Cutting boards come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. You might have one made of glass, plastic, marble, wood, or even stainless steel. No matter what kind of cutting board you use, it can easily become a source of contamination and foodborne illness if you’re not careful. How can a cutting board make people sick? […]
Stand-Up Training: Effective Communication in Food Service
Empower Employees Through Food Safety Training Good communication is at the heart of every food establishment, and it starts with you — the manager. Share your expectations about communication with your employees. Teach them how to communicate effectively with customers, with each other, and with management. Learning Objectives You may choose to read these learning […]
Hand Hygiene: What’s on Your Hands?
Have you thought about how many germs are on your hands? You’d be surprised at how easily your hands become contaminated and contribute to foodborne illnesses. In fact, 9 out of 10 foodborne illness outbreaks can be traced back to contaminated hands from food workers. The best way to combat that? Proper hand washing! When […]
How Texas Food Service Businesses are Overcoming Pandemic Challenges
New cases of COVID-19 have been decreasing in Texas since about mid-January 2021. Starting March 10, 2021, all businesses, including food service businesses, may return to 100% capacity. But mixed with the good news are continuing challenges. County judges may restore restrictions on food service businesses anytime the COVID-19 hospitalization rate within a hospital region […]
Stand-Up Training: Servers and Food Contamination
Empower Employees Through Food Safety Training Preventing food contamination isn’t just a concern during its preparation. It can also be contaminated when it’s being served to the customer. Use this training to teach servers how they can help keep food safe while it’s being carried to the customer. Learning Objectives You may choose to read […]
February Cartoon: Cooking Meat to Safe Temperatures
Cooking food at home can be a great way to save money and control what you eat. However, this means you are now in charge of making sure bacteria and viruses don’t spread on the food you will soon be eating. If you don’t cook food at the correct temperature, you can become seriously ill. […]
In Memory of Kirk Mecham
The StateFoodSafety team was saddened to learn of Kirk Mecham’s passing on January 9, 2021. For nearly a decade, Kirk lent his voice talent to StateFoodSafety courses. His deep baritone voice brought a wonderful dynamic to our training. He is irreplaceable as a human being and a gifted performer. We will truly miss him. You […]
How to Prepare Seafood Safely in California
Between 2014 and 2018, investigators traced around 48 outbreaks of foodborne illness in California back to seafood. Statistically, that’s not bad. California had 607 total foodborne illness outbreaks in 2014–2018, meaning only about 8 percent of all outbreaks were tied to seafood. But there’s a story behind every number. Those 48 outbreaks caused 619 people to […]
Stand-Up Training: Serving Customers with Dietary Restrictions
Empower Employees Through Food Safety Training Food allergies are not the only dietary restriction you will be asked to accommodate in your establishment. Most Americans have participated in some form of restricted diet in their lifetime. Not all restricted diets have weight loss in mind, either. They can be for religious, medical, or even ethical […]
January Cartoon: How to Keep Ready-to-Eat Food Safe
In 2013 and 2014, the FDA collected data on behaviors in restaurants that often lead to food safety problems. Investigators found that about 40% of all fast-food restaurants were not cleaning and sanitizing properly. And just over 60% of full-service restaurants also had problems with cleaning and sanitizing. That means about half of all restaurants that […]