group
DÉBUT magazine is published two times a year.
ESI Marketing Group, is a Division of NMG since 1990.
We welcome your comments and suggestions, please forward them to the address below or email at marketing@esimktg.com
The publishers assume no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. All material published in DÉBUT Magazine is copyright and reproduction is forbidden without the permission of the publishers.
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AS RECENTLY AS THE MIDDLE OF the 20th century, the word smoothie could mean just about anything. It was the name of a paint brand, a pen, and even a brand of women’s lingerie.
So, how did the smoothie we know today come to be? In the early 1970’s, Louisiana teenager Steven Kuhnau was looking for a lactose-free alternative to the milkshake and started pulverizing fruits and juices in his blender. He was so happy with the result that he started a restaurant to sell them to the public and christened it Smoothie King.
Although pulpy fruit drinks had existed for millennia before that, Kuhnau was the first to market them as smoothies. And while they’ve been steadily gaining in popularity for half a century, market analysts say they’re more popular now than ever. According to a 2022 IMARC Group report, the global smoothie market will be valued at $20 billion annually by 2027.
Whether it’s because of the health benefits or
“Smoothies are very relevant today,” says Mark McEwan of Vitamix Canada. “Even McDonald’s is doing smoothies now. They’re perfect for breakfast and lunch or even a midday snack because they’re so healthy. You’re blending whole fruits and vegetables to create essentially a full meal in a glass.”
And it all starts with the blender. McEwan says Vitamix makes a blender specifically for smoothies. “We have a model just for the front of the house that has sound enclosures to muffle the noise so you can blend a smoothie at your bar and your customers can still hear you,” he says.
Once you’re armed with the right blender, you’re ready to hop on the smoothie bandwagon. That’s because when it comes to smoothie recipes, virtually anything goes.
The word “smoothie” hasn’t always referenced the well-blended, fruit filled, cold, refreshing beverage that many enjoy today.
Smoothies will always be a fruit-forward drink, so you can never go wrong with fruit flavours. According to Google Ads, strawberry-banana is not only a classic, but the most popular flavour. If you’re wanting to explore beyond the ordinary, up-and-comers include starfruit, dragon fruit and even smoothies that can be given a little kick from your bar rail.
A recent Datassential survey says smoothie bowls – a thicker, extremely photogenic version of the drinkable smoothie – have grown in popularity by 133% over the last five years. You can offer any smoothie on your menu in bowl form and top it off by adding crunchy toppings like seeds, nuts, oats, or shredded coconut for a totally Instagram worthy dish.
If customers are choosing smoothies as a more healthconscious option, find ways to power up your offer! You can make an extra-healthy version by using herbal teas, plant-based milks, protein powders or add-ins like flax, collagen or hempseeds to your fresh fruit and vegetable base. Plus, having these as options will allow your menu to be appetizing to those
NOT SO HEALTHY FOOD:
Of course, no one said a smoothie has to be healthy. Introduce some decadence that will give customers a sweet treat. Think dessert in a cup – key lime pie, chocolate brownie, banana split. And let’s be honest introducing new flavours can build excitement with your customer base, while giving you some good social media content to get the conversation
If you’re new to the smoothie game, there are a few ways you can design a smoothie menu that will keep you on trend for the next few years:
Fact: the sandwich is the single most popular entrée on a restaurant menu.
HETHER IT’S FULL-SERVICE, quick-serve or fast-casual, there are more sandwiches on restaurant menus than any other food item. Even as the trend toward healthier eating continues to gather momentum, if you can keep coming up with interesting flavour combinations, there will always be a market for a great sandwich.
A decade ago, the panini press was the musthave appliance when it came to crafting the perfect hot sandwich, but those days may be coming to an end. “Panini presses aren’t the ideal way to heat up a sandwich,” says Mark McEwan, spokesman for Amana Canada. “They take too long and they create bottlenecks in the kitchen.”
