Produce Safety Tips for a Healthy Summer
Fruits and vegetables are meant to nourish the body, however, improper handling can lead to destructive illness. E. Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria are all sicknesses that arise from germ-filled produce that can easily ruin a fun summer.
As a restaurant owner, you and your employees deal with produce on a daily basis. As a reminder, here are some essential tips for practicing safe produce handling.
Purchase From a Reputable Supplier
You want to know where all of your food is coming from. So, start food safety straight from the source. Make sure that your produce supplier is reputable and can ensure the safety of the produce they provide. Some ways of ensuring your produce comes from a reliable source is if your supplier is:
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified
- Someone who meets the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule
Before purchasing from a supplier ask a few essential questions and make sure that their production practices include:
- Extensive worker training
- Soil testing
- Water testing
- Safe use of compost
Keep Your Prepping Area Sanitary
From the utensils used to cut your produce to the countertops your produce resides on, there’s never been a more important time to keep a prepping area sanitary. Ensure that after each use of a workstation that it is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for the next user. This helps prevent the spread of illness through cross contamination at your prep station.
Separate Your Produce
A refrigerator has produce bins for a reason. In order to keep your produce fresh you have to keep it separated from the rest of the food you plan to serve at your restaurant. Any raw food that comes from an animal can easily infect your produce with unwanted germs. So, when storing your fruits and veggies, make sure to keep them away from any raw meats or fish that could contaminate the integrity of your produce.
Remember the Basic Preparation Tips
As always, the basics matter. Remind your staff to practice essential preparations steps that include:
- Regularly washing hands
- Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables
- Avoiding cross contamination during the prep process
Keep Your Produce Fresh With The Help Of Certified On The Fly
Certified On The Fly is the easiest way to ensure that your facility is on top of its produce game this summer. Trust our online course to help you and your employees learn the latest produce practices for keeping your customers safe.
Our online course is affordable and allows enrollees to work at their own pace. Register today and get your establishment ready to handle any food handling obstacle that gets in its way.
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