In 2016, research revealed that one in 13 restaurants and one in seven takeaways in the UK have failed food hygiene inspections because of poor operational procedures [1].
The numerous examples of restaurants and takeaways being closed down, fined and even sued as a result reveal that non-compliance in food service is often caused by:
So, we use the wisdom of the Seven Kingdoms to see how foodservice businesses can combat those causes to build a culture of compliance for top ratings and earned recognition.
Restaurants and takeaways are faced with a “mass of laws, regulations, codes of practice and guidance”[2]. The first step to operational compliance is to train staff to understand and implement this mass.
The challenge is how to communicate procedural guidance in a clear and engaging manner.
Rather than sharing a (several) hundred page PDF, Word document or (the most dreadful of all) endless Excel sheets, train staff through interactive materials such as quizzes, ‘how to’ videos and infogrpahics, accessible on their mobiles devices.
Training becomes fun and effortless and workers have a digital point of reference whenever they are unsure of the required correct action.
Human error has many faces in food service – storing food at the wrong temperature, not checking the expiry date of a product, using the wrong ratio of detergents when cleaning.
The risk of human error can be diminished with digital smart checklists which help workers keep track of their daily responsibilities and push scheduled reminders and real-time alerts to their mobile devices.
In the London borough of Newham, 50% of takeaways fail inspections [3]. Some of them have revealed unbelievably poor conditions – health threatening accumulation of dirt, grease and food debris, resulting in the spread of pests and food contamination – the result of months and even years of non-compliance.
Such examples teach us that It takes less time to do it right than to explain why you did it wrong. It is easier to train and incentivise staff to implement the correct practices daily than to deal with the aftermath of non-compliance involving closures, hefty fines, an indefinite ban from managing a food business and even imprisonment.
Gamification is one great way to incentivise operational compliance, offering that extra bit of motivation and a greater sense of fun and achievement at work. Workers are awarded points and badges for a job well done, which can then be converted into material or experiential rewards, and can climb up the leaderboard in a friendly competition with their colleagues.
It is difficult to pre-empt risks and inconsistencies without a record of previous instances of non-compliance. For example, recorded reports of the fridge going above the required temperature three times in the past week can prompt a technical check and repair, preventing food spoilage.
A consistent track record of implemented practices and corrective actions also facilitates external inspections, providing regulatory bodies with proof of compliance and helping to ensure high hygiene ratings.
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