Instead, McEwan recommends a high-speed oven, like his company’s Xpress Chef brand that can do so much more than a panini press. “It can toast a sandwich five times faster than a traditional toaster oven, and it’s so easy to use that anyone in your kitchen can grill or bake or sear with a single touch of the screen.” And if you follow some of this year’s top trends, they’ll be able to make the kind of craveable hot sandwiches that will have your customers coming back again and again.
With the world as your palette, there’s no limit to the flavour combinations you can create between the bread. Start in Asia with steamed buns from China or banh mi from Vietnam. Try a little Latino flair with tortas or cemitas from Mexico or fritas (a burger topped with spicy ketchup and homemade fries) from Cuba. Or season your beef, pork, or lamb with cumin, turmeric, cardamom, or citrus for a taste of the Middle East.
You might think of a raft as something you paddle down a rushing river, but the culinary version is equally exciting. Think of it as an open-faced sandwich piled high with tasty toppings. Start with crispy, warm flatbread. Then load it up with beef, poultry, pork, or fish. Give it some crunch with salad greens and grilled vegetables, and top it all off with an egg – sunny side up, naturally.
You’ve heard of pulled pork and pulled beef brisket. Well, it turns out that’s not all that can be pulled when it comes to making brag worthy sandwiches. Barbecue joints across the U.S. and Canada have been busy thinking up delicious new takes on this slow-cooking phenomenon. How about pulled braised turkey, a mouth-watering alternative to cold sliced turkey breast? Or pulled bacon –smoked, cured, and brined until it’s soft enough to shred by hand?
THE ENDS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
And speaking of barbecue joints, they’re once again serving as inspiration for what is sure to be another top sandwich trend – the ends. Made from the point or deckle of a brisket, burnt ends are every bit as flavourful as ribs, but without the bone and mess. Marinate them in a house-made barbecue sauce and serve them on a brioche bun with melted cheddar and pickled red onion.
Sure, the sandwich may seem like a simplistic offering but it’s all in how you make it! With some exploration, the right ingredients and a high-speed oven, your sandwiches can be the “hot” item that everyone wants to get their hands on.
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It’s been said that the Chef’s knife is one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in the kitchen because of the arm that operates it. Now anyone can slice, dice, chop, grate, grind and so much more with Brunner Anliker’s GSM-5. With a fully encased induction motor and 30-year life expectancy, these units will continue to perform at the highest level with minimal maintenance and service requirements. This labour-saving food processor is perfect for commercial kitchens of all sizes!
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Expand your beverage program beyond lattes and cappuccinos with profitable specialty beverages. Featuring a 4.4lb chocolate powder hopper for hot chocolate and mochas, two 2.2lb (1kg) bean hoppers, and a convenient 1 gallon (4L) milk refrigerator for long periods of consistent operation expertly crafting your beverages with perfect espresso and Black & White acclaimed hot and cold milk/foam. The BW4c CTM P-F-RS additionally holds up to four syrup flavors to effortlessly create café favorites, such as flavored mochas and seasonal beverage offerings.
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DÉBUT has the scoop on new products and trends that are popping up in today’s kitchens.
The Ultra NX strengthens the already profitable and reliable Ultra equipment platform by offering enhanced design features that deliver a total cost of ownership reduction. The Ultra NX maximizes equipment uptime while providing easier equipment maintenance.
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DRY AGER™ is the leading brand in dry-aging cabinets worldwide – delivering, safe, effective, and easy-touse technology. Produce dry-aged beef, pork, game, fish, charcuterie, vegetables, cheese, and jerky easier than ever. The sophisticated design of DRY AGER™ cabinets incorporates UVC sterilization to eliminate germs and bacteria and circulates clean air once per minute, while precise temperature controls reduce shrinkage to deliver unprecedented results and increased profits. DRY AGER™ provides modern solutions for a new generation of butchers, chefs, and operators!
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Classic Italian design, now available with 23g cube. Perfect for the discerning mixologist and bartender looking for a clear ice cube that maintains its distinctively modern shape when shaken.
