An Ounce of Prevention: Stemming Foodborne Illness Incidents at Your Independent Restaurant

A popular sushi restaurant in the Southeast received significant media attention in December 2023 and NOT in the way it would have preferred. More than 200 guests reported illness after dining there. According to news reports, norovirus was a suspected culprit, possibly brought into the establishment by an ill employee.

When you read or hear about these incidents, you might assume they were the result of careless disregard of safe food handling and preparation practices. Unfortunately, foodborne illnesses can blindside even responsible operators. That is why all independent restaurateurs would be wise to shore up their defenses as much as possible.

Here are some tips on how to prevent foodborne illness — and how to respond if you suspect an outbreak at your restaurant.

A great first step in preventing foodborne illness begins with training all employees in proper hand sanitation practices. Include proper handwashing as part of your new employee onboarding and training. And do not assume that experienced staff are adhering to best practices in restaurant operations, even if they were trained when they were hired. It is human nature to cut corners when we are busy. Conduct regular in-service training (and reminding) for all team members at staff meetings. Assigning experienced employees to serve as trainers can instill in them ownership and responsibility for cultivating good habits essential in preventing foodborne illness.

Many countries have food safety systems from farm to table. Everybody involved in the food supply is required to follow standard food safety procedures. You would think that everyone involved with food would not want people to get sick from it.
– Marion Nestle

Avoid even tacitly discouraging staff to miss shifts when they are ill. Considering post-pandemic labor challenges, who can blame managers for their frustration when staff members call in sick at the last minute? Sure, best practices in restaurant operations tell us that we should stay home when we are feeling under the weather. We do not want our illness to infect other staff and customers. Yet even a sigh of disappointment from management sends a message that your business doesn't tolerate absenteeism under any circumstance. Develop procedures to address short staffing, including cross-training and identifying employees who are willing to gain extra hours on their days off if available.

Ensure proper inspection of food and food storage through checklists and systems. Perishable item inspection and dating help prevent spoiled inventory from being served. When these practices become systematized, they become second nature.

Work with your local health department to identify and stop the source of a foodborne illness crisis. If you suspect a foodborne illness outbreak at your restaurant your local health officials can be your best friends. They can help contact guests, investigate and help you quickly correct the problem.

The Upshot…

You work too hard to generate positive publicity to have it undermined by an avoidable foodborne illness incident. The restaurant business has many “moving parts” that are easy to overlook in the fray of running a busy operation. Systems and training can help you and your staff bake food safety into the culture of the business as second nature. At the end of the day knowing how to prevent foodborne illness doesn’t have to be hard, it just requires a little forward thinking.

Want more ideas on how to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks and other food safety best practices? Give our How to Respond to a Food Safety Emergency article a quick read and download our Safety Policies and Procedures document to keep your systems effective, efficient, and safe.

Have a profitable week!

The RestaurantOwner.com Team