If you are in the restaurant business, you know the rewards can be plentiful, but so are the risks. In fact, two of the biggest risks in the restaurant business include foodborne illnesses and the serving of alcohol. When you open your restaurant for patrons, you run the risk of exposing them to foodborne illness if you don’t practice safe food handling and storage procedures, so in order to protect your restaurant, the patrons, and your assets, you must be aware of how to avoid products and liquor liability losses for restaurants.

1 in 6 Americans Get Sick From Foodborne Illnesses 

Products and Liquor Liability Losses for RestaurantsWhile that may sound like a high statistic, it may also surprise you that of those, 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 people die each year as a result. Because of these statistics, the FDA has identified the most noteworthy contributing factors linked to foodborne illnesses in the restaurant business and they include:

  • Unsafe Food Sources
  • Inadequate Cooking Procedures
  • Improper Temperatures for Refrigeration/Freezer
  • Unclean Equipment
  • Poor Personal Hygiene (not washing hands, sick employees, etc.) 

Knowing the above contributing factors can help to increase awareness of implementing controls and procedures to minimize the risks of foodborne illnesses in your restaurant.

Apply Safe Food Storage Controls 

There is applicable safe food storage information that can help eliminate risks and hazards most linked to foodborne illnesses, but these procedures need to be routinely implemented within the restaurant industry. Some considerations include ventilation, extermination, storage of food 6 inches above the floor and away from cleaning products, as well as maintaining proper temperatures for food storage.

The entire kitchen staff should be well trained on all of the safe practices with signs in the kitchen clearly outlining reminders of safe practice controls in order to keep the food safe to serve your patrons.

Other Important Food Safety Controls to Consider 

  • Inspect food for foreign objects
  • Post ingredients in all foods on menu and alert/train your employees of each ingredient
  • Support evidence of low-fat or organic foods
  • Check suppliers’ quality control
  • Maintain temperatures of food for carry out and/or catering

Alcohol Safety and Responsibility 

If your restaurant serves alcohol, it means you could face some stiff penalties if one of your patrons is over served or leaves your establishment drunk and causes an accident. In the U.S. alcohol is the cause of approximately 88,000 deaths per year so, as a restaurant owner, you must make sure your bar tenders are well trained, certified, and capable of instilling safety in the serving of alcohol.

Failure to do so can lead to heavy fines, loss of liquor license, increased insurance rates, and even imprisonment if found guilty of improper serving. Some written liquor service policies include, but not limited to the following:

  • Card everyone that appears to be under the age of 30
  • Have policies in place regarding the handling of an intoxicated customer
  • Offer a “ride home” policy to any patron(s) who are unable to drive home safely
  • Have a prevention plan
  • Make sure all management is enforcing these rules/policies

Is Your Business Protected with the Right NC Restaurant Insurance?

Taking precautions like these in this article will surely reduce the likelihood of an incident. However, employees make mistakes and accidents happen. That is why having the right restaurant insurance protection that is designed to meet your specific needs is paramount.

If you have any questions regarding your particular risk exposures or about restaurant product and liquor liability, please call Paramount Insurance Agency at 866-869-3335 so we may assist you and answer any questions you may have.

 

 

 

 

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