With the upcoming holiday season approaching, it is important to keep food safety in mind. No, not just in the context of wearing goggles when destroying things, but also when looking out for the creepy crawly germs. Holidays should be a fun time, not one filled with getting over a cough or fever.

One of the surest ways to keep bacteria away is through keeping food at proper temperatures. This is especially true when cooking poultry, like the almighty turkey at Thanksgiving. The first step toward keeping you and yours safe is to keep the turkey frozen (0ºF or lower) or refrigerated (35º to 40ºF) until you cook it. The “danger zone” is 41º to 135ºF, and the goal is to keep food outside of this zone as much as possible. Why? These are the temperatures in which bacteria love to grow. Yum, I know.

Even after you cook the turkey, there is still the possibility of it growing dangerous bacteria. Never let cooked (or raw, for that matter) turkey stand at room temperature or in ovens at less than 200ºF or in a holding device at less than 135ºF.

Whenever you are cooking a turkey, you should raise the internal temperature to 165ºF to 170ºF in the innermost part of the breast. If you are measuring the temperature in the thigh, it should be 165ºF to 180ºF. Make sure you don’t touch the bones as you put the food thermometer in the deepest part of the muscle. If you choose to not to work too hard this year and decide instead to get a fully cooked turkey meat, make sure the internal temperature is at least 140ºF when re-heated.

When digging your bird out of the fridge on that late-night binge a few days later (don’t worry, everybody does it), reheat it to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Make sure you store the turkey in the fridge at between 35º to 40ºF, and turkey should only be stored at those temperatures for only a couple of days. If you want to store your cooked turkey longer, it can go in the freezer for up to a year afterward. If you have the ability to vacuum bag it, it will help preserve the taste and minimize the chances of freezer burn.

Of course, you may ask “But, how am I supposed to know what all of these temperatures are?” You can always get a good quality thermometer from our sponsor, Restaurant Equipment World, or through their site devoted to products such as those, www.foodsafetyworld.com.

Careful management of temperatures is an important way to control bacteria. You should always use a food thermometer to check temperatures.

- Turkey must be kept frozen (0ºF or lower) or refrigerated (35º to 40ºF) until used. Keep raw as well as cooked turkey products out of the 41º to 135ºF bacterial growth danger zone.

- Never let raw or cooked turkey stand at room temperature or in a warm oven at less than 200ºF or in a holding device at less than 135ºF.

- Cook raw turkey to an internal temperature of 165ºF to 170ºF in the deepest part of the breast, or 165ºF to 180ºF in the thigh of a whole bird. Insert the food thermometer into the deepest part of the muscle, being sure not to touch the bones.

- Turkey products that are purchased fully cooked and are served hot, such as boneless roasts and rolls, should be reheated to an internal temperature of 140ºF.

- Turkey that is cooked and chilled in your operation must be reheated to an internal temperature of 165ºF before serving or kept cold at 41ºF or lower if it is to be served cold.

- Cook turkey progressively, in batches, so it can be served as soon as possible.

- Slice and hold only the amount that will be served within a 20-to 30-minute period.

From our friends at SEFA

Welcome to the Saf-T-First e-newsletter from San Jamar.  Saf-T-First has been created to help keep you informed of important food safety information. As the leader in commercial food safety tools, San Jamar is always innovating to address safety issues and needs of foodservice professionals.  San Jamar food safety tools are designed to reduce employee and customer injuries and illness, while reducing labor and operating costs.

CA Raises Bar on Food Safety
Foodservice workers hired in California will be carded as of next year. You could call him “The Germ-inator”, as California Governor Arnold Swarzenagger recently signed a foodservice safety training bill into law.  Read more from NRN -  California Food Handler Card

It’s a Viral World
With the viral nature of the internet and the blogosphere, information is everywhere.  And bad news travels fastest.  One health code violation, one foodborne illness… and a foodservice provider can become the victim of viral media coverage — with a reputation irreparably tarnished.  The results can be devastating.  Read about one example of viral media roadkill from WTMJ online -  Egg Recall Expands; Kenosha Restaurant Linked

Food Safety Insights: HACCP & Local Sourcing
by Dr. Norm Faiola, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Hospitality Management
Syracuse University

Let us consider some of the food safety challenges produce poses to our internal food safety systems. Using a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) model, we know that there are potential hazards (mostly biological, i.e. pathogenic bacteria and viruses) related to almost all types of produce.  The produce we need to process and serve our guests requires procedures that will reduce these potential hazards to an acceptable (safe) level.   Sure, an operation can purchase ready-to-eat (RTE) produce which does not need to be rewashed (USDA) but labor still must handle it correctly to maintain safety. Expiration dates need to be carefully monitored and a First in-First out (FiFo) rotation must be maintained. Shelf life and safety are based on strict packer processes (HACCP/GMP’s based) in conjunction with in-house strict time-temperature controls and monitoring of package integrity.