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The clearance height is increased by 1.6” compared to the previous model. It is now 14.57”, allowing larger items to fit.
The new microfilter system keeps water clean for longer and reduces detergent consumption by 20%. The fine residual dirt is collected and discharged during the washing cycle.
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Rheninghaus professional slicers are designed to meet the widest range of food preparation needs! Ideal for deli shops, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, cafes, catering and so much more. Rheninghaus is manufactured to the highest quality and food safety standards, resulting in exceptional performance, durability, and functionality. These versatile slicers can handle a variety of products including meat, bread, cheese, vegetables, fish, and frozen products with ease. Offering both belt and gear driven models, Rheninghaus delivers high quality food equipment built for professional kitchens!
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Create the perfect cup of coffee. Thermocouple technology for fast response time. Temperature range from 0-220° F with /-1°F accuracy. There is a safety zone feature and alert when temperature reaches out of the safe zone. The thermometer has a large LCD readout for ease of visibility. NSF listed and IP67 waterproof rating. taylorusa.com
Designed to be placed directly in commercial dishwashers, the thermometer reads and records the max temperature and surface temperature of water to ensure dishes are washed and sanitized in accordance with FDA standards. Accurately measures surface temperature of water. Accuracy: +1.8F°; +1C°. This item is IP67 waterproof, NIST traceable and NSF Listed. taylorusa.com
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BIG RESTAURANTS TYPICALLY have the space to accommodate a commercial dishwasher, where smaller restaurants might not have the same luxury.
If your restaurant doesn’t have a commercial dishwasher, chances are you rely on the three-sink method to keep your wares clean, spotless, and bacteria-free. It’s a method that’s been around forever and although it gets the seal of approval from most health departments, the three-sink method isn’t foolproof. In fact, a lot of restaurants try to streamline the process in the name of efficiency without recognizing that in doing so, they may be sacrificing the cleanliness of their ware. Let’s be honest, dirty dishes are less than appetizing. So, allow us to serve up a guide to ensure your three-sink warewashing is up to snuff and your dishes will pass the test.
PREP: Prep your sinks –yes, all three. Thoroughly clean each one, and fill with water. Ensuring the water is the right temperature, using the right chemicals in the right proportions, and testing the concentrations with a test strip are imperative. The cleaner you start, the less likely you’ll be to re-do the work.
WASHING: Sink 1 is the wash sink, with minimum 40°C water and detergent. Always dilute your detergent in water and never apply it directly to the wares. Scrub with a brush or scouring pad to remove the dirt and replace the water and soap when suds are no longer visible.
RINSING: When finished washing, transfer the wares to Sink 2, the rinse sink – filled with water only, no soap, no chemicals. Submerge the wares to remove soap and replace the water when it gets too soapy.
SANITIZING: Don’t overlook Sink 3. Sanitizing is vital to kill remaining bacteria and avoid food-borne illnesses. Chemical sanitizers –using the proper bleach-to-water ratio – or hot water (minimum 80°C) will sanitize. Wares must be submerged for at least one minute, and never rinsed after for either option.
DRYING: In the three-sink method, drying always means air drying on a rack or drainboard, letting the water drain completely, and never using a cloth or towel to expedite the dry.
Proper execution of the threesink method results in spotless wares, but it takes time – and other resources. “It seems cheap, but it’s not,” says Gabriele Forneris of Hobart Canada. “Between the hot water, the power, and the chemicals, restaurants are spending on average about $7,500 a year for the three-sink method.” And that’s not including the $30,000 a year they’re spending on labour.
Commercial dishwashers can certainly increase efficiencies, but when the price tag for this type of appliance is upward of $25,000, understandably restaurant owners can’t always justify the expense. But what if there was a more affordable option? Forneris says Hobart recently unveiled the Centerline CDL-H, a door-style dishwasher in the below 10k range. “It only costs about $2,500 a year to run,” he says, “so it pays for itself in two years.”
