The only way to know your sanitizer is working is to test it. Test strips are inexpensive, and checking every station in the store takes only a few minutes at most. It’s one of the cheapest and fastest ways to protect your business.

Train your team to check the sanitizer in dish machines and wiping buckets multiple times a day. They must match the strip to the color chart and ensure the concentration meets the manufacturer’s requirements. If that strip comes up weak, stop the machine and fix the source immediately. Accurate testing is the final step in true sanitation.

This has been your Focus on Food Safety.

Don’t wait for an inspector to find the problem or a customer to report you. Maintain trust by taking the initiative. Have an emergency contact list ready for your utilities and the health department. Most importantly, ensure your staff and your Person in Charge for each shift know exactly where to find it.

Closing temporarily is a tough call, but it’s the ultimate sign of a manager who puts safety first.

This has been your Focus on Food Safety.

Don’t treat a checklist as just another chore; treat it as a tool for confidence. When an inspector walks through your front door, there’s no need to panic because you’ve already done the work. By personally reviewing these lists daily, you verify that your standards are being met, ensuring a smooth and stress-free inspection every time.

If you need a starting point, contact us at food@phd5.id.gov, and we’ll send you a checklist you can adapt for your own business. Consistency builds culture, and culture protects your business.

This has been your Focus on Food Safety.

Date marking prepared foods, opened products, and ready-to-eat food brought out of the freezer is the primary defense from Listeria growing to dangerous levels.

Train your staff to date mark any food they prepare, open, or thaw that won’t be completely used that day.

Then, assign a person in charge to check the dates each day and throw out anything older than seven days.

Adding labels and checking them may add a minute to your food prep process, but it keeps your food fresh and your customers safe from the potentially dangerous effects of Listeria.

This has been your Focus on Food Safety.

This week, take just five minutes to quietly observe your team. Are they taking the full 20 seconds to wash or just doing a quick rinse? Pay close attention to transitions. Are they washing immediately when they enter the kitchen, change gloves, or handle those fresh, clean dishes?

If habits are slipping, don’t just give a reminder. Have that employee show you how they wash their hands at the start of their next shift. And ask them to tell you three times when they need to wash their hands.

Consistency builds culture. Protect your customers and your business. This has been your Focus on Food Safety.

There’s nothing worse than an inspector discovering your refrigerator at 50 degrees and having to dispose of hundreds of dollars in product.

You can prevent this with a simple routine: Assign staff to check and log refrigerator temperatures at least twice a day. Ensure they record the exact time, temperature, and their initials.

Then, as the manager, review those logs daily.

This five-minute habit doesn’t just pass inspections; it protects your bottom line and your customers’ health.

This has been your Focus on Food Safety.