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Food Safety

Handling the food that others will eat is a big responsibility. Ensure the good health of your patrons, your staff – and your business – and be proactive about implementing and adhering to the highest food safety standards.  RAMW seeks to increase food and alcohol safety/security in the restaurant industry through training and certification.

RAMW is a staunch advocate for food and alcohol safety and security in the regional restaurant industry. The Association offers several training courses that give your staff the required certification to become licensed food safety managers and will educate you or your staff about food safety and the prevention of food borne illnesses. We will also work to keep you informed of any changes in the licensing process, as well as new laws and regulations introduced by regulatory agencies in Virginia, DC and Maryland.

2023 Member Survey Findings

January 2, 2024
TO: Interested Parties FROM: Che Ruddell-Tabisola Vice President, Government Affairs Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington DATE: Nov. 1, 2023 RE: Struggling Under Declining Traffic and Shrinking Sales, DC Restaurants Call on DC Council to Act Now A year after passage of Initiative 82, significant numbers of DC restaurants are contending with dwindling customer traffic and diminishing revenues, threatening the viability especially of local independent restaurants. “Our neighborhood restaurants are caught between a rock and a hard place,”said Shawn Townsend, President and...

September is National Food Safety Month Week 4: What's Changed? Food Safety Regulations in Review

National Food Safety Month Week 4
September 19, 2023
In an effort to constantly improve the standards of food safety in the United States, the system of food safety regulations has been evolving gradually throughout the past century, creating fresh guidelines and protocols in reaction to emerging issues involving food safety. More than 50 new food regulations have been enacted or introduced just in the past five years. Let’s take a look at some of the new regulations being put into place in 2023 and beyond. What’s Changed? The most prominent overall theme in new food industry regulations is increases and expansions in regulatory...

September is National Food Safety Month Week 3: Frequently Asked Questions About Health Inspections

September 14, 2023
Last week we explored the science behind personal hygiene and food safety and this week we turn our focus to health inspections. Health inspections play a vital role in upholding retail food safety standards, but there are more than a few misconceptions about what inspections entail and how violations factor into a restaurant’s success. To help crack the code for this critical food safety process, let’s go over some of the most common questions restaurant workers have regarding health inspections. 1. What does the health inspection process look like? Authorized food safety...

September is National Food Safety Month: Week 1 Master Time and Temperature Controls and Become a Food Safety Expert

September 1, 2023
This week we are examining the effects of time and temperature on food, sharing safe temperatures to cook different types of food, and explaining how to build an effective food temperature policy that your staff can stick to. Understanding food safety temperatures is critical for protecting your guests from foodborne illnesses and earning their trust. All operators and food handlers are responsible for understanding the importance of the temperature danger zone, which foods are most likely to become unsafe, and how to properly check and record food times and temperatures. ( Read the full Week...

September is National Food Safety Month: Week 2 focuses on Personal Hygiene and Food Safety

September 7, 2023
Explore the role personal hygiene plays with food safety, and how a clean kitchen significantly helps protect the health of restaurant guests. This week we look at the role personal hygiene plays in food safety and share proper practices to ensure your staff isn’t putting the health of your guests at risk by neglecting their cleanliness. Join us as we crack the code on proper personal hygiene in kitchens and help you protect your guests from foodborne illnesses by maintaining a clean and tidy staff. Read the full Week 2 blog post here .

Do No Harm

Imperial Dade logo
September 20, 2022
Do no harm is a basic tenet of medicine. Although the goal is always to treat disease and alleviate suffering, a physician must always try to protect the patient from any further injury. Likewise in the food service industry. Restaurants want to create and deliver enjoyable experiences to their customers. That’s why they’re in business. But, just as with healthcare, they also need to protect their customers from foodborne illnesses. Simply put, they need to safeguard the customer, the staff, and the brand.

September is National Food Safety Education Month

September 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022
This September, join ServSafe in celebrating National Food Safety Month . Each week, ServSafe will deliver new content highlighting the different roles each of your restaurant’s team members have in practicing exceptional food safety. A safe restaurant environment can only be achieved when employees at every level understand the importance of food safety and can work together to create a food safety culture. From food handlers to restaurant managers to executive leadership, we will be sharing content, tools, and training tailored to each role. Click here to learn more and view weekly...