Points up the need for education on proper sanitation methods by food industry employees.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Rishoi, Don C.

English

Research Papers in Economics

SAFE HANDLING OF DELICATESSEN FOODS
by
Don C. Rishoi
National Sanitation Foundation
East Lansing, Michigan
Points up the need for education
on proper sanitation methods by
food industry employees.
In the 1969 Yearbook of Agriculture,
titled Food For Us All, published by the
United States Department of Agriculture,
former Secretary of Agriculture, Clifford M.
Hardin said:
“Wep rideourselves in having theworld’s
cleanest and most wholesome food. Yet con-
stant vigilance is necessary to prevent
careless and inadvertent contamination”.
Are the nation’s retail food stores
working actively towards this end to pre-
vent the careless and inadvertent contam-
ination mentioned by Mr. Harden? Yes, I
think the evidence clearly points to an
increased awareness by the industry in food
protection measures. Unfortunately, ex-
cessive wheel-spinning is slowing down the
good efforts considerably.
Besides, how can we expect food store
employees to prevent contamination when they
don’t even know what it is. I mean, we have
not educated our people to handle food
safely. Most of our education in supermar-
kets amounts to on-the-job training. You
remember the program. It’s called “Do it
once or twice, you’ll get the hang of it”.
It’s about time we spent some time and
money upgrading the retail food industry.
Our store people need to become specialists
in food, not just can stackers, food wrappers
or food handlers.
A food store employee needs to be some-
one the customer can trust in matters of
food purchasing. They need to know more
about how food is grown, processed, pre-
pared, served, and yrotected.
There are some organizations and edu-
cational institutions at present working
to fulfill this need, but by-in-large, there
is a gigantic void in this area. Let’s take
a look at the retail food store delicatessen
department, for example, Maybe we had
better begin by defining just what is a
delicatessen.
The dictionary defines delicatessen as
“a store selling foods already prepared or
requiring little preparation for serving,
such as cooked meats, cheese, relishes and
the like”.
Applying this definition to suit our
purpose is relatively simple. Although the
deli department in supermarkets is a rela-
tively new innovation, years ago the meat
departments in grocery stores displayed
ready-to-eat ham, ham salad, bulk cheese,
luncheon meat, and other prepared foods,
right along with fresh meats. In fact,
there are literally thousands of stores to-
day still following this practice,
A deli department may look slightly
different depending on the part of the
country we’re in, but if we stick to our
original definition of ready-to-eat foods
we won’t be far off no matter where we are.
The American free enterprise system is
an amazing thing. Since diversification is
the way of life today, we find discount
houses with deli departments, food manufac-
turers operating fast food outlets, super-
markets with restaurants and snack bars,
and convenience stores selling sandwiches
and delicatessen foods, They’re all trying
for that something extra in sales. Unfor-
tunately, many know little or nothing about
February 73/page 10 Journal of Food Distribution Researchthe fine points of the deli business, and as
a result, the food protection practices are
atrocious.
Here are some examples:
Here is a deli clerk that serves the
customer’s needs well. He is getting some
fresh fish for Mrs. Jones, a few minutes
later he is weighing up luncheon meat for
Mrs. Smith. What’s wrong with that? Both
items are in his department! If he and the
manager only knew about the problems asso-
ciated with lack of separation of raw and
ready-to-eat products, they might shudder.
The deli merchandiser thought the canned
hams would make a nice display on the shelf
behind the deli department. Toobadhedidn’t
read the label “must be refrigerated”.
Here’s a deli worker making submarine
sandwiches using the band saw to slice his
bread while the meat cutters are on break.
He really cleaned off that saw before he
started—except for the raw meat on top of
the blade and the inside. But don’t blame
him—no one ever taught him to keep raw and
ready-to-eat products separate and why.
And why display thereunder refrigeration
when the customer will buy them faster sit-
ting up here on the counter. So what if it’s
a warm day!
Separation of raw and ready-to-eat
products constitutes the majority of the
serious food protection violations in a
delicatessen department whether it be in
storage-preparation -display -or service.
In fact, you might say it is a case of
life and death. Yes, food is a potentially
dangerous weapon if handled improperly.
The deli worker is in the most sensitive
area of the store. Take this deli lady, for
example. Shetsa fine person, a hard worker,
a real credit to her company. Yet, her
work routine is so dangerous that a similar
routine a few years ago was responsible for
the deaths of several people. Again, it’s
the question of keeping ready-to-eat products
away from anything that has been in contact
with raw products — like hands, slicers~
knives, tables, and aprons until a thorough
job of cleaning and sanitizing is accom-
plished. Had this woman known the facts of
food protection, shewould havenever handled
cooked chickens after handling raw chickens
without first cleaning and sanitizing her
hands. We’ve obviously seen some very lax
