Food Safety and Profitability

Food Safety and Food Quality Are Crucial to the Bottom Line

People are eating out more frequently than ever before. When epople eat out they have a number of expectations: good, safe food, clean surroundings, and pleasant service. Foodservice managers need to recognize the customer's desire for safe food and implement procedures to ensure food safety.

Dollars and Sense (Why Foodservice Managers Should Protect Customers)

Why should the foodservice manager be interested in protecting patrons and customers from foodborne illness? Apart from the obvious moral responsibility to keep the public healthy, protecting customers makes good sense. Establishing safe food handling practices increases profitability, maintains patronage, reduces legal liability, enhances the operation's competitive position, and promotes goodwill. When all these factors are taken into account, protecting customers helps save dollars. The costs of foodborne illness can be high.

Profitability

There is a definite monetary reward in protecting customers. The legal fees, medical claims, lost wages, and loss of business associated with foodborne illness can be staggering. The National Restaurant Association estimates that an average outbreak can cost an implicated operation in excess of $75,000. Additional losses can include top-to-bottom cleaning and food items that must be thrown out after an outbreak. The losses of profit and business can be much higher; some operations can be forced to close. In addition, consider the bad publicity that can follow an outbreak of foodborne illness. Even if only one person gets ill, he or she may warn others to stay away from an operation.