For National Food Safety Education Month, the National Restaurant Association (NRA)’s ServSafe is serving up tips, tools, and education on proper hygiene practices that restaurant managers and employees should follow. ServSafe is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary.

ServSafe's campaign is celebrating National Food Safety Education Month by focusing on the theme, “Managing Risk: 30 Years of Food Safety.” Over the coming weeks, the NRA’s ServSafe team is offering 30 best practices in five different categories for foodservice staff members to explore. Topics this year are:

• Week 1: Personal hygiene
• Week 2: Cleaning and sanitation
• Week 3: Safe food preparation
• Week 4: Food safety procedures, and
• Week 5: COVID-19-specific safety procedures

Larry Lynch, the Association’s senior vice president of Certifications & Operations, tells operators they must always reinforce the importance of good personal hygiene, especially handwashing.

“Reinforce good hand hygiene with your staff members,” he says. “Everyone must frequently wash his or her hands. Hand sanitizers are good to have, but they’re never a replacement for a vigorous 20-second hand washing. Don’t put restrictions on the time employees need to do it. Instead, emphasize the importance and teach them proper handwashing techniques.”

All of ServSafe’s information regarding National Food Safety Education Month is shareable through a series of handouts, activity sheets, and other tools available for download at FoodSafetyFocus.com.