conditions concerning food safety.
What are the causes of poor sanitation
and food protection practices?
1. Poor training or lack of
training
2. Poor communication or lack
of communication
If the first two points have been ac-
complished and sanitation practices are
still poor then other causes may be:
3. Poor working conditions:
such as excessively high sales per man hour
goals, facilities and equipment in bad re-
pair — which can cause:
4. Poor morale, and
5. Lack of motivation
What steps must be taken to safeguard
delicatessen foods?
1. Make a Survey of Present Conditions
The problem must be stated correctly
and thoroughly as the first important step
in accomplishing adequate food protection
in deli departments.
2. Set Goals and Objectives
Targets, priorities, and time frames
must be established in order to carry out a
total food protection program.
3. Get Top Management Commitment
The program will fail without it. Man-
agement will always find another job more
important, constantly pushing food protection
into the background, something to be saved
for a slow day. Management can be motivated ‘
if they can be made to see the benefits to
be gained in increased profits, lower costs,
better customer image and increased sales.
I could have mentioned the benefit of pro-
tecting the health of the customer as well
as employees, but I’m convinced that although
Journal ‘ofFood Distribution Research February 73/page 11management agrees with this point in princi-
ple, the real motivating factor which leads
to the decision in starting a sanitation
programis the promise of increased profits.
4. Assignment of Responsibility
One person, department, team or the
like must be made responsible for the suc-
cess or failure of such a program. It
should be preferably someone other than
operations manager (meat, produce, dairy,
etc.) as everything must, be the nature of
the job, take a back seat to sales. The
responsibility for a food protection pro-
gram should lie with a staff person who
would enlist the help of operations manage-
ment in making the program a success.
To be more specific, if the sales vol-
ume permits, the company should consider
hiring a director of sanitation. Is this
an unnecessary cost adding another staff
position rather than someone in operations?
Many of those who would answer in the af-
firmative now have a security director on
their payroll and consider him necessary in
keeping costs down. A sanitation director
would do the same only would probably con-
tribute even more towards profit improve-
ment as well as protecting the health of
the consumer and employees.
5. Get Necessary Resources
The start of a food protection program
should cost very little, although plans
should be made to eventually upgrade those
areas such as facilities, equipment, and
supplies needed towards the accomplishment
of a total program. The resources needed
should be part of setting the overall goals
and objectives.
6. Educate - Educate - Educate
You’ll notice, I’ve used the word edu-
cate rather than train. Education teaches
a person to think whereas training teaches
a person to react. People are educated —
animals are trained.
Through management, the deli worker
must gain the knowledge, attitude and skills
necessaryto successfully apply correct food
protection measures in daily assignments.
February 73/page 12
Areas critical to the education of
deli employees are:
A.
B.
c.
D.
E.
F.
Basic bacteriology in lay language —
the effects of bacteria on people and
products related to spoilage and food
poisoning.
Personal hygiene — how careless em-
ployees can inadvertently contaminate
food products.
Temperature control — why hot foods
should be kept hot — above 140°F. and
cold foods kept cold — below 45°F.
Separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods
in receiving, storage, preparation and
service.
Cleaning and sanitizing operations— the
importance of adequately cleaning and
sanitizing equipment, walls, floors,
and the hands.
The economics ofsanitation — how correct
sanitation procedures can liberate the
deli employee for needless reworking and
rewrapping of products. For the profit-
minded manager, how sanitation can help
to increase sales and profits as well as
reduce costs.
And while we are on the subject of
economics I would like to just mention as
a sidelight something about organizations
like the National Sanitation Foundation
(NSF) who are helping retail food companies
achieve a brighter economic picture. Through
scientific research and testing, NSF is
finding ways to make food preparation and
display equipment easier to clean and sani-
tize thus helping to insure a higher level
of public health as well as cost savings.
The National Sanitation Foundation is
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
scientific investigations concerning prob-
lems of the environment.
Voluntary standards for the sanitary
design and construction of food equipment,
as well as other environment areas, are
drafted and agreed upon by a committee made
up of industry, regulatory officials, and
the ultimate user. NSF supplies the research
and testing necessary for the committee to
reach decisions in the development of stan-
dards and evaluation of equipment based on
the accepted standards.
But back to education.
Journal of Food Distribution ResearchAs Imentioned before, delicatessen em-
ployees cannot be expected to practice cor-
rect food protection practices if they don’t
know what it is all about. We talked about
the knowledge needed to do the job as well
