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Americans continue to dine out in record numbers, in spite of an economy that remains mired in the worst recession since the Great Depression. The reduction in home cook meals is a bonanza for the restaurant industry, and the business increase has prompted scrutiny from news organizations. Local and national news programs run feature stories that deploy hidden cameras in restaurants. Unsuspecting restaurant employees are fodder for electronic traps that expose a number of transgressions. Most of the transgressions center on flagrant health violations.

Restaurant employees rightfully deserve scrutiny when discussing restuarant health. From receiving food products to delivering piping hot entres for customers, each employee in a restaurant influences food safety. However, food safety is just one factor that determines the health risks of eating at restaurants.

Time and Temperature

The danger zone for food is between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Disease causing microorganisms grow and multiply within this temperature range. The longer food products sit in the danger zone, the more likely someone will become ill after consuming the product. Restaurant employees are responsible for limiting food product exposure to the danger zone. A careless restaurant operation increases the health risks of eating food contaminated by time and temperature abuse.

Cross Contamination

Proper storage and sanitation procedures minimize restaurant health risks. Proteins have a pecking order within a walk-in refrigeration unit. Failure to adhere to the proper storage method leads to an increase risk of cross contamination. Each protein should correspond to a specific cutting board, one that is color coded to prevent varied protein use on the same board. The threat of cross contamination diminishes if restaurant employees thoroughly wash and sanitize cutting boards after each food preparation session.

Tainted Product

The reliance on imported foods-mostly fruits and vegetables-has caused an upsurge in the number of food-borne illness outbreaks in the United States. While grocery stores have received the brunt of salmonella and E Coli outbreaks caused by tainted food products, restaurants throughout the country have also felt the negative health impact of poor international food safety practices and shoddy domestic inspection methods.

Tainted food products are a serious health risk, and they lurk in restaurants, grocery stores, and home refrigerators.

Personal Hygiene

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