Food safety is everyone's responsibility

How clean is clean? In light of recent health scares, we ask three food service experts what we should expect from restaurants. Who's minding the kitchens? Florida once had letter grades reflecting the cleanliness of restaurants but discontinued them until 1987 when Pasco County revived the practice at the request of citizens.

When it comes to food safety, the demons are many but science and common sense are full of solutions.

However, practicing them in real life is difficult and requires a legion of guardians from inspectors to dishwashers to ordinary chow hounds.

The danger in restaurants comes from the same places it does at home. Bacteria can be brought in by employees or customers -- on their hands, feet or breath -- or by animals. Bacteria can grow in raw food or cooked food that spoils, or pass from one to the other on hands, utensils or equipment.

The by-the-book strategies are straightforward.

-- "Be Smart, Keep Apart" reads one public health poster, urging kitchen help to avoid cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, or between types of food. This can be done by separating tasks, such as money changing from food preparation.

-- "Fight Bac," is another theme, stressing that heat and cold are crucial to killing bacteria and preventing its spread: Chill potentially hazardous food under 41 degrees or cook to at least 145 and follow strict temperature guidelines for storing foods.

-- Constant supervision stresses cleanliness in all things: equipment and facilities, pots and pans, tableware, uniforms, incoming food and personal hygiene. Wash those hands.

Reality, however, throws up constant obstacles. Replacing outdated equipment, providing enough storage, throwing out questionable ingredients, and proper staffing costs money. Sanitation may lose out to financial considerations in small independent restaurants on tight budgets and in chain outlets with penny-pinching headquarters.

Since restaurant work is difficult and jobs are not always well-paid, the industry often relies on the least stable end of the labor market. Even with the best equipment and staff, proper procedures can get lost or forgotten when the kitchen is slammed.

So who is there to enforce food safety? The first line is a coalition of government agencies.

-- Restaurant inspections: Inspections and enforcement of food safety regulations are conducted by the hotel and restaurant division of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Its inspectors are supposed to make unannounced visits to every restaurant, armed with thermometers and chemical test strips to make sure that refrigeration, heating and washing equipment works properly, as well as inspecting for general sanitation, and other matters. They visit two times a year and try for three.

Restaurants are required to keep a copy of their latest inspection report available for the public.

If you have a complaint or concern about conditions at a restaurant around the Tampa Bay area, call the regional office in Tampa at (813) 356-1605. The same agency also investigates complaints of fraudulent business practices at hotels and restaurants.

Visit the Web site at http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/hr/index.shtml for a description of inspections, policies and lists of recent disciplinary action against restaurants.

-- Grocery inspection: Inspections and enforcement of food sold at groceries, bakeries, delicatessens, convenience stores and service stations are handled by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. If you have a complaint, contact the agency toll free at 1-800-435-7352, Option 5.

-- Food-borne illness: The health departments of individual counties investigate cases of food poisoning and outbreaks of food-borne illness. Contact a sanitarian or environmental health specialist in the appropriate county.

Ultimately, the everyday responsibility for food safety remains in the restaurant and Florida has adopted specific laws requiring the training of all managers and employees.

In the wake of the Polk County hepatitis incidents, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation has stressed that all employees must have food safety training withing 60 days of hiring, and the restaurant must maintain that record. Managers must take special training and tests; in restaurants of any size a certified manager must be on duty. Training is available on a regular basis from the Florida Restaurant Association. See www.hospitalityeducation.org for information.

Customers are their own best defense. They must pay attention to cleanliness and good maintenance and make sure the areas they can see are in good repair. If a restroom is dirty, report it to the manager.

In the end, all customers set their own standards, some seeking pristine conditions while other forgive or relish the humble.

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