Food Safety Market Blog

Allergies are coming back into the picture in a big way. In 2015, one of the largest surveys conducted on the subject revealed that one in 13 Canadians has a serious food allergy – 7.5% of children and adults. Conscientious restaurateurs, food service operators and chains already have some systems in place to help ensure that their allergic diners don’t accidentally eat something they shouldn’t.

The best way to handle allergens is with a holistic approach where everyone in your business is aware of allergens and how to handle them in food preparation and service.

Chipotle went to market with a unique strategy for a fast food chain: use fresh, local, and in some cases organic ingredients to create a unique experience for customers. Its vision and marketing tapped into the current anti-fast-food zeitgeist, and it worked. Chipotle became America’s “healthy” fast food option.

But in 2015 the filling started to fall out of Chipotle’s burrito. A total of five outbreaks occurred in its stores across America, with a number of customers coming down with E. coli poisoning, norovirus, and salmonella poisoning. The culprit was, obviously, a lack of attention to food safety procedures. It quickly became clear that the company’s culture was not focused on food safety or transparency in the wake of the earlier outbreaks in July and August. By the time the outbreaks occurred in the fall, Chipotle was in full crisis management mode as its company stock dropped 30% in the course of one month.

Health Canada recently updated its MICROWAVE FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES. With over 4 million cases of food poisoning per year in Canada, both commercial food service workers and consumers can benefit from more education on how to make sure the food you are reheating in the microwave is safe.

Food safety is a paramount concern over the holidays for everyone. Nobody wants anyone to get sick at such a busy time of year. We’ve got tips for meal hosts, party throwers and restaurants to make sure that your guests go home jolly.

Health departments may have a new resource in their bid to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks: social media. Yelp reviews and disgruntled tweets can serve a greater good beyond blowing off steam after a bad restaurant experience; they can help health officials track the source of outbreaks faster and more accurately.

No matter how many food safety precautions you take at your establishment, you will inevitably get a complaint at some point that a customer ate something at your restaurant that made them sick. These complaints aren’t a hassle, but an opportunity to conduct a review of your food handling procedures and a way to prevent negative reviews of your restaurant, both online and off.

Food safety and proper handling are essential during the hot summer months, when barbecues and picnics mean that food is often left out in high temperatures. Warm weather provides an ideal environment for bacteria, and it is important to take proper precautions to ensure no one gets sick. Take a look at the strategies below to make sure you have the information you need to eat safely this summer.