Public food safety: establishing an infection-prevention programme
AS GOVERNMENTS around the world begin to relax their tight stay-at-home restrictions in order to boost economic activity, workplaces must establish safety protocols to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission while operating. The Ministry of Health’s website posted generic workplace protocols to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 between and among customers and employees. However, even though science has categorised the SARS-CoV-2 as a respiratory ailment and has not provided evidence of its transmission through the digestive system, the lack of empirical evidence does create uncertainty for both food-service operators and consumers.
The exponential growth in the number of dining establishments in Jamaica over the past 10 years is hard to ignore. Nevertheless, the social trend of eating out has been stifled by no or limited service being provided by these businesses. As the technocrats in the health ministry struggle to develop industry-specific protocols, managers and owners of dining establishments must take responsibility for operating safely.
As the National Public Health agency seeks to refine Jamaica’s food-safety standards, several larger international organisations have researched and collaborated to establish food-handling protocols for their respective jurisdictions. Notable agencies such as the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and Ecolab have proposed food-service strategies with similar features that, perhaps, should be adopted by local food-service operators. A key feature proposed is modifying the sanitation regiment of hard and soft surfaces since cleaning and disinfecting the premises will be of utmost importance.
Cleaning refers to the removal of soil or other organic matter usually with a detergent and proper rinsing. Disinfecting is killing 100 per cent of the bacteria, fungi, and virus listed by the manufacturer of the chemical. This is different from sanitising, which kills 99.99 per cent of bacteria and some common food-borne viruses. Even though disinfectants are more effective, the manufacturer must indicate that it is approved for use against emerging viral pathogens or the coronavirus.
Unfortunately, most formulated disinfectants are not made for use on food-contact surfaces and must be properly rinsed after application, otherwise a food-safe disinfectant must be sourced. Alternatively, it has been proven that a bleach solution of five tablespoons per gallon or the use of 70 per cent alcohol-based disinfectant will also be effective enough to kill the coronavirus, however, the surface must be left saturated with these solutions for at least one minute.
Scientists have proven that the virus is able to survive on hard surfaces much longer than soft and hence requires a more stringent cleaning and disinfecting routine.
The World Health Organization recognised that pre-COVID-19, foodhandling policies and practices were inadequate to for limiting the spread of the pandemic. Crossreferencing major studies has led to the proposition of a fourstep framework to strategically implement an infection-prevention programme.
STEP 1: FOLLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES
It is critical that owners and managers of food-service establishments keep up to date with the government advisories irrespective of how basic they are. Implement systems that will enforce physical distancing, mask and glove wearing, temperature checks, handwashing and sanitation, regular cleaning, proper ventilation, regulating the number of persons in the building at any one time, and operating in compliance with the curfew restrictions.
STEP 2: UPGRADING YOUR CLEANING AND HYGIENE PROTOCOLS
•
Frequent handwashing and sanitising are critical for all employees.
•
Erect signage to remind staff and customers of handwashing importance, frequency, and techniques.
•
Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfection of hightouch areas such as door handles, handrails, menu cards, dining tables, chair backs, etc.
•
Deep clean of the entire facility at least once per week.
•
Restrooms must be cleaned and disinfected at least every hour during operation.
FRONT OF THE HOUSE
•
Open windows and use natural air instead of air conditioning or set up outdoor dining. If air-conditioning units must be used, then filters must be cleaned weekly.
•
Vacuum and shampoo carpets, rugs, and cushions weekly.
•
Consider omitting tablecloths for service since hard surfaces are easier to clean. Cloth napkins must be used only once then washed in hot water.
•
Limit customers drinking at the bar due to its proximity to the drinkpreparation zone and the bartender.
•
Use separate server and busser teams. Servers would take orders, serve meals, and handle clean utensils. Bussers would handle dirty plates, cups, and utensils, which could have contaminated saliva residue and hence require additional PPE.
•
Space the tables and chairs to allow a minimum of six feet of space between tables. Focus on seating not more than two persons at a table or groups of family members who live together.
•
Close or remove any customer self-service station such as drink dispensers.
•
Avoid offering buffet service. If buffet is the only service offered, then erect sneeze guards or partitions and consider using assisted service (employees would serve the menu items), but provide adequate PPE.
•
Employees who interact with high volumes of customers such as cashiers must wash or sanitise hands in between each transaction, wear a mask with face shield, and only engage with one customer at a time.
BACK OF THE HOUSE
•
Maintain food preparation, cooking, storage, and presentation industry standards.
•
Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting foodcontact surfaces, which must be rinsed and sanitised again if a nonfood-grade disinfectant is used. Countertops, ice machines, food prep tools, cutting boards, etc, should be cleaned at least every hour during operation.
•
Limit talking in food-preparation areas and encourage physical distancing as much as possible even though it is almost impossible based on the size of most kitchens.
•
Keep sanitation equipment clean, including dish machines, mops, brooms, sinks.
STEP 3: IMPROVING EMPLOYEE AWARENESS
1. Temperature-check every employee before they enter the building.
2. Employees must be required to call in and avoid going to work if they feel ill. Only upon medical advice should they report for duty. If an employee displays COVID-19-like symptoms while on duty, the person should be isolated immediately. Contact the COVID-19 hotline promptly for further instructions.
3. Training and retraining of employees in the new sanitation protocol is critical. The programme must be monitored consistently.
4. Provide adequate PPE for use especially for those who interact with customers.
5. Reinforce the culture of personal hygiene and maintaining a sanitary workplace.
6. Encourage physical distancing and discourage excessive chatter among employees.
7. Stagger the shifts/break periods, and space out workstations as much as possible.
STEP 4: REASSURE YOUR CUSTOMERS
1. Publicise your commitment to serving safe food and beverages in a clean environment. You may highlight unique steps taken to build customer confidence.
2. Enforce public-safety protocol through signage and service interaction. These should address mask wearing (while not eating or drinking), maintaining physical distance, and cough and hand etiquette.
3. Promote takeout service or offer curbside service. Customers may call in or use an app to place their orders.
Owners and managers of food-service establishments have a significant role to play in protecting employees, customers, and the reputation of the business. The framework proposed is not prescriptive but descriptive guidelines that should be included in the development and implementation of a restaurant’s customised infection-prevention programme.