Working in food service requires more than just being fast and friendly. It’s about knowing how to keep customers safe.
As a server, you have more influence over food safety than you might think. In this guide, we’ll explore all the ways food handlers can protect consumer health and reduce food-related incidents.
The Basics: What Are a Food Handler's Duties Regarding Food Safety?
Do you work with edible goods in any way? It can involve prepping, cooking, serving or storing. If yes, then you’re a food handler and have an obligation to provide safe service.
Your actions directly impact patrons, so you need to follow strict safety protocols at every stage of service.
Let’s explore the role and responsibilities of a food handler further.
1: A Breakdown of Key Duties
As a server, your mission is to ensure every patron's safety. But what does that truly involve? All food handlers are expected to:
- Follow sanitary protocols
- Practice proper food handling techniques
- Prevent cross-contamination
- Disclose the presence of common allergens in dishes
- Separate raw and cooked items
- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot
- Report any signs of illness to their manager
2: Upholding Safe Food Handling Practices and Guidelines
Time to dive deeper. Food safety guidelines exist to prevent mistakes that can lead to serious health risks. You can do several things to protect your customers and your establishment:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching ingredients
- Use gloves when handling ready-to-eat items
- Use different cutting boards for raw meat, fruits and vegetables
- Ensure all dishes are clean before use
- Store raw and cooked items separately in the fridge
- Stock products with a shorter expiration date in front of those with longer ones and use them first (AKA the FIFO Method)
- Cook ingredients to their correct temperatures and for the right amount of time
How Training Helps
Food safety training is integral to your job, whether you're employed in a fast-food chain or a five-star restaurant. Even if not required by your state, educational courses break down everything you need to know about regulations and teach you how to apply those principles in real-world settings.
Below are some of the topics that are covered and why they matter.
Foodborne Illnesses: A Major Risk
Foodborne illnesses are a serious public health problem impacting millions of citizens each year. Symptoms can involve stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and, in rare cases, death. That’s not the Yelp review you want your restaurant to get.
As a server, your role in preventing these types of sicknesses is paramount. Whether it’s keeping an eye on how long a dish has been sitting out or refusing to serve something that smells off, your vigilance matters.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Procedures: Not the Same Thing
Let’s clear up a common misconception: cleaning and sanitizing are not interchangeable.
- Cleaning involves removing visible dirt and debris (wiping down surfaces after chopping up veggies, washing containers, etc.).
- Sanitizing involves using disinfectants to eliminate harmful bacteria that can make customers (or even co-workers) sick.
Both steps are crucial. For example, wiping a table with a wet rag is cleaning. Using an approved sanitizing spray afterward is what makes the surface safe for the next customer.
Cross-Contamination Prevention: It Starts with You
Cross-contamination transpires when bacteria are transferred from one surface, ingredient or utensil to another. It’s alarmingly easy for this to happen. In fact, many incidents occur without servers even realizing it!
Picture this: You touch raw chicken, then grab a plate to serve salad. Boom — you’ve just potentially exposed someone to harmful pathogens.
You can minimize this risk by:
- Washing your hands frequently and wearing gloves
- Cleaning produce thoroughly
- Using separate utensils and equipment for different food types
- Storing raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods apart
Besides the potential for food-related illnesses, cross-contamination can lead to allergic reactions. Statistics from the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization show that approximately 33 million Americans have food allergies.
Be sure to ask your customers if they have any allergies before handling ingredients or preparing a dish. Use different tools and change your gloves often when working with the nine most common allergens:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Tree nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soy
- Sesame
Personal Hygiene: Your First Line of Defense
This one can’t be stressed enough. Good personal hygiene is one of the most effective ways to deter food contamination.
Servers should:
- Keep their hands clean with frequent and thorough washing
- Keep hair tied back or wear a hair net
- Stay home when sick
- Wear clean uniforms
These small steps make a big difference in preventing potential health dangers.
Temperature Control: It Matters More Than You Think
Maintaining appropriate temperatures for food is essential. Cold foods should be kept below 41°F and hot foods above 135°F. Anything in between is considered the "danger zone" where bacteria multiply rapidly.
Handlers can help by:
- Delivering food in a timely manner
- Monitoring holding times for dishes waiting to be served
Get Trained to Provide Safe Service Today
Ready to take that next step? eFoodcard.com can help you get there. Our online food handler courses make learning on your own timeline easy. We also provide handy resources like our FAQs page, where you can find answers to common questions about certification and regulations.
Safe service is a team effort, but it starts with you. Enroll in a course today!