Dec 18

Written by: Bret Rachlin
12/18/2009 4:52 PM

With so many school safety and security issues needing to be addressed, it’s hard to imagine having to worry about cafeteria safety, too. From the recent stories about the quality of meat served in school cafeterias to Eastchester Middle School’s cafeteria upgrade in New York, (Source: USA Today, December 16, 2009, In New York, a model for how to improve a school cafeteria) improving cafeteria quality has moved higher on the school administrator’s to-do list.

After three years of violating several food safety rules, Westchester County Department of Health fined Aramark, Eastchester’s cafeteria manager, $3,400. Eventually, Aramark lost the contract for Eastchester to a lower bidder, and Eastchester Union School District spent $102,000 to revamp the school’s kitchen, “installing new stainless-steel tables, stove and refrigerators,” as well as “hiring a new food service director.”

Overall, the article highlights how many schools consistently make the same food safety mistakes in their cafeterias, including keeping perishable food at temperatures too high and utilizing dented cans. Technology, such as video surveillance, can assist schools in their food safety monitoring. Schools can use video effectively in the following ways:

- Verifying procedure:  view food preparation areas to ensure employees handle food according to quality assurance guidelines
- Train employees:  share video clips with employees to show them what they did right and what areas they need to correct when working in the cafeteria
- Maintain equipment:  monitor food preparation equipment to ensure that it is used and cleaned correctly, ensuring that no health safety laws are violated

How does your school ensure that its cafeteria is operating safely? Have you thought about using video to assist your cafeteria safety program?

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