Will Food Safety Schemes Improve Food Safety?

SQF (Safe Quality Foods), GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) and all the other schemes in the world do not manage our plants and farms every day. The goal is to find a system that everyone can follow, to develop a HACCP plan for their processes, and provide the develop a sanitation, product handling and processing plan that employees will use every day to protect the consuming public. And yet even with retailers demanding that suppliers have systems, we have to deal with individual people making decisions every day.

The retailers do not totally trust the schemes because they are still too easy to make the grade and are dependent on auditors to find the holes in the process and see that people are doing the right thing every day. How can you judge the adequacy of a sanitation program from reports? Is one inspection every year or two enough to keep producers and processors focused on food safety?

How many recalls have you seen this year? Produce still has issues with Salmonella, seafood issues with Listeria, C. botulinum, meat and produce E. coli. How many times have we seen recalls for allergens, when we know that multiple allergens are processed on the same line, but not shown on the labeling? Cilantro, smoked salmon, chocolate brownies? Will these be recalled this week?

Do you know as a consumer how well your manufacturers are performing? Maybe we need a rating system that is consumer run, not manufacturer, not retailer. Do you make an informed vote with your food dollars? How do we apply ethics to the mainstream and the fringes of the food industry? Let's devote ourselves to putting ethics back into all we do in our food industry. In the choices we make about what is "okay". In the ingredients we use. In the training that we give our people. In the accountability in our actions. Do you walk the walk and talk the talk? Is everything that you do the truth? Are the products you make beneficial to all concerned?

Where do you stand on food safety? Do the right thing everyday!

Bonding in the Kitchen

Thanksgiving is often described as a holiday that emphasizes family togetherness. Relatives coming in from out of town, kids returning home from college, and family gathering around a table full of food are all very familiar images that one associates with the upcoming holiday season.

However, bonding shouldn't be exclusive to just the dinner table. The preparation of your meal is often a great time to catch up and interact with the other members of your household. Everyone can partake too: younger children can help out with mixing ingredients together, while older ages can be assigned to more complicated tasks like making tamales. The resulting meal is more appreciated by everyone, having contributed to a part of it. Best of all, the dividing up of food preparation means that the meal is ready faster and cleanup is faster!

Jean's Restaurant Supply can help with you with all of holiday cooking needs, from something as simple as a cookie cutter, to something as extensive as an entire knife or cookware set. Call or visit today!

Advertising Changes

Over the past few years restaurants advertisements have been geared towards the customers wallets, and the value of their dollar.

Just recently more and more restaurants have been advertising to show the quality of their food. With channels like the Food Network presenting shows that focus primarily on culinary masterpieces, and how to make these foods at home, its no wonder restaurants are using advertisements that focus on their food quality.

Restaurants have begun using words such as "Artisan", and "Hand crafted" when they are describing the quality of their food. Restaurants have no longer been mentioning the price of the meals, instead they have begun using close up images of the food, or featuring 5 star chef's in the kitchen preparing the meals.

If your in the look out for new advertising and need some great Restaurant Equipment to be featured in your commercials.... Look no further, Jean's Restaurant Supply has everything you need and more to supply your restaurant with great quality commercial equipment. You can find everything from Refrigeration and Cooking Equipment to Janitorial Supplies on our website, or in one of our showrooms!

Happy Hour All Day

Recently, some states have made changes to their Liquor Codes. The previous laws had limited the number of hours in a day an establishment could promote discounted alcoholic beverages to two or three hours, this is varying by state. This law also limited the total hours per week an establishment could promote discounted alcoholic beverages, also known as Happy Hour. While the revised law still regulates the weekly hours, it has extended the amount of hours per day an establishment could hold Happy Hour. This is allowing more establishments to extend their Happy Hour to service the times where they have the most business. Some people are still criticizing this change in the law, saying with the extended times allowing more customers to drink will cause an increase in driving under the influence and accidents. These changes are just the beginning of the outdated laws becoming modernized to fit the times.

With the changes in the Liquor Codes you can expect an increase in customer sales of alcoholic beverages. When you are ready to purchase more Bar & Beverage supplies, Jean's Restaurant Supply is here to help. With our professional staff and large supply of Refrigeration, and Bar Tools & Accessories, we are ready to assist you! Contact us today, 1-866-618-4999!

Importance of Food Displays

Your foodservice establishment can be booming in sales with an excellent display of food. Think of your food plating as a piece of art. The food you serve should be appealing to your customers eyes.

For dining in foodservice, you cannot expect customers to want to eat anything you throw on the plate. Take time to arrange you food, in the kitchen , to make it easy on the eyes. Drizzle sauces on the entree or add whole herb leaves on top for an added touch. You can also use shaped plates and bowls for a more modern food presentation.

For catering and buffet services you should use display sets that are relative with your location. If you are in an elegant ballroom, use display sets with a sleek design. For outdoor events look for display sets that have a "green" feel and Eco-friendly.

Browse through the Jean's Restaurant Supply Website, Catering and Serving category to view our excellent supplies. You can also browse Gourmet Display, and Rosseto brands for some great display pieces. Call us, 1-866-618-4999, to speak with a representative who can help you with all your food display needs.

"6 Stages of Indigo"

Manitowoc has produced a state-of-the-art ice machine to simplify everything about owning an ice machine. The Indigo ice machines have 6 major product features that make Manitowoc's Indigo stand out; Intelligent Diagnostics, Easy Read Display, Active Clean, Ice Assurance, and Service and Support.

Intelligent Diagnostics:
The Indigo has a constant internal communication system. If any problems should arise, they will be addressed immediately. These electronic data readings make it easier to service and reduce downtime of your machine.

Easy Read Display:
With the easy read display, communication about your ice machine and your staff is simple. This display will prompt you when any self maintenance is being done on your machine, or when it is time the change the filter.

Active Clean:
ice is food, so it the Indigo ice machine uses many different technologies to ensure that there is no slime growth, lime deposits, and mineral scale in your ice.

Ice Assurance:
No matter how much or how little ice you need, Manitowoc's Indigo produces the highest quality of ice to serve your customers and staff.

Energy Management:
Manitowoc is one of the leading manufacturers of conserving energy with ice machines. The Indigo ice machines have the ability to control energy, and water consumption to help reduce the costs of your energy.

Service and Support:
Indigo ice machines have real-time diagnostics to help keep your machine running smoothly. This enables you to have quick and accurate information about any problems.

Jean's Restaurant Supply staff is available to help you with the process of purchasing an ice machine. We can match your needs with an ice machine that can produce enough ice for you daily. Call today, 1-866-618-4999, to speak to a sales representative about which ice machine would be right for you.

Food Trucks

Over the last year, food trucks popularity across America has continued to grow. The convenience of these food trucks is one of the main reasons they have become so popular. More younger adults, and adults with small children prefer food trucks. Many restaurant food chains are beginning to break away from their four walls and start to venture into the food truck business. Many people have said they are very likely to visit a food truck run by one of their favorite food service establishments.

Food trucks seem to be easy to run and less complex than a full service restaurant, but that may not be the case. Working with a limited amount of space can be a hard task if you do not have the proper set up and equipment. Let Jean's Restaurant Supply's trained staff help with all your food truck supply needs. Our knowledgeable CAD department can help design your food truck so you can maximize your work space, and produce more sales. Jean's Restaurant Supply has a number of vendors to choose from. We can supply your Kitchen Supplies, Vent Hoods, Cooking Equipment, and Disposables.

Call today, 1-866-618-4999 to speak to a sales representative, or visit our website to browse our products.