4 Important Food Truck Safety Tips

Rachel Perkins — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 13:54:20 +0000

Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels

Food trucks tend to have a bad r ep when it comes to food safety. Any business that works in food service needs to be vigilant and follow proper protocols. When you own a mobile restaurant business, the safety and health of your employees and your customers should be a top priority.

Keep reading to learn the best safety practices for your food truck.

1. Properly Train Your Employees

Your employees should be trained in proper food handling and how to operate the equipment in a food truck. In some states, food service employees must pass a food handler’s course and acquire a permit. These courses teach workers about proper sanitation, food handling and storage, and preventing the spread of food-borne disease.

The FDA provides a handbook for retail food protection. It helps food service workers to learn essential employee health and hygiene matters. Your employees probably won’t seek out this information on their own, so it’s your job as their employer to stay on top of things.

2. Tell Sick Employees to Stay Home

If an employee shows up to work sick, you should send them home. The same goes for if they get sick at work. Sick workers can infect food or contaminate the equipment they are working with.

Additionally, sick workers cannot focus completely, making them prone to accidents or other hazards. This is a big red flag for health inspectors. If the health department finds out sick employees were handling and distributing food, you can face major fines and/or a shutdown.

3. Prepare for Emergencies

Any number of accidents can happen on a food truck. During a lunch-hour rush, it’s easy for someone to misplace a knife or stick a hand where they shouldn’t.

Burns are a typical injury for food truck workers. Have the proper tools to handle hot cookware and never leave hot equipment unattended. Make sure there you have both first aid kit and fire extinguisher in reach.

Physical harm isn’t the only potential emergency to plan for. You should have emergency safety protocols printed in a binder and kept in a secure place in the truck. Make sure all of the employees know the procedure for things like power outages, robberies, car accidents, and more.

4. Perform Regular Inspections

Schedule times to inspect your truck, and regularly review a health and safety checklist that is specific for food truck owners. Take note of any hazards or potential dangers during your walkthrough. Here are some signs to look for:

Ensure containers are separated, and there is no cross-contamination between foods (potential allergens, raw, and cooked foods)
Check refrigerator and freezer temperatures to make sure food is kept at a safe temperature
Food containers and storage bins are labeled properly
Cleaning supplies are stored away from food products
Employees are aware of proper hand washing, cleaning, food preparation, and serving techniques
The ventilation system is clean and up-to-date

Having a regular walkthrough gives you the chance to identify problems before they become serious, as well as ensure your employees are aware of your expectations. Consider doing surprise inspections, so you can observe employee behavior when they haven’t had time to do anything differently.

Tips for Keeping Your Food Truck Safe

Food truck safety means having employees that are properly trained and certified in food handling. They should know what to do in the event of an emergency and how to find help. You can encourage safe practices by performing regular inspections and making sure no one is sick on the job.

For more tips on how to run a safe food truck, take a look at the rest of our blog.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

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Staying Legal: How Food Truck Owners Follow Food Safety and Health Code

Rachel Perkins — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Photo: foodiesfeed / Freepik

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, food trucks are having a huge moment. They make great, affordable food, and it’s easy to social distance when you’re outside! But you may be wondering how they keep themselves clean and follow the health code.

Just like restaurant owners, food truck owners have to maintain standards. There are several food truck laws pertaining to their cleanliness and maintenance, and food trucks are regularly checked by a health inspector, just like restaurants.

Ease your mind by reading on to find out what you can expect as a food truck owner.

State-Specific Health Code

Much of what health inspectors check for in a food truck varies from state to state. However, there are a few things that are required in most, if not every, state. These include:

An up-to-date food handling license
Visibly clean surface (a no-brainer!)
No food in the “danger zone” temperature range
Records of food purchases
Alcohol license (if applicable)
All food products are more than six inches off the ground

These are general guidelines, and some states are more strict than others. However, these are all signs that a food truck is being run in a compliant and sanitary way.

Regular Inspections

Health inspectors generally arrive once or twice a year. They are impartial, and work for the state government. Therefore, a health inspector cannot be bought or bribed, and you can trust they’re giving an honest rating.

Health inspectors also perform inspections if a business has received a significant number of complaints. If a business performs badly on an inspection, they’ll also run a follow-up to make sure the mistakes were mended. These inspections are often random and unscheduled.

Food Manager Certification

Again, the requirements vary from state to state, but nearly every state requires a food service license. Foodservice licenses and food manager certifications just verify that you are allowed to serve food. It is the bare minimum of starting a food-centered business.

This license is often accompanied by a ServSafe certification, which shows you know the proper food handling methods and won’t give your customers salmonella or food poisoning. Some states also have separate food truck permits that are different from the permits required to run a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Other Permits and Licenses

In addition to food handling certifications, food truck operators must have a business license and driver’s license. The food truck must also be registered as a commercial vehicle and needs commercial license plates. The process of acquiring these varies from state to state, but the requirement is ubiquitous across the nation.

Ease Your Mind When Serving from a Truck

Though they are lower-tech and more trendy than other restaurants, food trucks must meet a high standard. Any food truck owner worth their salt will know their state’s health code front and back. You want your customers to rest assured that the food you’re serving is safe and compliant.

Starting your first food truck? We have plenty of advice for both fledgling and experienced food truck owners on our blog. Venture confidently into the world of mobile food service with us!