Module Overview

Food safety is one of the most important responsibilities at MTE. Every employee has a role in protecting our guests, our coworkers, and the reputation of the restaurant.

Food safety is not only a kitchen responsibility. Servers, bartenders, hosts, bussers, food runners, dishwashers, prep cooks, line cooks, and managers all affect food safety.

The goal is simple:

Serve safe food, protect the guest, and speak up when something is wrong.

Why Food Safety Matters

Guests trust us every time they order food or drinks. They trust that the food is fresh, handled properly, cooked correctly, served safely, and prepared in a clean environment.

A single unsafe food handling mistake can make a guest sick, damage the restaurant’s reputation, and put the business at risk.

Food safety depends on small actions done correctly every shift:

Washing hands
Wearing gloves properly
Keeping food at safe temperatures
Avoiding cross-contamination
Reporting illness
Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces
Handling allergens carefully
Using clean utensils and equipment

Great food must also be safe food.

MTE Food Safety Standard

At MTE, employees are expected to:

Wash hands properly and often.
Report required illness symptoms to management.
Never work with food when sick with reportable symptoms.
Use gloves and utensils correctly.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate.
Avoid cross-contamination.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Follow proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures.
Label, date, and store food correctly.
Take allergy requests seriously.
Tell a manager when unsure.

Food safety shortcuts are not acceptable, even during a rush.

1. Employee Health Reporting

Employees must report certain symptoms, illnesses, and exposures to the manager or person in charge.

The DBPR Employee Health Reporting Agreement in your Drive states that food employees must report the listed symptoms when they occur, including the date symptoms began, so the person in charge can take steps to prevent foodborne illness.

Symptoms Employees Must Report

Employees must report if they have:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Jaundice, which may appear as yellowing of the skin or eyes
Sore throat with fever
A lesion containing pus or an infected wound, unless properly covered

These symptoms must be reported whether they happen at work or outside of work.

Illnesses Employees Must Report

Employees must report if diagnosed with:

Hepatitis A
Shigella
Norovirus
Salmonella Typhi, also called typhoid fever
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
Nontyphoidal Salmonella

Exposure Employees Must Report

Employees must also report certain exposures, including exposure to:

Norovirus within the past 48 hours
Hepatitis A within the past 30 days
Shigella within the past 3 days
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli within the past 3 days
Salmonella Typhi within the past 14 days

Exposure may include living with someone diagnosed, working or attending a location with a confirmed outbreak, or consuming/preparing food connected to a confirmed outbreak.

Key Rule

Do not guess whether you are safe to work. Report symptoms, illness, or exposure to a manager and allow management to determine the next step.

2. When Not to Work With Food

Employees should not handle food, drinks, clean dishes, utensils, napkins, or guest items if they have symptoms that could spread illness.

A manager may restrict or exclude an employee from work duties when needed to protect guests and coworkers.

Examples:

An employee with vomiting or diarrhea should notify management and should not handle food.
An employee with an infected wound must have it properly covered before working.
An employee with a sore throat and fever must report it to management.
An employee diagnosed with a reportable illness must not return to food-handling duties until cleared according to management and food safety requirements.

Website Scenario

Scenario:
You wake up with diarrhea before your shift. You feel like you can still work.

Correct response:
Call and speak with a manager immediately. Report the symptom and when it started. Do not report to food-handling duties unless management clears you.

3. Proper Handwashing

Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent foodborne illness.

When to Wash Hands

Employees must wash hands:

Before starting work
Before handling food
Before putting on gloves
After using the restroom
After eating or drinking
After smoking or vaping
After touching hair, face, phone, or body
After coughing, sneezing, or blowing nose
After handling raw meat, seafood, poultry, or eggs
After handling trash
After cleaning or using chemicals
After touching dirty dishes
After handling money or credit cards, when returning to food or drink service
Anytime hands may be contaminated

How to Wash Hands

Use warm running water.
Apply soap.
Scrub hands and exposed parts of arms.
Scrub between fingers, under nails, and around wrists.
Wash for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse completely.
Dry with a single-use towel or approved hand dryer.
Use the towel to turn off the faucet when possible.

Key Rule

Gloves do not replace handwashing.

4. Glove Use

Gloves are a tool for food safety, but only when used correctly.

When to Wear Gloves

Wear gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods, such as:

Salads
Bread
Garnishes
Fruit
Ready-to-eat toppings
Desserts
Ice garnishes
Food that will not be cooked again before serving

When to Change Gloves

Change gloves:

When they become torn or dirty
After touching raw food
After touching your phone, face, hair, body, apron, or clothing
After handling trash
After cleaning
After handling money or cards
Between different tasks
Before handling ready-to-eat food
Anytime contamination may have occurred

Key Rule

Wash hands before putting on new gloves.

5. Avoiding Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination happens when bacteria, allergens, chemicals, or other contaminants are transferred from one item or surface to another.

Common Examples

Raw chicken stored above cooked food
Using the same cutting board for raw seafood and ready-to-eat vegetables
Touching raw meat, then touching clean plates
Using a dirty towel to wipe a clean surface
Scooping ice with a glass
Using the same gloves for multiple tasks
Storing chemicals near food

Employee Expectations

Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils when required.
Store raw proteins below ready-to-eat foods.
Use clean towels and sanitizer buckets correctly.
Never place cooked food on a surface that held raw food.
Never use glassware as an ice scoop.
Keep chemicals away from food and food-contact surfaces.
Change gloves and wash hands between tasks.

Key Rule

Clean does not always mean sanitized. Food-contact surfaces must be properly cleaned and sanitized.

