Originally published in the December issue of Total Food Service Magazine.
If you work in the food service industry, you’re likely aware
that fast casual chain, Chipotle, has experienced three foodborne illness
outbreaks in the past three months. Since August, there have been reports of
Norovirus, Salmonella, and E.coli – 3 of the “BIG 6” reportable foodborne
illnesses.
This has been a real crisis for Chipotle. Including all three
outbreaks, 44 restaurants were closed in three states, and hundreds of people became
ill. To recover from just one food poisoning incident is challenging enough -
many brands never do – but to recover from three
incidents will be even more difficult.
Remember Chi-Chi’s? Chi-Chi's was named "America's
Favorite Mexican Restaurant" eight years in a row. However, one of the worst Hepatitis A
outbreaks to ever take place in the U.S. food service industry occurred at a
Chi-Chi's in the Pittsburgh, PA area, where four people died and 660 people
contracted the virus in 2003. The
incident was eventually traced to green onions at the Chi-Chi's at Beaver
Valley Mall in Monaca, PA. Not even a year later, Chi-Chi’s closed its doors. Thankfully,
there haven’t been any deaths in the Chipotle outbreak, but three outbreaks in
as many months means rebuilding brand confidence is going to be very challenging.
If you’re in the food service industry, it’s time for you to
pause and seriously think about your
business. Every organization must create policies and procedures, and also make
certain that they are being followed. All of the knowledge in the world doesn’t
do a bit of good if it’s not applied.
We have an obligation to our guests to be certain that the
products we’re serving are purchased from reputable suppliers. Whether you’re
buying these products from a national corporation or have made the decision to
support local farmers, the food MUST be safe.
What policies do you have in place to be certain that your suppliers are
providing you with the safest products possible? I can assure you Chipotle
absolutely has strong food safety policies and procedures in place, and their
corporate office carefully researches their suppliers. After all, their slogan
is “food with integrity”.
How do you reduce the risks of making your guests ill?
- Purchase from
approved reputable suppliers.
- Require your
suppliers to have HACCP (Hazzard Analysis and Critical Control Point)
plans. Obtain copies of their
documentation for your records.
- Require all
management personnel to obtain a Food Manager’s Certification.
- Make certain
that everyone on your staff washes their hands appropriately, with soap
and hot water, using single-use towels to dry them.
- Keep hot food
hot and cold food cold or don’t keep it.
- Food
thermometers must be easily accessible – not locked in the office – and
should be used to monitor the temperature of food.
- Food
thermometers should be calibrated daily at a minimum; I recommend once a
shift (and when they are new, prior to their initial use and also if they
are dropped).
- Take the
temperatures of products upon delivery. If food products are unsafe when
they arrive, there is nothing you can do to make them safe later.
- TRAIN, TRAIN,
TRAIN and TRAIN some more. When you have well-trained staff, there’s a
much higher chance that they’ll properly prepare the food, which will make
your establishment safer and more profitable. This will also lower your risks for
liability, a ruined reputation and other negative fall-out from a foodborne
illness incident.
These foodborne illnesses have caused Chipotle’s stock to
plunge – only a few days after their biggest gain in four years. And, of course, its reputation has taken a
nosedive, as well, thanks to ongoing negative media stories, which have been
running nationwide. How did this happen
to such a reputable company, one who was has grown at a remarkable pace over
the past several years? Obviously something is awry.
If multiple foodborne illness incidents can happen to a
national brand as reputable as Chipotle, with plentiful resources at their
fingertips, it can happen to you, too.
The risks are real in every kitchen, regardless of genre. One mistake
and your reputation - and your livelihood - could be over forever. Remember,
foodborne illnesses are 100% preventable, so prevent them from happening in
your restaurant!