Thinking about sustainability and locally sourced produce?  Produce purchased not RTE must be carefully processed so as to reduce the potential contamination to a safe level. Safe produce starts at the farm level and we rely on the grower to minimize the risk of hazards associated with produce.  Any product that is grown in soil has contamination that is potentially harmful.  Your in-house processing must assume the worst case; processing procedures need to carefully planned and monitored. Start with clean and sanitary utensils, sinks and storage containers. Enforce strict personal hygiene. Maintain temperature control by batch processing. Since no heat treatment is part of the processing steps (who wants cooked lettuce?), you are relying on agitation and dilution to reduce the bio-load on the products. If you are adding a chemical or converted water sanitizing step to your process, carefully follow the manufacturers’ directions. Remove excess water before storage.  Do not store produce in standing water even under refrigeration.

Responsibility for food safety belongs to the operator as they are the final control point for any produce served to guests.  Keeping produce safe takes as much work and planning as any meat or poultry product. Let us make sure we consider this and proactively work to serve safe food.

Make Sure Your Produce is “Saf”
Produce is the #1 source of foodborne illness– even pre-washed/ready-to-eat (RTE) produce can harbor dangerous bacteria. Not only does Saf-T-Wash by San Jamar provide 52% greater pathogen killing power than traditional produce sanitizing methods like chlorine; it harnesses the power of ozone to significantly extend the life of produce, saving money.  And Saf-T-Wash is easy to install and use. To learn more about the power of Saf-T-Wash and, click here.

ServSafe® Quick Quiz

While commonly associated with ground beef, which microorganism has also been associated with contaminated lettuce?

A. Salmonella spp.
B. Campylobacter jejuni
C. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
D. Norovirus

Something to Chew On…
PB&M sandwich, anyone…?  Imagine the shock when Dad finds mouse baked into bread while making kids’ lunches.  See photo and read more from The Sun.
*Answer:C  Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include diarrhea and abdominal cramps.  Severe cases can lead to life-threatening kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

From our friends at SEFA and Sanjamar

Recently, we’ve had the honor of celebrating the citizenship of one of our esteemed customer service representatives, Karina. She moved with her family at the age of 11 from Brazil to the United States and, despite the difficulty of learning a new language, she excelled in school and is currently attending the University of Central Florida. In honor of her becoming a citizen, the first at REW to make that achievement while employed here, I made the long trip across the office for a sit-down Q&A session:

Q: Karina, what does becoming a citizen mean to you?

A: It is a great honor to become a citizen. The first thing that comes to mind is that I can now vote, but that does not come close to what I am happy for. The United States has offered my family and I a great opportunity for growth. It means that the country that I have loved for so long accepts me as one of their own, and there is no greater reward than this.

Q: What was the process of becoming a citizen like?

A: It took my family and I roughly ten years to go through the citizenship process. In my particular instance, my father established a business in Florida, and was granted a work visa. Our family moved here, and after having legal residency for  five  years, we chose to move forward and apply for citizenship. Although ten years seem like a long time, the outcome is very much worth the wait.

Q: I’m glad that the outcome was worth the wait! What would you like to say to others who may want to move to America or become a citizen here?

A: That’s a hard question!- America is a great country;  it is the melting pot of the world. If you wish to come, make sure to get involved. There is no better feeling than learning about your new community and having an appreciation for a new culture.

Q: What was the first thing that you did, or what are you looking forward to doing, as a citizen?

A: The first thing, of course, was register to vote. I believe this right should be exercised by every citizen, since it is the greatest power that the people have.

Q: What great insight! Thanks for your time, Karina, You have been a wonderful interviewee, not to mention co-worker.

A: Thanks, Jared!

We are very happy that Karina is now officially a U.S. citizen, we congratulate her on her successes, and wish her many more in the future!

For more information on how YOU can become a citizen visit http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

REW is proud to present the first installment in a new series of tips and tricks on how to safely and efficiently protect your customers from foodborne illness.

This Week’s Topic: The Receiving Dock and You

Here are some tips from the pros:

• Use durable and efficient brooms, mops, buckets, etc., to keep the receiving area clean.

• Make sure the area is well lit to discourage pests.

