StateFoodSafety Articles

How to Clean Restaurant Hoods: Complete Guide to Safety & Efficiency

How to Clean Restaurant Hoods: Complete Guide to Safety & Efficiency

Keep your kitchen safe and compliant with our guide to restaurant hood cleaning, covering grease buildup, filters, ducts and maintenance schedules.

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SQF Certification: Elevating Food Safety and Quality Standards

SQF Certification: Elevating Food Safety and Quality Standards

Understand the requirements and steps to achieve Safe Quality Food certification. Enhance your food safety system and build consumer trust with this robust standard.

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Why No Bare Hand Contact Matters for Ready-to-Eat Foods

Why No Bare Hand Contact Matters for Ready-to-Eat Foods

From salads and sandwiches to cut fruit and garnishes, ready-to-eat foods need careful handling to prevent spreading illness. This article explains the risks, rules and practical food safety habits that help keep customers safe.

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How to Make Ingredient Labels: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Ingredient Labels: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Ingredient labels are more complex than they seem. This guide shows you how to create labels correctly, from ordering ingredients by weight to declaring allergens and designing a panel that meets FDA requirements.

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Guide to Creating a Sanitation Program in a Food Plant

Guide to Creating a Sanitation Program in a Food Plant

Sanitation is a key element of food plant safety and compliance. This article covers the practical steps and program elements that help facilities stay clean, controlled and inspection ready.

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Protect Your Business & Plumbing: A Guide to Grease Trap Upkeep

Protect Your Business & Plumbing: A Guide to Grease Trap Upkeep

Keep your kitchen's grease removal unit in top condition. Our guide covers vital steps for routine servicing, preventing overflows and maintaining compliance standards.

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 How Far Above the Floor Should Food Be Stored?

How Far Above the Floor Should Food Be Stored?

Keep your storage areas clean, organized and inspection ready. Learn how high food should be stored, what exceptions exist and how to prevent cross-contamination on shelves.

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How Long Can You Leave Food Out?

How Long Can You Leave Food Out?

Bacteria can grow fast when dishes are left out too long. Discover how long different ingredients can be kept at room temperature, why some items are more sensitive to time and temp controls than others and what you can do to protect consumer safety.

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Chemical Hazards in Food: Types, Sources and Prevention

Chemical Hazards in Food: Types, Sources and Prevention

Learn about chemical food hazards, including types, sources, health risks and prevention tips for consumers and food workers to keep meals safe and reduce exposure to harmful contaminants.

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Complete Guide: How to Calibrate a Thermometer

Complete Guide: How to Calibrate a Thermometer

Learn the right way to calibrate thermometers, why it matters to food safety and how often to test temperature gauges for accuracy.

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Deciphering Kosher Symbols: Your Guide to Certified Foods

Deciphering Kosher Symbols: Your Guide to Certified Foods

Learn how to identify kosher certification symbols, avoid confusion with labels and shop confidently for certified products.

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Building Safe and Trustworthy Food Systems Through Quality Control

Building Safe and Trustworthy Food Systems Through Quality Control

Learn about quality control in the food and beverage industry and how to implement effective protocols, including food safety systems, inspections, continuous improvement strategies and real-world examples.

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Restaurant Food Safety Compliance and How Enforcement Works

Restaurant Food Safety Compliance and How Enforcement Works

This guide explains who enforces food safety in U.S. restaurants, how federal agencies influence the rules and what your local health department actually checks during inspections.

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The Ultimate Cleaning Guide for Restaurants (with Free Downloadable Checklist)

The Ultimate Cleaning Guide for Restaurants (with Free Downloadable Checklist)

Keeping a clean restaurant is essential for passing health inspections and ensuring customer satisfaction. Learn about proper cleaning protocols and download a free checklist to follow!

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What Food Handlers and Managers Need to Know About Audits

What Food Handlers and Managers Need to Know About Audits

Learn all about the auditing process, what inspectors look for and how food handlers and managers can prepare to ensure compliance, reduce risks and protect public health.

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Understanding Critical Limits for Food Safety in HACCP Programs

Understanding Critical Limits for Food Safety in HACCP Programs

Critical limits set the boundaries for safety at critical control points in an HACCP program. Use this guide to define measurable limits, monitor them during production and respond quickly when a limit is missed.

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Understanding Food Contamination: What Food Handlers Should Know and How to Prevent It

Understanding Food Contamination: What Food Handlers Should Know and How to Prevent It

Discover what leads to food contamination, how to prevent it and why proper food safety training protects consumers, workers and businesses alike.

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The Hidden Dangers of Fraud and What It Means for Food and Beverage Professionals

The Hidden Dangers of Fraud and What It Means for Food and Beverage Professionals

Fraud is a growing threat in the global food supply chain. Explore common adulteration practices, regulations, recalls and how industry professionals can prevent them.

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Training Tip: Cleaning and Sanitizing

Training Tip: Cleaning and Sanitizing

Many managers hold monthly, weekly or even daily training sessions to make sure that employees remember essential food safety principles. Follow these training tips to improve food safety at your establishment.

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