In addition to the monetary savings, Forneris says the Centerline also saves time. “It only takes a couple of hours a night to run the same number of dishes manually washed,” he says. “So, your staff person can spend the remaining six hours doing other tasks around the kitchen. That’s a huge efficiency, especially during a labour shortage.”
As difficult as it can be to make a big-ticket purchase, the return for your restaurant can be well worth the investment. And with a costeffective option available, it’s okay to say so-long to the relationship you’ve established with the threesink method.
Dish washing… a necessity for every restaurant, but we’re willing to bet that your feelings toward washing the dishes might have to do with the cleaning method your restaurant has available.
When restaurants were forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many owners learned some hard but valuable lessons about insurance and risk.
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST LESSON was that most insurance policies contain exclusions for Communicable Disease or fear or threat of a Communicable Disease. In the absence of any physical loss or physical damage occurring during the policy period, claims for business income loss related to pandemic related exposures are typically not covered. “Many Restaurant Owners did not realize that there has to be physical property loss to trigger a business interruption claim,” says Graeme Finnell, AVP, Liability & Broker Relations, at Excess Underwriting.
Every business comes with risks, it’s simply part of the territory. But being aware of potential risks for
your specific operation can be one of the best ways to be prepared. So, what other risks are there that restaurant owners might want to be proactive in managing to prevent claims from occurring?
“Restaurants are not an easy class of business,” Finnell says. There are many risks associated with restaurant operations that owners can help mitigate by taking on a more proactive role in trying to manage their risk. We asked Finnell about a few of the biggest insurance risk exposures that restaurant owners face on a day-to-day basis.
The foodservice industry has struggled to maintain adequate
staffing, especially on the service side. “During the pandemic, a lot of servers and wait staff were laid off because restaurants were not allowed to operate. Employees realized they couldn’t afford not to work and had to seek alternate employment to make ends meet. When restrictions eased and allowed restaurants to re-open, owners and operators found that they were not able to bring back former staff as many had secured other jobs. Scrambling to fill the void with inexperienced serving staff had a ripple effect on service levels causing poor experiences for patrons and in some cases leading to poor reviews for the restaurants themselves.”
The Solution:
Hire experienced staff whenever you can, and when that’s not possible, train your new hires thoroughly.
A well-trained team member is an investment worth making when the customer experience (and your reputation) is at risk.
The biggest complaint most brokers hear, according to some of the top clients that support Excess Underwriting, is that insurance rates are too high! The result is that many restaurant owners are focused on reducing insurance pricing and any expenses related to insurance, which is understandable given the struggles
they have had over the last 3 years. The problem with worrying excessively about premiums or insurance costs is that it may take their focus off risk management. Insureds that don’t think about risk management make it more difficult for insurers and underwriters to control exposures, reduce claims, and ultimately bring insurance rates down.
The Solution: Seek alternate quote options through your broker. If you think you’re paying too much, Finnell recommends shopping around “Most restaurant owners are busy and hyper-focused on the bottom line, and most say ‘they’re too
busy to compare prices’ – but it’s worth doing. You need to find a broker who can understand your exposures, recommend risk control efficiencies and changes to the way you run your business and then find the right coverage and insurer that works best for you.”
With winter’s arrival, we can expect a surge in slip and fall claims, especially in bigger restaurants. Slip and fall claims for any retail exposure is always a challenge for underwriters. “The more space you have, the more foot traffic and the greater your risk,” Finnell says.
Fortunately, steps can be taken to prevent/mitigate slip and fall claims. More importantly, the more action you take, the more attractive a risk becomes to a potential insurer which may result in lower rates and pricing. Finnell recommends simple solutions like ensuring all floor surfaces are clean and dry. If you have washrooms in the basement, have railings, and make sure the space is well lit and free of debris. Never allow food or drink near the stairs. Installing cameras inside and outside the building can help capture claim events which could be useful should issues arise. Finally, having a 3rd party contractor (with proof of insurance) can be a very useful tool helping transfer risk to that 3rd party for their errors and/or negligence in snow removal and salting to prevent slip and falls, as well as for any general maintenance or repair issues required inside (such as plumbing repairs and cooking apparatus cleaning and maintenance on semi annual basis).