• Air curtains act as thermal, bug and dust barriers in doorways, thereby saving energy and increasing comfort.

• Place incoming shipments on dunnage racks to keep them off the dock floor.

• Check and record the temperature of food shipments as they arrive.

• Keep thermometers and sanitizer test strips handy
  for use throughout your area of operation.

• Check and record all expiration dates and package
  integrity. Refuse, quarantine, or return any products that
  fail your checks.

Next weeks installment: Dry Storage: Friend, or Foe?

REW's Dry Storage Facility

Courtesy of SEFA and SANJAMAR

Vitamix® proudly introduces The Quiet One™. A powerful, premium blender, The Quiet One provides unparalleled sound reduction, exceptional blends for a consistently superior product and significantly improved speed of service.

Specifically created for coffee shops and high-end bars, it’s ideal for any front-of-the-house environment thanks to its dramatic sound reduction capabilities. According to independent third party testing, it operates at an amazing 18 decibels below its closest competitor on one of the most demanding recipes— the milkshake.* Based on that testing, The Quiet One would be perceived as being four times quieter than its closest competitor. Designed to create a more enjoyable customer environment, it also offers operators the ability to deliver a wide variety of superior blended beverages to their customers.

The Quiet One utilizes exclusive technology that sets it apart from the competition in the arena of noise reduction. An innovative door seal design, coupled with patent-pending floating technology significantly reduce vibration transmission and improve airflow. The combination dramatically reduces the amount of sound produced during blending while maintaining the drink quality expected from a Vitamix.

The Quiet One also offers an innovative design unlike any other product on the market. A compact, magnetically secured sound enclosure reduces cleaning time, while eliminating the need to disassemble the whole machine and remove screws. This helps to prevent cracking of the sound enclosure and ultimately extends the life of the machine.

We here at Restaurant Equipment world would like to congratulate Tedde and Jim Reid who recently received the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee for their ongoing efforts in Africa.

The following Tedde Talk article is the speech given by Tedde & Jim
upon acceptance of the National Human Relations Award presented
by the American Jewish Committee on June 22, 2010.

(Tedde) Jim and I are deeply honored and so grateful for
this recognition from the American Jewish Committee.
We know that this organization is committed to working
towards a world in which all people are accorded respect
and dignity. And, Michael, we are touched with your kind
words and the presentation of this award. Your friendship
is truly a treasure.

Jim and I have been amazingly blessed with our business, and many of you in the
audience have been part of that success. We thank you. It is the business success
that has allowed us to develop passion for others and to serve them with a handup
instead of a hand-out. We are committed to live out God’s imperative to serve
the poor and vulnerable.

Allow us to share about some of our work in Africa and at home.
Nine years ago, we began an annual journey to southern Africa.  We were privileged
to lead teams of medical and business leaders from the United States.
Working with the Zambian government andWorldVision, we created a small hospital
in ZamTan, a village of 21,500 people in Zambia where the average family
income is less than $1 per day. ZamTan is a village where the HIV/AIDS pandemic
has struck over 25% of the people. The initial intent of the hospital was to
prevent the transmission of HIV from Mother to Child at birth. Medical attention
within 24 hours of birth can drop the rate of transmission from over 40% to 2%.
And, equally important, Moms can expect their children to live; in other words,
the Moms can have hope. As the hospital developed, the World Health
Organization made medicines available that could be administered at the hospital.
Today, entire infected families are treated. We’ve seen people with stage four
AIDS that have been treated and are now holding jobs and raising their children.
And, at the hospital now, vaccinations are administered to children and tropical
diseases are treated.

With family income of less than $1 per day, you can imagine that the children
were severely under-nourished. Lack of nourishment and lack of sanitation lead
to diseases such as malaria, dehydration and other illnesses we now refer to as diseases
of poverty.

In ZamTan, our Teams created a feeding program for over 700 children who were
under-nourished. Twice a day, five days a week, they receive high protein porridge.
Their ability to study and avoid illnesses has improved dramatically. And,
their parents now have seeds, fertilizer, goats and chickens to sustain their families
as well as to provide income for the family.

Lack of clean water is critical in sub-Saharan Africa and was so in ZamTan until
wells were dug near the hospital and in the communities. We witnessed the
excitement on a child’s face when the well was pumped for the first time in
ZamTan and water splashed on the child. We cannot tell you if there was more
water or more tears of joy! Water can truly change the life of a village.
Just a word about water…884Million people around the world live without ready
access to clean water. Often times, the women and children will walk for miles
every day to secure water for their families. Obviously doing so will keep the
children from school. We believe that lack of education continues the cycle of
poverty.

