Foodservice Sanitation and Infection Control

In 2011, record amounts of cantaloupe, grape tomatoes, chicken, strawberries, ground turkey and pre-packaged salads were recalled because of foodborne illness and contamination. The economic and reputational costs of a food outbreak, due to lack of sanitation and infection control measures, can be incalculable. Still, the numbers are sobering.

In 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture estimated that foodborne illness from two E. coli organisms, plus Campylobacter, Salmonella and Listeria, cost $6.9 billion, and the National Restaurant Association estimates that just one foodborne illness can cost a restaurant upwards of $75,000. The reputational costs can be high enough to drive a company out of business.

"People are more aware of the importance of sanitation and infection control/prevention," says Teresa Farmer, sustainability consultant for Knoxville, Tenn.-based Kelsan Inc. "People want to know that they are safe eating in an establishment, and seeing proper cleaning procedures being conducted in the front of the restaurant, and hand sanitizers placed near the restrooms, give people the assurance that they are being protected from disease."

Read more:
 http://www.cleanlink.com/hs/article/Foodservice-Sanitation-and-Infection-Control--14906