September is National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM), and each year restaurant and foodservice professionals across the country demonstrate their commitment to food safety by spreading the message throughout their establishments and communities.

“Americans are aware of food safety now more than ever before,” said Susan Quam, Senior Director of the WRA Education Foundation. “Through National Food Safety Education Month, we have the opportunity to educate our employees and customers on proper food safety procedures.”

When it comes to food safety, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has a strong record of supporting the highest standards and actively advocating for improvements. “WRA strives to educate our members and the foodservice industry on an ongoing basis about the importance of food safety and why it’s important to be vigilant about meeting food code requirements,” according to Quam.

The Wisconsin Food Code is a complex set of food safety requirements for all retail food establishments, including restaurants and grocery stores. The Code is based on sound, proven science and is designed to prevent people from getting sick. “The challenge in educating consumers is that there are instances where provisions and requirements laid out by the Food Code may seem to contradict common perceptions in the general public,” said Quam. “So what the public may perceive as a food safety violation may not be a violation at all and what really is a serious food safety issue may not be considered important by customers. For example, people feel they are safe if employees are wearing gloves when preparing food. In reality if gloves are not used properly a foodborne illness could be the result. On the other hand, bare hands can be used to prepare certain foods and if proper procedures are followed, this is allowable under the Wisconsin Food Code and can be perfectly safe – actually safer than improper use of gloves.”

Each year a new theme and training activities are created for the industry to reinforce proper food safety practices and procedures. This year’s theme is “Don’t Compromise – Clean and Sanitize” and focuses on the important procedures necessary for proper hand washing. In addition, promotional materials are created for restaurants to let others know what their establishment does on a daily basis to ensure safe food handling. Training activities and promotional materials can be found at www.nraef.org/nfsem/.

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association and WRA Education Foundation are committed to educating the industry about proper food safety. ServSafe® training offered by the WRAEF provides important training in food safety for managers and satisfies the state required certification. Over 2,000 people will be trained this year through ServSafe®. Other efforts include regular updates on the WRA web site on important food safety issues as well as links on the website to available food safety training.

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Since 1933, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has been dedicated to the promotion, protection and improvement of the foodservice industry. The Wisconsin Restaurant Education Foundation’s mission is to promote food service as a professional career path; attract and educate future industry leaders; and provide quality training for those already working in the industry.