So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Monday, February 16, 2009

Outbreaks of Food Poisoning - A Risk You Shouldn't Take

By Malcolm J. Richmond

If you have cooked in or run a restaurant in Melbourne, you know that you are playing to a tough crowd! Not only does the city have great restaurants serving all types of food at a range of prices, but you will also find that it is a town with a long memory.

If you give your customers a great dining experience, you can bet that they will be back for more and that they will tell their friends, but if you mess up, word is certainly going to get around. Every restaurant manager fears a food poisoning outbreak, but if you work in Melbourne, you may have more reason than most to be frightened of it.

In the event of a food poisoning outbreak, at the very least you'll get bad publicity and horrible word of mouth advertising. A serious outbreak could lead to fines, legal disputes or even the complete shut down of your restaurant. Food poisoning outbreaks are about the worst thing that can happen to you as a restaurateur, and you should take every possible effort to prevent them from happening.

Since food poisoning tends to hit the very young or elderly hardest, if you're a family oriented restaurant, you need to be especially diligent. Nothing breeds hostile word of mouth faster than a parent who blames you for their sick child.

Bacteria may easily exist on raw food like eggs, seafood, uncooked rice, or even raw vegetables. For the most part, good washing practices and cooking will take care of the problems there, but if these foods come into contact with food that has already been prepared, the bacteria are able pass themselves on. Some bacteria can even be transferred through unwashed hands onto food that is ready to serve. Other pathogens or bacteria will develop on food that as been allowed to grow too warm or that has begun to spoil.

In general food poisoning can be avoided by ensuring that staff are aware of necessary hygiene procedures and that all food is correctly washed and cooked. To reduce the chances of a food poisoning outbreak requires comprehensive training of your staff. They must know the correct procedures and abide by them at all times.

Lack of adequate food segregation is another issue that needs to be tackled. Make sure that raw food never comes in contact with a dish ready to go out to the dining space; likewise, make sure that you take food out of the refrigeration just before it will be used; letting food sit on a counter top for half an hour during the dinner rush is a recipe for disaster.

In reality there are hundreds of ways that a food poisoning outbreak could occur. This is not however a reason to fear. Whilst most restaurant managers are fairly well versed in the essentials of food safety it is always worthwhile consulting with an expert to ensure that nothing gets overlooked.

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