Posted: June 27th, 2010 - 6:47am by Doug Powell

After reading (and translating) the latest food safety infosheet about a Minnesota salmonellosis outbreak, I knew the outbreak revealed flaws in both food safety policy and food safety culture at workplaces.

In this case, one of the two employees infected with salmonella working at the delicatessen section, spread the bacteria to costumers after being in direct contact with baby chicks he owned. That immediately reminded me about something I experienced three weeks ago. While driving back to Kansas City, I stopped by a Burger King (yes, once every 6 months I will have one, especially when I don’t feel like cooking after driving for two hours on the most boring stretch of highway in the U.S.).

When I pulled up to the menu thinggy, a printed note pasted over one of the products read (right, exactly as shown):

“Manufacurer Out Of Stock.”

Besides misspelling manufacturer, it made me wonder how much the people touching and preparing food really care. If they can’t spend 15 seconds proofreading this sign, which was posted at least in three different places, how much do you think they know about food safety?

Food safety should be farm-to-fork, so train employees and use these handy infosheets we send out every 2-3 weeks, because they are proven to actually have a positive impact. Or don’t, and next time you could actually be featured on one of them.