ABSTRACT

The importance of food safety in the foodservice industry cannot be overstated. The role of the foodservice industry is to provide wholesome, safe food for the public to eat while away from home. Consumers determine where they will eat based on a variety of factors such as price, location, and quality of food, but it seems clear that they should be able to assume that the safety of the food that they purchase will not be compromised by the people that prepare it. If people had to worry about every restaurant and foodservice operation regarding the safety of the food, many people would not eat out. Unfortunately, despite our need for safe food when we eat out, it has been determined that a majority of the reported cases of foodborne illness could be traced back to public eating establishments (Cotterchio, et al., 1998; Jones, et al., 2004).