ServSafe Food Program in Montana a Success

Montana has a great program for restaurant employees. Each preparer of foods to the public must go through a special program where they learn at what temperatures food must be served and how to keep the place clean. It is through this program that MT ranks among the lowest in the country for food poisoning. E. coli bacteria is very unlikely in MT because as part of this program they learn all the other important food preparation rules. The signature program? It is called ServSafe. And each employee must complete this program.

I was in a McDonalds, another franchise system, maybe you have heard of it. That they had the certificates of completion hanging in the front of the store to show full compliance and give customers a feeling of security when eating their happy meals and Chicken McNuggets. One great thing about this program in MT is that it only needs to be in one language since all the employees speak English. We congratulate MT on their proactive aggressive attack on disease and food safety. Soon I hope to see this program available on the Internet for everyone, everywhere. It unfortunately will need to be in many other languages. So employees can view the information online and take a test online. Every restaurant from a 500 square foot bar and grill in Key West to the Mexican restaurant in Burlington, WA next to the coin-op carwash with the dirty awnings, along the railroad tracks where we ate at last week.

ServSafe is a great program. We have come so far in this country from refrigerated refer trailers and trucks to walk in energy efficient coolers. We have fixed our problems with poultry, pork, beef and fruit drinks. The dairy industry to the bloods in hospitals we have things other countries still cannot claim. There is no need to run this country into the 3rd world from our lackadaisical approach to our jobs and lives. We have stamped out many diseases and have state of the art everything, we should pay attention to those things we often take for granted. ServSafe is a great program by people who understand the real world.

I would also like to offer another important issue. We need toilet paper, which is strong enough to hold up during use to prevent the spread of E. coli. Businesses are encouraged to buy cheap and thin toilet paper to save money by their CFOs who are beholden to their stockholders to shave costs. The problem is they are actually causing a potential situation in their food preparations. POTWs often ask Proctor and Gamble and other makers of toilet paper to make them easy to decompose, however if it is not strong enough to hold up to the task it causes even a bigger problem with the spread of disease.

If every employee washed their hands with soap and very hot water after the trip to the rest room, and each and every employee knew the importance of heat in food they would eliminate nearly every incident caused in food poisoning at restaurants and QSRs.

Since many restaurants are our customers for my company, I happen to see this issue from an insider's perspective. Having experience selling accounts to companies for window washing and concrete cleaning, we are aware of this situation and we are also happy to be involved with the washing out of Trailers for companies like US Food Services, Sysco, ALDI Foods, and many wholesale produce and meat companies. We understand the necessity to clean the insides of these trailers to prevent the spread of disease and bacteria. This is why we not only use 180-degree+ water at 3000 PSI, but we also reclaim the affluent so it goes no further as moisture can assist in bacteria growth and standing water attracts the laying of mosquito eggs.

SafeServ is an excellent program and it should be duplicated in all countries and all parts of the US. We need to watch our food supplies and pay attention to the risks associated with them.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

In The News:


Staying In: Tips for TV, cooking and more
San Francisco Chronicle
Staying in? Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your evening at home. Our staff has come up with all sorts of options, including the best of what's on television, a DVD to watch, a book you might want to read, even a recipe to try ...

and more »

Artichokes 101: Tips for selection and cooking
Sacramento Bee
Cooked artichokes keep for a week, also, and can be heated up on the grill or in the oven just before serving. Freezing: Cooked hearts and blanched smaller artichokes can be frozen. To blanch, remove the outer petals (or bracts) so only the pale inner ...

and more »

Barbecue tips from the pros
PennLive.com (blog)
By JULIA HATMAKER, The Patriot-News Andrew Sawran of Hershey, a master barbecue judge, and Terrie D'Amato of York, pig mistress, aka head of the award-winning barbecue team Lips and Hoovz, share their tips for cooking the four most popular barbecue ...


