That pit in your stomach. That worry that now there’s yet another thing on your already crowded plate. And worst of all, that heart-wrenching concern that customers’ safety or your company’s reputation is on the line. You know the feeling: that feeling you get when ingredients you purchased for the menu have been recalled. But — trepidation aside — the question remains, how do you stop food recall fallout fast in its tracks?
Keep your cool
The tough truth is, food recalls come with the territory — and they’re only picking up speed across the foodservice industry. From 2013 to 2018, meat and poultry recalls increased by two-thirds, while food recalls overall jumped up by 10%. Acknowledging this reality of food recall prevalence is part of the battle. It allows you to mentally prepare and stay calm under pressure when a recall inevitably strikes.
Stay informed
As they say, knowledge is power. If you stay up to date on recalls, you’re better prepared to handle them proactively. To track recalls in real-time, go to FoodSafety.gov, which includes notices of recalls and alerts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can also get recall notices right to your inbox by subscribing to email updates on FDA.gov. With early access to information, you can protect the restaurant, its customers, and make better purchasing decisions in the future.
Communicate with the kitchen
Prompt communication is of paramount importance with food recalls. As soon as you learn of a recall, clearly communicate the details of it to restaurant staff so they’re aware of what’s happening. Of course, no one should serve the recalled item under any circumstance. But beyond that, make sure the staff is equipped with an action plan for handling the recalled product. Whether that means using substitute ingredients or eliminating affected menu items altogether, have a clear protocol in place for kitchen staff.
Manage affected products
Once you find out about a recall, let it be known by explicitly labeling impacted products so the kitchen staff knows not to use them. Double and triple-check to make sure you label all items matching the recall notice. Once you round up all the recalled products, isolate them and place them in a secure location — away from all other food, utensils, prep stations and equipment. When you’re ready to get rid of the items, do your due diligence and refer to the suppliers’ instructions for disposal.
Sanitize
You can’t be too careful when it comes to cleaning areas that have potentially come into contact with recalled food products. To reduce risk of cross-contamination, advise staff to wash and sanitize all areas where the product was used or stored, including prep stations, utensils, holding cabinets, refrigerators and equipment. Once they’ve cleaned impacted areas, they must also sanitize their hands by washing them thoroughly in warm water. Last but not least, document this cleaning protocol to ensure kitchen staff has a go-to set of instructions in the event of future recalls.
When food recalls strike, act faster with the right equipment.
Cleaning commercial kitchen equipment in the midst of a food recall frenzy can be a daunting task. You need to act fast, but certain commercial equipment will make this extremely difficult. Hatco equipment, on the other hand, has an array of easy-clean options, so you can keep your kitchen free and clear of contamination — and minimize food recall fallout.