6. Temperature Control

Food must be kept at safe temperatures to reduce the risk of bacteria growth.

Basic Rule

Cold food must stay cold.
Hot food must stay hot.
Food should not sit in unsafe temperature ranges longer than allowed.

Employee Expectations

Keep cooler doors closed when not in use.
Do not leave food sitting out unnecessarily.
Report coolers, freezers, or hot holding equipment that does not seem to be working.
Use thermometers when required.
Follow kitchen procedures for cooling, reheating, and holding food.
Never serve food that appears unsafe, spoiled, or questionable.

What to Report Immediately

Cooler not holding temperature
Freezer thawing
Hot holding equipment not working
Food left out too long
Food with unusual smell, color, texture, or packaging damage
Expired or unlabeled food

Key Rule

When in doubt, do not serve it. Get a manager.

7. Labeling, Dating, and Storage

Proper storage protects food quality and safety.

Employee Expectations

Label food according to restaurant procedure.
Date prepared items.
Use first-in, first-out rotation.
Keep food covered and protected.
Store food at least six inches off the floor where required.
Do not store food under leaks, chemicals, or dirty surfaces.
Keep raw proteins below ready-to-eat foods.
Keep dry storage clean and organized.
Discard expired or questionable items according to manager direction.

FIFO

FIFO means First In, First Out.

Older product should be used before newer product, as long as it is still safe and within date.

8. Cleaning and Sanitizing

Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same.

Cleaning removes food, dirt, and debris.
Sanitizing reduces germs to safer levels.

Food-Contact Surfaces

Food-contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized regularly, including:

Cutting boards
Prep tables
Knives
Utensils
Slicers
Smallwares
Bar tools
Ice scoops
Drink stations
Dish areas

Sanitizer Buckets

Employees must use sanitizer according to restaurant procedure.

Expectations:

Use the correct sanitizer concentration.
Keep towels stored in sanitizer when not in use.
Replace sanitizer when dirty or no longer effective.
Do not use sanitizer towels for floors.
Do not mix cleaning chemicals.
Keep sanitizer away from food.

Key Rule

A dirty towel spreads contamination.

9. Ice Safety

Ice is food and must be treated like food.

Employee Expectations

Use only the approved ice scoop.
Never scoop ice with glassware.
Store ice scoop properly.
Keep hands out of ice bins.
Keep bottles, cans, tools, and personal items out of ice bins.
If glass breaks near or inside an ice bin, notify a manager immediately.
Burn and replace ice if contamination is suspected.

Key Rule

Ice goes in drinks, so ice must be handled like food.

10. Allergen Awareness

Food allergies must be taken seriously every time.

Common Allergens

Milk
Eggs
Fish
Shellfish
Tree nuts
Peanuts
Wheat
Soy
Sesame

Employee Expectations

Listen carefully when a guest mentions an allergy.
Do not guess about ingredients.
Notify a manager or kitchen lead.
Enter allergy information clearly in the POS.
Communicate directly with the kitchen when required.
Avoid promising that an item is allergen-free unless management/kitchen confirms.
Understand that cross-contact may still be possible.

What to Say

Good response:

“Thank you for telling me. I’m going to confirm that with the kitchen and make sure it is noted properly.”

Bad response:

“I’m pretty sure that’s fine.”

Key Rule

Never guess on allergies.

11. Personal Food and Drinks

Employee food and drinks must be kept in approved areas only.

Expectations

Do not eat in food prep areas.
Do not drink from open cups in food prep or service areas.
Use approved employee drink containers if allowed.
Keep employee meals away from guest food, prep areas, and service stations.
Wash hands before returning to work after eating or drinking.

12. Phones and Personal Items

Phones and personal items can contaminate hands, surfaces, and food.

Expectations

Keep phones out of food prep and service areas unless needed for approved work use.
Wash hands after touching a phone.
Do not place phones on prep tables, cutting boards, bars, or service stations.
Keep personal bags, jackets, and belongings in approved areas only.

Key Rule

Phones are not clean. Wash hands after using them.

13. Dishwashing and Clean Equipment

Clean dishes, glassware, and utensils are part of food safety.

Employee Expectations

Scrape and sort dishes correctly.
Keep dirty and clean items separate.
Do not touch food-contact areas of clean plates, glasses, or utensils.
Store clean items in clean, dry areas.
Report dirty dishes, lipstick on glassware, food residue, or sanitizer problems.
Do not stack wet dishes if procedure requires air drying.

Key Rule

A clean plate is only clean if handled cleanly.

14. Pest Prevention

Pest prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

Employee Expectations

Keep doors closed when possible.
Clean food spills quickly.
Take trash out properly.
Keep storage areas organized.
Do not leave food uncovered.
Report signs of pests immediately.

Signs to report:

Droppings
Gnaw marks
Insects
Unusual odors
Damaged packaging
Live or dead pests

15. Manager Notification

Employees must notify a manager immediately when they see a food safety concern.

Examples:

Employee illness symptoms
Guest allergy concern
Food temperature issue
Cooler/freezer problem
Contaminated food
Broken glass near food or ice
Chemical spill
Pest activity
Expired food
Improper handwashing or glove use
Unsafe food handling

Key Rule

Food safety problems do not fix themselves. Report them.

Quick Food Safety Rules to Remember

Wash hands often.

Gloves do not replace handwashing.

Never work with food when sick with reportable symptoms.

Keep raw food away from ready-to-eat food.

Cold food stays cold. Hot food stays hot.

Never guess on allergies.

Ice is food.

Do not use glass as an ice scoop.

Label, date, and rotate food.

Clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces.

Report food safety concerns immediately.