“Don’t go to that restaurant, I got food poisoning a few weeks ago from there”
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Each year, foodborne illness affects about 48 million Americans. That’s 1 in every 6 people. 128, 000 get hospitalized and 3,000 people die. If your establishment is not focused on making food safety a priority, you could potentially have a foodborne illness outbreak endangering customers and harming your business. Help keep consumers happy and healthy by recognizing the important role food safety plays and implement safe practices.
The first step in mitigating foodborne illness risks is to start preparing long before an outbreak occurs. It is critical to rigorously train employees on safe food handling practices. Several companies are hiring their own internal health inspectors to conduct regulatory visits. This investment in safety is a tiny fraction of what it may cost your business if an outbreak were to occur.
Some of the most common violations are time and temperature, food storage, cross contamination, personal hygiene, chemical usage and storage, handling, and storage of utensils.
Now more than ever, a pest sighting can be detrimental to a restaurant’s reputation and long-term success. On average, three times a day, State Inspectors cite Palm Beach County restaurants for insect and/or animal related violations according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation records. This includes everything from roaches, flying insects, rodents, and various droppings and excrement.