Madison, WI — The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association™ announced the release of its Deli Slicer Cleaning Job Guide, a new free training tool that provides in-store deli employees with step-by-step instructions on how to safely and effectively disassemble, clean, sanitize, and reassemble deli slicers.
To view the Deli Slicer Cleaning Job Guide, click here.
The guide is the latest resource developed in support of IDDBA’s Safe Food Matters! food safety initiative, which builds awareness about specific food safety practices that retailers can utilize in service departments—primarily delis—to sell safe food. In 2015, the association is focusing on Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes listeriosis, a potentially life-threatening condition responsible for approximately 1,600 infections and 260 deaths annually.
Proper cleaning of deli slicers is an important task in helping delis decrease the potential of any foodborne illness occurrences and cross-contamination, especially from Listeria monocytogenes.
“Some ready-to-eat foods like sliced deli meats can be ideal agents for the spread of Listeria monocytogenes, which makes proper training of service associates on the importance of food safety a vital necessity of store operations,” said Mike Eardley, President and CEO, IDDBA. “Along with other food safety processes such as temperature control, good personal hygiene, and correct food handling techniques, proper and regular cleaning of deli slicers is an important step in minimizing the risk of contamination and cross-contamination in the department.”
IDDBA created a new online industry resource page, iddba.org/safefoodmatters, which features training materials, reports, white papers, food safety certification reimbursement information, and other services. Additionally, food safety-themed seminars and workshops are slated for Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar and Expo June 7-9 in Atlanta, including new research from Phil Lempert, SupermarketGuru, on consumer attitudes about food safety.
To learn more about IDDBA’s Safe Food Matters! campaign, visit iddba.org/safefoodmatters. To view the complete library of over 100 IDDBA Job Guides on subjects such as food safety, customer service, and department-specific topics, click here.
About IDDBA: IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, and supermarket foodservice industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual seminar and expo, leading-edge research, training programs, management tools, and an annual trends report. For more information, contact IDDBA at 608.310.5000 or visit our website, www.iddba.org.
Source: International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association™
