Food Safety Managers Needed in Retail Food Establishments: FDA Study

Federal food safety regulators say that they will focus on the increased use of food safety managers in restaurants, grocery stores and other retail food establishments in an effort to cut down on the risk of food poisoning. 

The FDA released the results of a 10-year food safety study on Friday, which showed industry-wide improvement. However, the FDA said retail food sellers would make greater strides if they assigned food safety managers and if states and local governments implemented and enforced the FDA’s Model Food Code.

The study looked at more than 800 retail food establishments between 1998 and 2008. It focused on five risk factors, including food from unsafe sources, poor personal hygiene, inadequate cooking, improper holding of food, and contaminated food surfaces and equipment. The study found improvements by every class of retail food establishment in all categories, but FDA officials said there was still a lot of work to be done.

FDA researchers found that establishments that employed a certified food protection manager achieved higher food safety compliance levels than those that did not in a number of different types of establishments. Full service restaurants achieved 70 percent compliance with a food protection manager, compared to 58 percent compliance in those that did not employ one, according to the 2009 component of the study. Delicatessens saw 79 percent compliance with a food protection manager, versus 64 percent without one.

“In looking at the data, it is quite clear that having a certified food protection manager on the job makes a difference,” said Michael R. Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods, in a press release. “Some states and localities require certified food protection managers already, and many in the retail industry employ them voluntarily as a matter of good practice. We think it should become common practice.”

Another step in reducing the risk of food poisoning would be the widespread implementation of the FDA’s Model Food Code, agency officials said. The Food Code sets standards all food handling aspects of retail food services, including management, personnel, food operations, equipment and facilities. However, the code must be adopted and enforced on a state and local level.

FDA officials said a uniform national food safety system would increase both efficiency and effectiveness of food safety efforts.