ServSafe Food Program in Montana a Success

Montana has a great program for restaurant employees. Each preparer of foods to the public must go through a special program where they learn at what temperatures food must be served and how to keep the place clean. It is through this program that MT ranks among the lowest in the country for food poisoning. E. coli bacteria is very unlikely in MT because as part of this program they learn all the other important food preparation rules. The signature program? It is called ServSafe. And each employee must complete this program.

I was in a McDonalds, another franchise system, maybe you have heard of it. That they had the certificates of completion hanging in the front of the store to show full compliance and give customers a feeling of security when eating their happy meals and Chicken McNuggets. One great thing about this program in MT is that it only needs to be in one language since all the employees speak English. We congratulate MT on their proactive aggressive attack on disease and food safety. Soon I hope to see this program available on the Internet for everyone, everywhere. It unfortunately will need to be in many other languages. So employees can view the information online and take a test online. Every restaurant from a 500 square foot bar and grill in Key West to the Mexican restaurant in Burlington, WA next to the coin-op carwash with the dirty awnings, along the railroad tracks where we ate at last week.

ServSafe is a great program. We have come so far in this country from refrigerated refer trailers and trucks to walk in energy efficient coolers. We have fixed our problems with poultry, pork, beef and fruit drinks. The dairy industry to the bloods in hospitals we have things other countries still cannot claim. There is no need to run this country into the 3rd world from our lackadaisical approach to our jobs and lives. We have stamped out many diseases and have state of the art everything, we should pay attention to those things we often take for granted. ServSafe is a great program by people who understand the real world.

I would also like to offer another important issue. We need toilet paper, which is strong enough to hold up during use to prevent the spread of E. coli. Businesses are encouraged to buy cheap and thin toilet paper to save money by their CFOs who are beholden to their stockholders to shave costs. The problem is they are actually causing a potential situation in their food preparations. POTWs often ask Proctor and Gamble and other makers of toilet paper to make them easy to decompose, however if it is not strong enough to hold up to the task it causes even a bigger problem with the spread of disease.

If every employee washed their hands with soap and very hot water after the trip to the rest room, and each and every employee knew the importance of heat in food they would eliminate nearly every incident caused in food poisoning at restaurants and QSRs.

Since many restaurants are our customers for my company, I happen to see this issue from an insider's perspective. Having experience selling accounts to companies for window washing and concrete cleaning, we are aware of this situation and we are also happy to be involved with the washing out of Trailers for companies like US Food Services, Sysco, ALDI Foods, and many wholesale produce and meat companies. We understand the necessity to clean the insides of these trailers to prevent the spread of disease and bacteria. This is why we not only use 180-degree+ water at 3000 PSI, but we also reclaim the affluent so it goes no further as moisture can assist in bacteria growth and standing water attracts the laying of mosquito eggs.

SafeServ is an excellent program and it should be duplicated in all countries and all parts of the US. We need to watch our food supplies and pay attention to the risks associated with them.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Picture Perfect Bread

The secret-at least most of it-is in the rise. The... Read More

Peppercorns & Ways To Use Them

New and exciting varieties of peppercorns are becoming available to... Read More

Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots

When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm,... Read More

Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef

With the holidays on their way soon, many people will... Read More

The Barbecue Pit

The barbecue pit has been around since 1920,s and it... Read More

Whisk Your Way To a Perfect Meal Every Time!

The whisk. A true versatile cooking utensil. Whisks come in... Read More

Garlic: A Quick Guide

Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great... Read More

Grilling Tips ? Safety Comes First at the Barbecue

You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun,... Read More

Grilling Vs. Barbecue

Grilling and Barbecuing, two of the most popular cooking methods... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Turkey

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

6 Tips for Perfect Homemade Hard Candy

There's nothing better than the juicy, flavorful hard candy from... Read More

Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of... Read More

Better Breakfasts Ideas

Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal... Read More

The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies

Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense... Read More

High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide

High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the... Read More

Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?

For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes... Read More

Cookware ? Whats In It?

Have you ever wanted to buy new cookware but didn't... Read More

Is Cooked Food Really All That Good For Us?

In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up... Read More

Ten Steps to Perfect Pasta

I'm amazed at how often I get e-mail from a... Read More

What Are Scoville Units?

To understand what a Scoville Unit is, one must understand... Read More

How to Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 3 of 5) Seasoning Your New Wok

Seasoning is the most important thing you can do to... Read More

Seasoning An Oven

Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More

Solving The 7 Most Common Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistakes

Let's face it EVERY cook makes mistakes (yes, even us... Read More

Cooking -- What You Need To Know

From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically... Read More

10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips

A lot of the times we mean to get in... Read More

Barbecue for You

In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well,... Read More

Save Time in the Kitchen - Cook Pasta the Way Restaurant Chefs Do

Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a... Read More

The Noble Crescent Roll - How to Roll a Masterpiece

Ahhh?the noble crescent roll. In some forms it has its... Read More

Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases

Types of BacteriaBacteria are all around us, in the air,... Read More

Picnic Checklist

In the previous article, we suggested that you start a... Read More

Gourmet Sauces, Rubs and Marinades - Give Your BBQ a Gourmet Kick

Many individuals agree that the sauce on barbecued meat is... Read More

Dutch Oven Cooking Basics

Pioneer CookingWhen you think of a cast iron Dutch oven,... Read More