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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.

What does the future of food safety look like?

January 29, 2018
National Restaurant Association - January 29, 2018 The use of new technology will help foodservice businesses respond more quickly and efficiently to foodborne illness outbreaks, according to food safety expert Beth Johnson. Johnson, CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Food Directions, recently addressed our Quality Assurance Executive Study Group (QA ESG) on the future of food safety. She observed that in the near future, “we’re likely going to see a change in the amount of data available,” and it “will allow us to understand better how foodborne illness happens, what makes...Read more

Chile: Healthy Food, Source of Life, Quality By Nature

March 24, 2015
Because of its geographic and climatic characteristics, Chile is a real phytosanitary island. The origin of resources preserves its purity, protected by natural barriers. The origin of foods is source of trust and quality. Learn more about how Chile has developed a trustable, stable, and modern industry that knows how to adapt to the needs and demands of different markets. Watch the video (2 minutes)

Webinar: From the Olive Groves of Chile to the Best in the Bottle

December 22, 2014
Chile’s unique geography protects its agriculture from potential hazards coming from other countries. Its natural boundaries — the driest desert in the world (north), the Pacific Ocean (west), the Andean range (east) and the Patagonia (south) — form a shelter to grow any cultivar under optimal growing conditions. Join us on a visually stunning journey to learn about the truly delicious extra virgin olive oils from Chile and how they are made. Click here to watch the webinar now! (3 minutes)

2012 DC DOH Food Code

October 15, 2014
Are you in compliance with the DC Department of Health 2012 Food Code ? DC Department of Health is now enforcing the 2012 DC Food Code Regulations ( click here for code ). There are significant changes within the code and it is important you read the new code to make sure your restaurant is in full compliance. Full compliance with the 2012 Food Code is not only crucial to the success of your business, but also to the success of your DOH inspections. Helpful tips for successfully completing DOH inspections: 1. Make sure you are in full compliance with the 2012 DC Food Code. 2. Always have an...

Could You Pass Inspection Today?

September 18, 2014 to October 18, 2014
Focus on cleanliness, good hygiene practices to prep your restaurant for an A+ By Kristin Dempsey Heading up a restaurant means there is an endless list of things you need to get ready for each and every day. In the hustle and bustle of the daily lunch rush or the late-night crowd, it’s easy to push one of the most important items farther and farther down the “to do” list: Get ready for the next health inspection. You don’t want to be left scrambling to make sure everything is up to code right before an expected visit – which you can’t predict anyway. What...

National Food Safety Month Marks 20 Years of Promoting Food Safety Best Practices

National Restaurant Association
August 22, 2014
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its strong commitment to food safety, the National Restaurant Association today announced this year's National Food Safety Month (NFSM), held annually in September, will mark its 20-year anniversary by featuring the top 20 food safety tips from the past 20 years. NFSM was created in 1994 to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education. NFSM offers free resources for foodservice industry professionals at FoodSafetyMonth.com and will highlight tips for a number of food safety topics including cleaning and...

The Importance of Food Safety Training

June 11, 2014
By Betsy Craig, CEO and co-founder of MenuTrinfo® We've all read the headlines about restaurant patrons having an allergic reaction after being served food items contaminated with the cause of the reaction. While in a majority of cases these reactions have not been fatal they can be life threatening. According to a 2007 study by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), there were 63 food allergy–related fatalities between 1996 and 2006, with half involving restaurants. While it's true that much has been done to educate kitchen and wait staff on safe food-handling...

Mandatory in Maryland: Food Allergy Awareness

February 14, 2014
By Betsy Craig (CEO and founder of MenuTrinfo® ) A senate bill was passed on January 23rd, 2014 in Maryland that mandates all commercial kitchens to have allergy awareness training . Beginning March 1st, 2015 , it will be mandatory for food establishments in Maryland to have one employee on the premises at all times who have completed a food allergen awareness training course and passes an accredited test approved by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Of those individuals who have gone through training, one employee must be available to discuss meal options with customers who...

Server Point of View on Gluten-Free and Allergen Training

January 24, 2014
This is a guest post for MenuTrinfo ® by Alison Baumgartner, a former waitress. For a long time, I was a career waitress who worked pretty much everywhere in the United States. I worked for high-end, local, and chain restaurants, and while they were all very different, I found that they had one similarity: inefficiency when it came to knowing exactly what was in the food. And by that, I mean there was too little nutritional labeling, no awareness of potentially allergenic ingredients and no information on what foods that contain gluten for all levels of the staff. In the end, it was very...

Frequently Asked Questions About the DC Food Code

January 1, 2013
Source: The District of Columbia Department of Health The District of Columbia Department of Health has revised its food safety regulations by adopting the 1999 federal Food Code, with amendments that are specific to the District of Columbia. The adoption of the federal Food Code is the core of the regulations. The following questions and answers are intended to help businesses comply with these regulations. What is the federal Food Code? The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes the federal Food Code, a document of food sanitation regulations for retail outlets, and institutions (i...

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