Food Safety Assessment

In the realm of restaurant operations, prioritizing FOOD SAFETY emerges as a paramount concern that warrants thorough consideration. Ensuring food safety not only establishes a secure environment for both guests and employees but also serves as a pivotal measure to safeguard Lee’s Sandwiches brand and its overall image.

Our goals for this portion of the presentation

1. Heighten the priority of ensuring all stores are compliant with FSA regulations.
2. Minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses and mitigate brand liability.

Observation

While Lee's Sandwiches has a QSI in place to outline prepping and cooking procedures aimed at ensuring food safety, several food safety issues persist within each store.

Instances such as unmarked buckets of boba and failure to monitor temperatures or utilize timers for fried products have been observed at various locations. These situations pose significant risks, including:

• Public health hazards and potential foodborne illnesses
• Financial losses stemming from Health Department closures, lawsuits, fees and fines, as well as re-training expenses
• Diminished brand reputation and image
• Products falling below established standards
• Dissatisfied customers

Food Safety Assessment

Food Safety Assessment is an audit of company’s standards of food safety across all locations each quarter.

The audit could be done through in-house representatives or third-party vendor such as Steritech.

The final grading should be reflected as:

• Red - Unit has failed the FSA audit for the quarter
• Yellow - Unit has passed the FSA audit for the quarter, but there are still critical area of opportunities to work on
• Green - Unit has passed the FSA audit for the quarter, with no critical area of opportunities found

The audit inspection will be random, and within stores’ business hours. For each inspection, a clear report will entails list of opportunities found regarding FSA and points deducted thereof. The report will also include pictures and detailed descriptions of these areas of opportunity. The less points deducted for FSA violations, the better the store is at maintaining a FSA complied store.

FSA Score Factors

Behaviors:

1. Handwashing log is available and completed for the business day. Each hour, each employee must wash their hands and sign the paper to confirm that they have washed their hands. PICs must verify the completion of the handwashing log during their shifts.
2. Team members’ hands must be free of cuts or open wounds prior to transitioning to their designated position.
3. Team members must be free of jewelries prior to transitioning to their designated position.
4. Team members must have clean and correct uniform, and a maintained personal hygiene prior to starting their shifts.
5. Employee food must be stored only in designated break room. Employee food must NOT be store next to customer’s food, ingredients, walk-in or freezer, or store equipments designated for storing and holding customer’s food.
6. Employees must change gloves as often as needed. Employees must wash their hands in between each gloves change.
7. Employees must not wear their apron when performing cleaning tasks, when performing non-food contact tasks (such as cashiers), when off the clock or on their breaks, and when they use the bathroom.
8. Employees must wash their hands again after using the restroom prior to returning to their position.
9. Employees must use the correct equipments and tools for their designated tasks (cannot use a cup as an ice scoop, scissor as a knife, etc)

Temperature and Station Sanitation:

1. Temperature for all food product must be checked at least three times a day (prior to store opening, mid shift, and night shift), and must be recorded in a temperature log daily. If temperature of the products do not meet the requirement, corrective actions must be taken to ensure food safety.
2. Sanitizer solution bucket and towel 200-300 ppm available at each station with clear label. Sanitizer solution must be at room temperature, clean, and only include one towel per bucket.
3. Thermometers are available, functioning, and calibered correctly. Sanitizer wipes for thermometers are available and are not expired.

Walkin and Freezer:

1. No expired products.
2. All food products not in original packages or in open packages must have a label. No duplicate labels or label residues.
3. Temperature of walkin must be under 40•F and temperature of freezer must be under 32•F.
4. Cooked products such as BBQ Pork or Chicken must be cooled correctly with ice bag. No water in ice bag.
5. Uncooked meat products must be stored away from cooked products and produce.
6. No encrusted residue on shelves, containers, walls, or floor.
7. No food or paper products on the floor. No chemical products stored in walkin or freezer.
8. No sauce, marination, or stickiness on the handle bars of the doors for walkin and freezer.
9. FIFO must be followed.

Dry Food Storage and Back of House:

1. No expired products.
2. Check shelves, equipments, blades to be free of mold, dust, and build up.
3. No food or paper products on the floor.
4. Check drains for clogs. Drains must be free of food waste and trash.
5. Trash cans must be free of trash (even under the linen).
6. Three compartment sink is followed.
7. pH strips are available, open, and unexpired.
8. Ice machine must be free of mold and build up.

Building:

1. Building must have hot water available. Sink water must be able to reach a minimum of 120•F.
2. Handwashing sink must be stocked up of soap, paper towels, and an accessible trashcan.
3. Handwashing signs must be posted at each handwashing location.
4. Building must be free of pests.
5. Building must be free of stagnant puddles on floor.
6. Equipment and display shelves must be free of crust, mold, and buildup.

Entree line:

1. Hot food must be kept over 140•F and cold food must be kept under 40•F.
2. Proper labels for food products. No expired products.
3. Use timer for frying and cooking food such as egg rolls, chicken wings, nuggets, bbq pork, etc.
4. Thermometers are available and sanitized after each use.
5. Practice Break-the-Cycle: three times a day at designated times, team members will wash, rinse, sanitize, and air dry entree line equipments before using them again.
6. Do not mix old food with new food.
7. Fryer must be cleaned and free of oil build up.
8. Packages must be store inverted. Utensils must be stored in one direction with the handles inverted up.
9. Microwaves and ovens must be cleaned and free of debris.
10. Large oven must be wiped down at the end of day and make sure no pastries are left inside.

Lobby Display and Lobby Walkin/Freezer:

1. No expired food products.
2. In store packaged food must have julian date tag. No duplicate tags or tag residue.
3. FIFO must be followed.
4. Cooler and freezer must be free of mold, build up, and water.
5. Cooler temperature must be under 40•F. Freezer temperature must be under 32•F.
6. Display shelves and racks must be free of mold, dust, crust, and build up.

Steamer and hot food display:

1. Steamer and hot food display must be free of mold, oil and food build up.
2. Steamer and hot food display must be at a minimum of 145•F.
3. Clear separation between food items held in steamer or hot food display. Different food items cannot be touching each other.

Role of Team Members

The role and responsibilities of Team Members regarding FSA is that they must always ensure they maintain the highest FSA standard at all time, and in everything that they do. Ask their PICs if they have any questions regarding FSA.

Team Members must also regularly wash their hands when they are at work and when changing tasks. When in doubt, wash hands.

Role of PICs

PICs must make sure the store is in compliance with company’s FSA standards at all time. Take corrective actions immediately if FSA violation is found and be ready welcome the FSA audit at any time.

Role of Operator

Operator must continuously monitor the FSA performance of each store every quarter. Monitor the trend of the stores and take swift corrective actions whenever necessary.