What Is Food Safety?

Simply stated, food safety refers to a set of rules and procedures that govern how a kitchen, as well as the restaurant staff, operates for the purpose of ensuring that the food and beverages served are safe for consumption by patrons.

The rules, as well as the procedures, help prevent foodborne illnesses, colloquially referred to as food poisoning. Certain groups of patrons are more susceptible to certain foodborne illnesses due to their age according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Children who are under the age of four years old are more likely to develop salmonella as well as other types of foodborne illnesses. Patrons who are older than 50 years of age and patrons who have compromised immune systems are more likely to require hospitalization if they are made ill because of a foodborne illness.

Complaints of food poisoning from patrons can be quite costly for restaurant owners. You may find that some patrons expect more than a refund for their meal.

Some may expect compensation for their medical care, including hospitalization and missed time from work. Others may decide to file a negligence lawsuit against you.

Some patrons may file a complaint with the health department that, in turn, may cause surprise inspections to occur. If too many reports of food poisoning occur, you may even notice a dramatic decrease in revenue.

Safety concerns with food are also regulated at the state level. Failure to keep up with the required regulations could result in several costly matters.

You could be subjected to continuous monitoring by the state, fines, or be forced to shut down your operations until the required improvements are made. Depending on the severity of the violations, the state may permanently close down your restaurant.