However, there is good news! At the turn of the century, over one
billion people had no ready access to clean water. In ten years, over
one hundred million people have had wells dug in nearby areas. A
leading provider of wells is Living Water International. We are honored
to partner with them in Africa.

Jim and I were thrilled on our 2009 trip to be named honorary citizens
of ZamTan.

(Jim) In the prosperity of America, it is hard to imagine the degree to
which people in our own country struggle with poverty. Additionally,
our country has so many other issues that pull people down…such as
drugs, gangs and crime. In some areas of Chicago as here in New
York, one is still cautious about traveling in these
neighborhoods…and often avoids the worst areas.

Several years ago we became involved in one such community, East
Garfield Park, on the west side of Chicago. East Garfield Park never
recovered from the race riots of the 1960s and today its families and
youth suffer from the devastations of gangs, drugs, domestic violence,
unemployment and dropping out of school. Despite all these
obstacles, there is hope and the lives of its people are changing for the
better. While Breakthrough Urban Ministries started with a men’s
homeless shelter, it now includes both men’s and women’s homeless
shelters, pre-school and after school programs for kids, and sports
and mentoring programs to keep the youth off the streets, off drugs
and out of gangs. In this community, the pre-schoolers test at 17% of
the kids entering kindergarten…unless they have been part of the
Breakthrough program. Then, they test at 72%! Youth who participate
in the after school and sports programs are graduating high
school and some are attending college.

While Breakthrough has made a huge difference in many families,
there is still much to do to reach the 1600 young people in this neighborhood.
Statistics shows that changing the lives of 60% of the kids
in a community can change the entire community. To scale up the
effort needed to engage 1000 young people, Breakthrough is well on
its way to raising $15 Million to build a “Family Plex”. This 40,000
square foot facility will provide not only a safe haven for family
activities, but additional services such as a healthcare clinic, day care
for children and the only café serving healthy food in the neighborhood.
I have the privilege of chairing this capital campaign and getting
to work closely with the community of East Garfield Park.
A successful change in East Garfield Park could become the model
for changing the lives of the poor in urban cities across America.
Tedde and I believe that many people want to help the poor and vulnerable.
However, it is sometimes difficult to get connected. We
remain most grateful to the people who have helped us to connect.
Our continued wish for ourselves and each person in this room is the
desire and passion to serve others…the fulfillment in doing so is one
of life’s greatest rewards.

We remain grateful and honored to receive this award. We thank each
and every one of you.

Tedde & Jim

The most energy efficient and economical solution for medium-duty steaming. Whether using batch or cook and hold applications, Vortex100 is the simple answer. Plug, pour and cook. It’s that simple. No water lines, no drain lines, no boiler maintenance – just efficient, reliable steaming from the beginning. The convection fan in a Vortex100 unit distributes steam evenly around the food. The result is more even heat, more consistent food and less energy consumption. Vortex100 holds the temperature using a low power rate. No wasted steam means no wasted electricity and water. This energy efficiency has earned the ENERGY STAR® for the all Vortex100 units!

From our friends at SEFA and Unified Brands

As a former employee at a pizza joint, I know that time is money. As a minimum-wage pizza pie producer, time did not equal very much money, but money nonetheless. However, for the owners of a pizza emporium, time used is money spent–not money earned. The quicker you go from dough to dough, the better. Knowing this, I became very interested in this Doughpro video. A pizza in five minutes? It’s been done before, yes, but that’s still pretty quick. I was expecting a perfectly choreographed ballet of epic proportions to see a pizza get done, cooked and served, in that time.

However, after watching the video, I came away impressed not by the cook’s talents–he seemed to bumble around, and I’m not sure he put on enough sauce–but by how the tools that Doughpro provided seems to have helped him immensely. Every time he touched a Doughpro product, he was done with it in the blink of an eye. Easy-peasy pizza-squeezy. So, it dawned on me: if this guy can make a pizza in less than five minutes with their products, anybody can. And after reflecting about my talent and dexterity, or lack there-of, as a former pizza-making employee, that truly is astonishing.

Check out some of our Doughpro presses and start churning out pizza like in the video!

What did the ice cream say to the Hamilton Beach Commercial HMD mixers? “You shake me up”!! What do national chains, regional operators and local restaurants say about these same units?? “Powerful, easy to use, clean, and maintain, and unmatched durability with perfect finished product”! The powerful 1/3HP independent motors are strong, quiet and easy to use, clean and replace. The HMD’s pulse switches keep your hands away from the equipment and the shakes!! Contact us for more information!