Talking insurance isn’t the most exhilarating conversation that can be had, but it is one that is critical to manage risk and keep premiums down.
When was the last time that you reviewed your coverage? If it’s been a while, consider setting some time aside to ensure the coverage you have is the coverage you require! Meet with your broker as often as needed as they are experts in risk management and will help mange your risk for your restaurant. ‘‘
Many Restaurant Owners did not realize that there has to be physical property loss to trigger a business interruption claim.
Thinking about profitability comes with the territory when you’re an owner or operator of any business, but especially within the foodservice industry.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS that impact just how profitable or successful your restaurant can be. Like high-cost food and ingredients, labour expenses, operating hours, menu offerings, having the right equipment, and that’s just to name a few.
While some are non-negotiable for your restaurant’s success, there are solutions to ensure your success in serving your customers comes with a profit for you. Whether your restaurant functions as full-service sit-down dining, a more casual order-atthe-counter-and grab a seat style, or a fast-food option, finding ways to be profitable is important.
We’ve seen restaurants of all kinds embrace third-party delivery apps like Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats, while others
have introduced the idea of “ghost kitchens” to increase sales by targeting the eat-at-home clientele. Other restaurants have struggled to make a come back after forced closure during the pandemic, or discovered challenges in finding staff when they reopened, impacting their ability to function as they once did. And on top of that, everyone in the foodservice industry is dealing the “i” word… okay, fine we’ll say it: inflation!
Finding ways to be more efficient allows staff to work smarter during their shift; getting more done, saving time, and ultimately feeling less stressed, especially when faced with staffing challenges.
Let’s say you have a turkey salad on your menu. How long do you think it would take to get all the components ready?
John
Zuga, International Sales Manager atRobot Coupe acknowledges that even for a standard menu item like a salad, there are many steps involved: “You’ll have to slice the turkey, the vegetables and the cheese by hand and that can take hours”. And if your turkey salad is one of your most popular lunch items you may sell 100 or more every day. That means the prep for just that one menu item takes two to four hours. But what if you could do this in a fraction of the time? You would be getting the same output and making your staff available to complete other tasks, which can result in needing fewer team members and most importantly, increasing your return on effort.
Robot Coupe sells food processors to restaurants around the world. The biggest benefit is the time they save. “With our larger machines, you can slice everything,” says Zuga, “meat, vegetables, cheese. One employee can prep an entire salad bar in 45 minutes.”
In the case of the turkey salad, these processors can slice all the ingredients in 12 seconds per salad. Multiply that by 100, and the magic machine turns an hours-long task into a 20-minute job. “All you have to do is change the blade,” he says. “The machine does the rest of the work.”
Robot Coupe machines are popular in every sector of the foodservice industry, from big to small kitchens because of the unit’s ability to cut prep times down significantly, as much as 75 per cent – and sometimes more. They’re especially impressive in Mediterranean restaurants, where they’re typically used to pulverize chickpeas for huge batches of hummus. “It takes five to six hours in a blender to make 60 litres of hummus,” he says. “Our machines can do it in two minutes.”
As restaurants look to keep menu prices affordable in the race of rising food and labour costs, having the right equipment in your kitchen can be a gamechanger. Food processors, for example, not only let you save on labour costs, but they can also help you with the cost of your food – and even improve its quality. “Think of all the things you buy pre-cut,” he says. “There’s fries and salads and shredded cheese. Since it hardly takes any time to slice them with our processors, you don’t have to buy them frozen or pre-cut anymore. You can buy fresh vegetables and whole bricks of cheese. You’re saving lots of money, and your food is even better because it’s fresh.”
