Charlotte, North Carolina-based Steritech, a provider of specialized food safety and brand protection services for the restaurant, food retail, foodservice and hospitality industries, has launched two new services, as well as a virtual component, to help the food service industry reinforce safety measures during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The Covid-19 Protocol Check will provide food service establishments the ability to reinforce coronavirus response protocols across their broader organizations, as well as identify and address additional risks in their locations. The Critical Food Safety Check will help restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores and other food service providers maintain top-priority food safety standards during the crisis.
“One of our goals as a company is to protect our clients’ brands,” said Doug Sutton, president of Steritech. “As partners to the restaurant industry, we are actively developing new services in real-time to help support them as their needs change on a daily basis.”
Steritech’s Covid-19 Protocols Check is an efficient audit service which helps operators identify high-risk, high-touch areas where employees and customers may have heightened exposure to coronavirus. Steritech also will make recommendations on how to properly clean and sanitize to prevent further the spread of the coronavirus.
The Critical Food Safety Check provides coaching to food service operators on high-priority food safety standards, such as handwashing practices and hot and cold holding. This service is in partnership with the operators to help maintain food safety and mitigate risk, and it is offered in a scaled-back, modified version of Steritech’s standard food safety assessment. This new service also provides an added level of support to employees as they work to maintain food safety under a myriad of new challenges, increased pressures and added responsibilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is a fluid situation around the country right now, and we are trying to adapt to the needs of our clients,” said Sutton. “With curfews and restrictions on dine-in restaurants, many of our clients are transitioning to take on additional responsibilities to provide for their communities. It’s important to not lose focus on food safety during this time, while also maintaining the overall safety of employees and customers.”
Steritech is also offering virtual versions of the Covid-19 Protocol Check and the Critical Food Safety Check. This provides operators the opportunity to navigate food safety and safe service throughout the Covid-19 crisis, without the need for an auditor to physically visit the location. A Steritech specialist will be able to guide the food service professional through the Covid-19 Protocol Check or the Critical Food Safety Check via the app on a mobile phone or tablet. Through video, the specialist will help evaluate line items and make recommendations.
