Comply, Even When No One's Looking
As a food vendor, it can be tempting to cut corners on health and safety regulations, especially when you're not being actively inspected. After all, who's going to know if you prep food on an unsanitized surface or allow employees to handle cash and then immediately return to food prep without washing their hands? Unfortunately, the consequences of such lapses in judgment can be severe, both for your customers and for your business.
Consider the tragic case of a street food vendor in a major city who was seen preparing chicken under the sun on a folding table outside his mobile operation. This vendor thought he could get away with the unsanitary practice, as he was not being actively inspected at the time. However, just a few days later, dozens of his customers fell severely ill with food poisoning. Several were hospitalized, and tragically, two patrons passed away as a result of the contaminated food.
This is just one example of how a single lapse in food safety, even when no one is watching, can have devastating effects. Not only does it put customers' health at risk, but it can also lead to the swift and permanent closure of your business. Health departments take food safety violations extremely seriously, and they have the power to shut down operations immediately if egregious issues are discovered, regardless of whether an inspection was planned.
Moreover, in most areas, results of inspections are published and widely available to the general public. Even if your operation finally decides to comply, it will be too late as the public will know of your blatant infractions.
The best approach is to make food safety a priority at all times, even when you're not being watched. This means thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all food preparation surfaces, ensuring employees wash their hands frequently, maintaining proper food storage temperatures, and adhering to all other relevant health regulations. It may seem inconvenient in the moment, but developing these habits will protect your customers and keep your business running smoothly in the long run.
Employees will also take their cues from the top, so it's important that you model exemplary food safety practices at all times. When they see you consistently following the rules, even when it would be easy to cut corners, they'll be more likely to do the same. This creates a culture of food safety that becomes ingrained in your operation.
For example, I had a particular operation that would close every summer. My employees were aware of that particular operation's seasonal schedule so many had summer jobs lined up. One employee of mine was hired by a popular pizza chain. However, he was appalled to find out that they did not wear gloves when they prepared the pizza. "It doesn't matter since it gets baked afterwards," the pizza chain manager exclaimed.
My employee knew better. "But isn't that the case with most food," my employee questioned, "that you prep the ingredients and then it gets cooked afterward?" "Why should pizza be any different?" The manager looked at my employee as a trouble maker. Soon, my employee began bringing his own gloves to work. The thought of handling a customer's food bare-handed made him rightfully uncomfortable. He promptly left that pizza chain once our operation re-opened in the fall.
Ultimately, complying with health and food regulations is not just about passing inspections - it's about ensuring the well-being of your customers and safeguarding the future of your business. By making food safety a top priority, even when no one is looking, you can protect your patrons and give your company the best chance of long-term success.
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