Eat your veggies: Cooking tips make it easy to consume more of the plant world
Bellingham Herald
Adding vegetables to your diet takes a little bit of knowledge and a few simple cooking techniques. Vegetables can be enjoyed raw, steamed, boiled or sautéed. If you're out of the habit of cooking vegetables, here are some tips on how to add loads of ...

and more »

LA Weekly (blog)

Cookbook Review: Grow, Cook, Eat, For Gardening Kitchen Tips + A Recipe For ...
LA Weekly (blog)
By Jenn Garbee Wed., May 23 2012 at 6:00 AM Grow, Cook, Eat by Willi Galloway is a handy little book, despite the entertainingly transparent subtitle: A Food Lover's Guide to Vegetable Gardening including 50 recipes, plus Harvesting and Storage Tips.


Grilling away the fat Tips for cooking healthy foods on the barbecue
Times Herald-Record
Cooking out is a great way to enjoy "grilling the fat away" by using tips and tricks to prepare many nutritious, tasty foods on your grill. This popular culinary technique produces healthful, flavorful foods such as zesty appetizers, hearty entrees and ...


2 burger recipes plus 2 vital tips
HeraldNet
This indentation will prevent the burgers from swelling up and rounding out while cooking." Next great Weber tip: "Oil the food, not the grates. If you oil your grates, you are essentially gluing your food to them. "The oil burns quickly on the hot ...

and more »

Award-winning chef to offer cooking tips to youngsters in Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port Pioneer
AWARD-WINNING Cheshire chef Brian Mellor will be helping schoolchildren in Ellesmere Port cook up a storm in coming weeks. Brian, who runs a cookery school in Harthill, has been signed up by the Junior Chefs' Academy to deliver healthy eating workshops ...

and more »

100 Tips for a Healthier Summer
Huffington Post (blog)
Cooking can reduce the amount of fiber in foods, so be sure to have plenty of raw fruits and veggies too. 15. Veggie superstars to add to your line up include 1 cup of spinach (40 calories) 1 tomato (25 calories) or 1 cup of radishes (20 calories). 16.


Staying In: Tips for TV, cooking and more
San Francisco Chronicle
Cook for about 5 minutes, turn the fish over and cook another 5 minutes for medium doneness. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the other 2 fillets, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with lemon ...

Google News

Weber Grills Reviewed: Quality that Lasts

Barbecuing has long been a favorite pastime for many and... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)

IntroductionWoks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence... Read More

Don?t Poke the Chicken at Your Backyard Barbecue

You might be planning a home remodeling project and it... Read More

Barbecue Success With The Rule Of Thirds

Ever been to a barbecue party where the 'chef' placed... Read More

Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of... Read More

Barbecue for You

In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well,... Read More

How to Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More

Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily... Read More

Fruit Cake

Are you the fruit cake in your family? Before you... Read More

Cooking Lobster at Home

Lobster has always be one of those extravagant meals which... Read More

The World of Cornbread

We're partial to cornbread. We like its rustic texture and... Read More

Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own

Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even... Read More

Cooking -- What You Need To Know

From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically... Read More

What Are Scoville Units?

To understand what a Scoville Unit is, one must understand... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Deep Fry

There are usually 2 ways of deep frying in Chinese... Read More

High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide

High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the... Read More

What is Gluten and Why does it Matter?

Gluten is a substance made up of the proteins found... Read More

Food Poisoning--An Overview

What is Food Poisoning?Food poisoning results when you eat food... Read More

Kitchenaid Stand Mixers ? A Kitchen Work Horse

Kitchenaid stand mixers are very popular in today's kitchens and... Read More

How to Bake: Muffins (with recipes)

Muffins are a mainstay around our house. They are as... Read More

Substitutions for Commonly Called for Ingredients

What should you do if you are in the middle... Read More

How to Cook a Lobster

French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in... Read More

Moms Easy Cooking - Fast Meal Ideas For Busy Moms

Every busy mom worries about how to prepare fast, nutritious... Read More

Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

It is one of life's oddities that we take a... Read More

How to Bake: How Long Should My Bread Rise?

It depends. The best way to tell if the dough... Read More