JOHN ZUGAIt’s not always about working harder to bring in more return; it’s about working smarter and finding opportunities to be more efficient that will add to the overall success of your restaurant, no matter the size.
‘‘
Think of all the things you buy pre-cut. Since it hardly takes any time to slice them with our processors, you don’t have to buy them frozen or pre-cut anymore.
When you stop to think that Canada’s 84,000 restaurants and commercial dining establishments serve more than 5.4 billion meals each year, it might not be a surprise to learn that there are approximately 4.8 million confirmed cases of foodborne illness in this country annually.
That equates to about 1 in 8 Canadians getting sick from a meal made in a commercial kitchen every year.
WITH THE ODDS firmly against you, the best route for an efficient restaurant is through keeping it safe enough so that municipal, provincial, and federal health inspectors give you the passing grade and avoid being forced into temporary closure. “Your restaurant might have the nicest views, the best chefs, gorgeous equipment, and an amazing menu, but that means nothing if you don’t have a food safety program in place,” says Jennifer Pulis, Vice President, Sales of BIOS Medical, whose Thermor
division sells thermometers to the restaurant industry.
Pulis works with those in the foodservice industry to ensure they understand the risks they face in working with food and take the right precautions to keep their restaurants safe – and open. “Your key responsibility is to be efficient,” she says. She helps her clients by showing them what health inspectors are looking for and how to pass inspection. So, what are inspectors looking for? She says there are three main areas of interest:
EMPLOYEE HYGIENE: Here’s a disturbing statistic for you: According to a 2018 study, 42 per cent of Canadians don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom. The good news is that the study also showed that posting a sign above the sink encouraging people to wash actually works. And it’s not just washing hands, staff need to be aware of what they’re doing near food and avoid things like coughing, scratching, touching their face and playing with their hair. Friendly reminders are a
relatively easy way to encourage your staff to follow protocol consistently, keeping them, your customers, and their food safe.
SANITATION: Sanitation starts with keeping everything clean. Everything. Utensils, handles, doors, fridges, faucets, mixers, slicers, cutting boards – if it has a surface, you need to keep it clean. That’s pretty basic. Equally basic is the need to keep your fresh meats and produce clean.
Things become more complex when you start thinking about
cross-contamination, the unintentional transfer of harmful bacteria from one surface to another. “When you take a thermometer out of one piece of meat and put it into another without cleaning it properly, you’ll get crosscontamination,” Pulis says.
Thoroughly cleaning your instruments and utensils after each use is one way to avoid crosscontamination. Storing uncooked meats, seafood, and produce separately is another.
As a restaurant owner, you can help hold your staff accountable
for keeping things clean by having a routine checklist, daily task assignment, and frequent monitoring to ensure the tasks are being completed when and as often as they’ve been prescribed.
FOOD SAFETY: Any food can cause a foodborne illness if it’s not properly prepared. Acidity, time, temperature, oxygen, and moisture can all cause harmful bacteria growth, so Pulis says kitchen staff need to be vigilant against all of them.
“There are so many things to monitor,” Pulis says. “Food goes
through different stages, and there are steps that need to be taken at every stage.” She recommends temperature checks when receiving and storing food, during freezing, thawing, refrigeration, cooking, hot holding, cooling, and reheating. “Each of these stages is an opportunity for bacteria to get into food,” she says. “It only takes 20 minutes for bacteria to double and food to spoil, so with the right precautions at the right time, you can save a lot of trouble.”
Food safety is a serious consideration in the foodservice industry. It needs to be made a priority and a responsibility of each team member. It is critical to educate your staff, not by just simply telling them what to do but explaining why it needs to be done can certainly help them adhere to the expectations and thereby protect your customers and ultimately, the operation of your restaurant. t
‘‘
It only takes 20 minutes for bacteria to double and food to spoil, so with the right precautions at the right time, you can save a lot of trouble.
JENNIFER PULIS
