Import Safety Summit in Country’s Capital

Import Safety Summit is being held this week in Washington, D.C. and is being co-sponsored by the National Restaurant Association.  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, along with other industry leaders will be there to discuss the strengthening of public-private partnerships and how to enhance the safety of imported products used in the restaurant industry.

The panels will be comprised of representatives from Campbell Soup Company, Red Lobster, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Marketing Institute, Kraft Foods and McCormick & Company.

First Ever Import Safety Summit

The first-of-its-kind Import Safety Summit will include keynote speeches and panel discussions on how the private sector and the government can work together to continuously make improvements in the processes that have been put in place that ensure imported product safety.  As a member of the restaurant industry, it is paramount to understand the importance of safe imported food products.

Import Safety Summit and Equipment

At Short Order, we know that serving the highest quality food is important to your business regardless of whether it is imported or not.  That is why we sell only the finest in refrigerators, freezers, warming cabinets and other restaurant equipment.  The lines we carry, such as Manitowac, Beverage-Air, Hobart, Vulcan, and Lakeside; are committed to creating and delivering the best products to safely store and cook your carefully selected food products.  For the environmentally conscience restaurateur, we even carry many products with the prized ENERGY STAR rating.

Import Safety Summit Questions

If you have questions about the newest food importing guidelines, please check in with the National Restaurant Association.  If you have questions regarding restaurant equipment, please refer to one of our many buyers’ guides found on our Website or please feel free to contact our eager and knowledgeable customer service staff.

Food Safety Matters

Food Safety … It isn’t something most people think about on a daily basis, except for the restaurant industry that is.  We think about it everyday because the last thing any of us want is for someone to get sick from the food that we work hard to prepare.  We also don’t want to think about our restaurant being shut down because we didn’t meet food safety standards.

Food Safety Guidelines

With the right equipment and the right knowledge, food safety is a pretty easy thing to handle.

Some great guidelines to remember are:

-  All restaurant employee employees should follow hygiene guidelines; such as washing hands after using the restroom and before preparing food.

-  Cross-contamination of foods should be avoided at all times.  Wash, rinse and sanitize all food contact surfaces, such as work tables, slicers, and other preparation equipment.

-  Foods must be cooked to recommended internal temperatures.

-  Hot foods should be held hot at temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.  Holding cabinets provide a constant source of proper heat.

-  Cold foods should be kept cold at temperatures of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.  Keep a thermometer in your refrigerator to make sure the temperature is at the proper setting.

-  Abusing standard time and temperature standards for food should be avoided at all costs when handling prepared foods.

-  Leftovers should only be reheated in the oven once; after that they should be tossed out.

Food Safety Means Better Health

As stated earlier in the post, food safety matters to everyone … restaurateur, chef, employees, and patrons can all be harmed by foodborne pathogens.  There are more than 250 known foodborne diseases that cause anywhere from minor illness to death.  By following the simple guidelines listed above and by making sure all of your equipment is functioning properly, you can help prevent disease and illness caused by unhealthy foods.