5 Safety Measures Catering Companies Should Abide by During COVID-19

As we all know, 2020 didn’t get off to a good start. As soon as this year started, a virus called COVID-19 began to spread from Asia to countries all over the world, including the US. This virus has increased the need for better sanitary conditions in most businesses, especially the ones related to hospitality like restaurants, hotels, and of course, catering companies as well. As a food-related company, we understand the importance of meeting safety standards dictated by Health Organizations in order to avoid the spread of the virus. Here are some important measures that every catering business should follow:

1. Wash your hands and use face masks

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times lately, but having good hygiene and washing your hands often is important to prevent COVID-19 or other viruses from spreading! It is very unlikely that this virus can be transmitted through food or food packaging. However, as a matter of good hygiene practice you should encourage your staff to always wash their hands before handling, preparing or serving the food. Keep in mind that all employees must wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and use gloves to avoid cross-contamination. In addition to washing their hands regularly, employees should wear a face mask whenever possible to further reduce spreading.

2. Maintain physical distance

Physical distancing is very important to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Make sure your staff maintains a distance of at least 3 feet between fellow workers. If the food production environment is too small, other measures should be taken into consideration to ensure a proper distance such as spacing out workstations, limiting the number of staff in the food preparation area or organizing your staff into working groups to keep interactions to the minimum. Small changes like these can make a huge difference!

3. Clean all surfaces frequently

Cleaning of all surfaces used for food preparation followed by disinfection is another very important measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viruses. Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, such as counters and also serving utensils and condiment containers multiple times a day. Make sure you provide employees with hand sanitizers, spray disinfectants, and disposable paper towels in the kitchen.

4. Pay close attention to the packaging and delivery

Once all the food is prepared, it’s time to deliver! If you use coolers and insulated bags to deliver the food, make sure to clean it routinely before and after every delivery. Use smart packaging solutions such as adhesive seals, carryout containers with plastic tabs or tamper-evident labels to ensure all food is properly sealed.

5. Encourage all payments to be hands free

For delivery and pick up, encourage your customers to make payments with credit or debit cards instead of cash to reduce interactions to the minimum. To make your delivery service even safer you can suggest a no-contact, drop-off service. During these difficult times, clients will understand any measures you take into consideration to protect their health.

Here at Catering Brand, we take all the measures needed to ensure our service is safe to our customers and promote proper behaviors among our staff to avoid the spread of the virus. If you would like to learn more about our company or would love to have us cater food to your office you can always visit our www.cateringbrand.com