2020’s most common violations by restaurants, food service facilities, and food manufacturers are contamination, pests, sanitation, temperature, and hand washing. The ServSafe certification and training course teach employees a safe way to handle food for consumers responsibly. Other FDA violations cited were foreign supplier compliance, identifying chemical and biological hazards, pest control, employee training, and sanitizing and cleaning equipment. This training will prepare you for handling food safely with employees and customers. Here’s what to know about the violations and how to avoid them.
Pests
The FDA cited pest infestations of insects and rodents as a common violation for foodservice businesses getting citations. Cleaning equipment is an important part of the business. Insect infections cause illness in customers and among employees. It is important to train employees to clean tables, cooking equipment, dishware, and areas where garbage is stored. Rat or mice infestations will lead to a business being closed unless the problem is resolved. A course that trains your employees to learn to clean equipment properly and handle food waste is needed in all services. Since a violation from the FDA results in fines, closing a facility down, warning letters, and even prosecution, employee training is essential.
Contamination of Food
This occurs due to food being shipped or produced by a company that has handled it incorrectly. Produce may not be washed properly and arrive in packaging with dirt or soil in it. Meat, poultry, or fish may not have been handled by workers that did not wash their hands or refrigerate the food properly. Contamination occurs because employees do not practice good sanitation and cleanliness. The Servsafe course will train workers on how to manage food properly and safely.
Sanitization and Cleanliness
Restaurants can receive violations when meats are stored near fruits and vegetables. If they have dirty countertops, floors, cooking equipment, and cleaning equipment, this can result in a violation. Training your employees in all aspects of handling food, cleaning, and practicing safety will avoid some of these problems.
Temperature and Food Safety
The simple fact of keeping hot food hot and cold foods cold is often violated by food service workers. Keeping cooked food hot or warm is important in order to avoid bacteria and food illness. Leaving cold food out too long results in bacteria and contamination. Learning the rules and sticking to them prevents these problems. Our ServSafe program teaches you to use a thermometer to properly measure temperature and to cook and manage all food safely.
Handwashing
This is another simple rule that dictates washing your hands before and after preparing food. When you manage raw meat or poultry, wash your hands. Employee violations are from not wearing gloves, coming to work sick, not washing your hands after going to the bathroom, or when handling food or garbage. Training and observation are needed in this area.
Contact us about our Servsafe certification and training course for restaurants, fast food, cafeterias, bars, food companies, and other venues. We want to help train you to avoid these common violations and keep your employees and customers safe.
