Sheetz food poisoning fiasco inspires software reponse
Alto-Shaam and E-Control Systems offer food preparation monitoring system; data from cookers and freezers useful for employee oversight, defending against lawsuits
Lessons learned. The discovery two years ago that Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz convenience stores had been serving products containing salmonella-tainted tomatoes put the fear of God into retailers nationwide. The company had a stellar reputation for service and food safety, yet a single bad shipment resulted in 400 sick customers and a series of lawsuits that are just now being settled. For Sheetz, the first step was to isolate the supplier and recall all potentially-tainted goods. The second was to try and restore the company’s reputation.
Other companies had similar worries. When a well-regarded firm admits it has been selling tainted goods, customers will naturally shy away from similar products made by other companies. After carefully studying the Sheetz model, convenience stores have begun reorganizing their food preparation systems and carefully vetting suppliers. Improved employee training and standardized recipes and procedures are key.
Many are also looking for software solutions. Food service equipment provider Alto-Shaam has partnered with E-Control Systems to provide retailers with “a means for data transfer to track and monitor in real time that food is being prepared and held at the proper temperatures,” reports Convenience Store Decisions. Ovens, quick chillers, and cook and hold ovens, no matter the manufacturer, are all monitored with a centralized system housed at the retailer’s corporate office. The stored data allows management to ensure their store managers are following procedures and is useful in responding to food poisining claims. When asked in court to describe preparation techniques, a company is able to prove exactly how the customer’s food was cooked.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die each year from foodborne illness.
-read more in Kate Quackenbush’s Convenience Store Decisions report; company Web sites Alto-Shaam E-Control Systems