as the attitudes pertaining to working con-
ditions. What skills must be learned by the
deli worker towards achieving good food pro-
tection practices?
The kind of skills needed in this case
are not necessarily physical but rather
observational. Observational skills are
necessary in recognizing the problem, Day
after day we pass the same work areas with-
out being aware of what is going on around
us . This is just a case of teaching an
employee to spot incorrect sanitation con-
ditions based on prior education. But it
should be emphasized that the problems can-
not be corrected until they are recognized.
What I am proposing is that delicates-
sens practice self-inspection on a regular
basis rather than wait fora health official
to catch the problems in an annual or semi-
annual visit. Of the some 100 plus check
points on a health official’s inspection
sheet,’~liere ’are only about 10 that again
and again are noted. By concentrating on
these top ten problem areas, we can solve
most of our food protection problems and
along with it increase profits through lower
costs .
It is easy to accomplish if the em- —
ployee is educated.
I’ve said a lot about the area of edu-
cation, but I don’t want to leave it with-
out mentioning the necessity of educating
the consumer. Yes, I said the consumer.
They are responsible for many of the prob-
lems associated with food protection and
don’t know it. Take, for example, the
housewife that does her food’shopping first,
and leaves perishable, products in a warm
car for several hours while she does other
shopping, Or the homemaker that lets
products thaw at room temperature for 8-12
hours. Or the one that unknowingly uses
the same cutting surface for preparing both
raw and ready-to-eat products.
In some cases, it’s like playing with
dynamite, in others the retailer might have
to give a refund on the product even though
the customer caused the spoilage to occur.
If the products on display in the retail
outlet are already on their way “over the
hill!!, the chances are greater for a cus-
tomer return. This is why products must
be fresh as possible and the customer must
be educated in food protection measures.
Who should do the educating? Alotof people.
The retailer has an excellent chance to
protect his investment by supplying the
customer with information in pamphlets,
advertisements, via TV and other media.
Fortunately, the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture has already published
an excellent pamphlet called “Keeping Food
Safe To Eat”, specifically pointed at the
consumer. It costs only one thin dime -
ten cents - and gives the homemaker excel-
lent food protection information. If I was
a retailer, I would see to it that each of
my customers received a copy of this publi-
cation. It would be excellent public rela-
tions, helpful in promoting public health,
and possibly cheap insurance.
There is no doubt about it, the con-
sume-rplays an important part in the success
of such a program.
There are many sanitation education
programs available today through various
food associations, wholesalers, chemical
companies, equipment manufacturers and
independent training companies, but most do
not include provisions for help in. . . .
7. Evaluation and Feedback
Starting a food protection program is
one thing, accomplishing stated goals and
objectives is another. There are some im-
mediate steps necessary in helping to deter-
mine whether the program is moving along in
the right direction. It’s simply making an
evaluation ofwhere we were when we started,
where we are now, and what do we have left
to do in reaching the desired goals. If the
evaluation and feedback show that up to a
point certain areas were missed, retracing
of some steps may be required. Evaluation
and feedback are indispensable in keeping
the program moving systematically towards
its goals. It goes hand in hand with the
self inspection mentioned previously, and
the last point which is . . . .
Journal of Food Distribution Research February 73/page 138. Follow Up and Control
Not enough can be said about this point.
Without follow up and control, the program
will fail. It again points to periodic self
inspection by all levels of management, as
well as built in control factors to insure
the success of the program. Cleaning and
sanitizing must be planned into the work
schedule the same as food production other-
wise it will be a hit and miss approach.
All duties must be detailed and ckeck lists
used as a control factor.
I’ve seen many programs get off to a
good start in the past two and a half years.
Many have fallen by the wayside in six
months or so because the follow up and con-
trol factor was not built into the system.
Areas such as sanitation (food pro-
tection), security and safety are considered
by many retailers as intangibles, that is
those areas where clear cut results cannot
readily be determined as in the sale of
products. Until attitudes change, the costs
of doing business will remain high, profits
low, and the protection of the customer in
doubt .
The steps I’ve detailed will insure
the safe handling of delicatessen foods .
If retailers do not voluntarily incorporate
such programs, it may be eventually forced
on them by regulatory agencies in the inter-
est of public health. The voluntary route
wouldbe the least expensive in the long run.
It’s worth thinking about!
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February 73/page 14 Journal of Food Distribution Research

SAFE HANDLING OF DELICATESSEN FOODS

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