The Benefits of Food Safety Training for Your Kitchen

Person slicing a green bell pepper and text overlay “Kitchen Safety Training Benefits”

As a restaurant owner, it’s your responsibility to effectively manage all aspects of the business. From daily operations to succession planning, your company’s profitability relies heavily on your team’s capacity to meet and exceed best practices regarding food handling. Service experience, overhead costs, licensing, and brand reputation are all impacted by food safety procedures, making it one of the most critical components of your continued success.

Benefits of Food Safety Training

Improve Safety for Your Customers

Customers are your most important asset in the food service industry. Each time they dine with you, they trust your brand to provide an experience that will not only be enjoyable but also safe. Poor food handling procedures put your reputation at risk and are also the leading cause of foodborne diseases.

Foodborne diseases can range in severity, with the lasting effects of specific types leaving some individuals’ lives forever altered. Comprehensive training will protect your restaurant and your customers, and your employees will have the confidence needed to provide your guests with the highest quality food and service available.

Reduce Food Waste

Food waste management impacts everything from profitability to food safety. Throwing away excess food due to overordering or storage issues will not only increase your overhead costs but increase the risk of food quality issues. Some common concerns with improper food storage include:

Cross-contamination (especially dangerous for those with allergies)
Incorrect labeling and not utilizing FIFO
Improper temperature control

Proper food safety training ensures employees are paying close attention to labels, expiration dates, and best storage practices, reducing unnecessary food waste in your operation. Your kitchen should also keep a log of foods that are frequently thrown out to adjust ordering in the future. Taking these extra steps will protect your profit margins and ensure your customers are always enjoying the freshest foods available.

Protect Your Employees from Accidents

Cuts, burns, and slips are some of the most common causes of kitchen accidents. Food safety training also includes the proper use of and housekeeping for kitchen equipment, including:

Use of cut-resistant gloves
Importance of sharpening knife
Proper use and cleaning procedures for slicers, fryers, ovens, etc.
Cleaning of spills to reduce slip hazards, as well as splatters for fire prevention
Proper disposal of broken glass

Your business should have a fully stocked first aid kit and kitchen spill kit on hand in case of an emergency. Your employees should not only know how to use these kits but also understand the paperwork and who to contact during and after specific emergencies. Employees should never have to guess how to handle a dangerous situation should one arise.

Ensure Legal Food Safety Requirements

Due to the potential risks that food safety violations can cause, all states require some form of food handlers certificate for employees in direct contact with and responsibility for consumables. This certification includes training on the above topics, as well as personal hygiene, pest control, and legal requirements.

Some states even require managers on duty to have a food manager certification, which covers things like:

Establishing food safety policies and procedures
Facilitating food safety training
Recognizing food safety violations in day-to-day operations
Upholding accountability for food safety violations
Understanding legal repercussions to the business and employees

Complying with your state licensing ensures your business remains operational. Making food safety a part of your employee’s onboarding process and keeping records of renewal requirements will ensure you and your team are on the same page when it comes to food safety.

Keeps Your Brand’s Reputation Safe

To any company, brand reputation is the most important factor when it comes to business growth. A brand people can trust that serves a consistent product with high-quality service is the recipe for success. From social reviews to word of mouth, customers’ opinions can make or break your business.

Food safety best practices don’t guarantee that your food tastes better than competitors, but they do protect your business from making dangerous and easily avoidable mistakes, so you focus on the aspects that set your brand apart.

Make Food Safety a Priority with NCCO

Making food safety a priority for your entire staff will prevent major problems in the future. Stock up on labels and other food safety products to make sure your kitchen runs as efficiently and safely as possible. NCCO has the food safety solutions to safeguard your business’s future, including first aid kits, tamper-evident labels, and more.