Foodborne Illness
Meet Your BWW Food Safety Team
Continued from page 21
“It’s important to err on the side of safety and follow the
food code’s list of excludable symptoms to determine if it’s
safe for an employee to come to work,”she said. An employee
who exhibits symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea is especially a
concern.
Cleaning and sanitation are paramount
Cleaning and sanitation are essential components of an
effective strategy for food safety. Lundorff urges that cleanliness entails not only what is cleaned, but how and with what
chemicals.
“Buffalo Wild Wings implemented two checklists that are
available in Z-Hub Manager’s Tools that outline high touchpoints for both front of the house and heart of the house,”
Lundorff stated.
The Food Safety team identifies high touchpoints — such as
door handles and menus — that are prime targets for germs, not
only from Buffalo Wild Wings staff, but germs from guests as well.
“There is a concern that team members could contaminate
surfaces if they do not properly wash their hands, but we are also
at risk of having a sick guest come into the restaurant and leave
germs on tables, door handles or menus,”she continued.
Make food safety education engaging for staff
Food safety is a shared responsibility, so educating your frontline staff is key. But the basics of food safety education, like handwashing and proper food holding temperatures, have not changed
• LampFree
• MercuryFree
• StressFree
• 20,000 Hours of Operation
• Low Total Cost of
Ownership
SCORE
22
Pro Unit
THE
2016 Issue 1 |
Lundorff oversees Buffalo Wild Wings’ food safety strategy.
She leads the food safety team and their oversight of all aspects
of food safety, including supplier approval, execution of food
safety standards and policies in restaurants, service of guests
and monitoring of food safety-related guest comments.
Jamie Butterfass – Sr. Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Butterfass provides regulatory guidance and oversight on
a variety of food safety, occupational safety and nutrition topics
to support Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants.
Beth Meyer – Quality Assurance and Food Safety Professional
Meyer is responsible for food safety approval and supervision of food and beverage suppliers, as well as management of
the BWW recall program and technical services, which includes
validation of all cooking instructions of non ready-to-eat foods.
Tim Moore – Food Safety Specialist
As the newest addition to the food safety team, Moore
monitors food safety-related guest complaints for trends,
following up on food safety-related claims and manages thirdparty food safety audit and pest control programs.
for years. Find ways to create fresh messages for your staff.
Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) recommends using
unique and colorful visuals and other resources that can help
your workforce remain engaged in food safety education.
Some restaurant owners also pluck the heart strings of staff
members with emotional stories, such as anecdotes of individuals who became sick and died as a result of foodborne illness,
according to NRN. Remind staff that lives are literally at stake.
Monitor key problem areas like product holding
No Lamps, No Hassle
Signature Unit
Danielle Lundorff – Director of Food Safety
The CDC reports that from 1998 to 2008, improper food
holding was the leading risk factor for foodborne illness
outbreaks, especially food cooling procedures.
Ensuring equipment keeps food out of the danger zone
— 40 to 140 degrees, when bacteria is most likely to grow — is
a vital component in food safety. But employees should“regularly monitor foods in holding with a calibrated thermometer,”
according to NRN.
The first multistate outbreak of E.coli at Chipotle restaurants began in October 2015. Since Oct. 25, stock for Chipotle
is down 25 percent. Sales were down 14 percent for Q4 and
30 percent in December 2015. Not only is a foodborne illness
outbreak terrible for franchise owners, customers and a public
relations nightmare, but it clearly impacts the bottom line in a
very tangible way.
Buffalo Wild Wings continues to implement processes
to mitigate the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks. In concert
with efforts by franchise location owners and staff, can ensure
customers enjoy a delicious — and safe — dining experience. S
www.casioLampFree.com
KELLY BINGHAM is a contributing author.