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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.

Food Safety Month Week 4: Week 4: Inside the health department's response to foodborne outbreaks: What should you expect?

September 27, 2024
Week 4: Inside the health department's response to foodborne outbreaks: What should you expect? By: CDR Adam Kramer, ScD, MPH, RS and CDR Beth Wittry, MPH, REHS, CP-FS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Commanders Adam Kramer and Beth Wittry are Environmental Health Officers in CDC’s Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch. Even in the most well-run restaurants, a foodborne outbreak may occur. An outbreak is when multiple people get sick from eating the same food. Many foodborne outbreaks in restaurants are identified from customer complaints of illness...

Hand Protection: Do Your Part

September 26, 2024
Of the many tools that we have available, our hands are the most valuable. They provide us with the dexterity necessary to perform precise maneuvers that even the most advanced technology cannot replicate. Even the simplest tasks are difficult for a person who does not have full use of their hands. Everyday tasks can put your hands at risk. Hand injuries on the job are quite common, but many are preventable. There are many things you can do to keep your hands safe—here are a few of the most common. Make Use of Guards Never operate any kind of power tool that does not have a working...

September is Food Safety Month: Week 3: How to Prevent Foodborne Illnesses in Your Restaurant: Essential Tips

September 18, 2024
During week three of National Food Safety Month 2024, we’re focusing on ways to prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses in restaurants. Proper prevention practices can significantly reduce the risk of contamination and foodborne illnesses. Follow these essential tips to protect your staff, your customers, and your reputation from outbreaks. Putting Personal Hygiene First Most foodborne outbreaks at restaurants are caused by food handlers unknowingly transferring pathogens from their body onto food. Neglecting personal hygiene greatly increases the risk of transferring harmful...

September is Food Safety Month Week 2: Behind the Kitchen Door: Stories from the Frontlines

September 12, 2024
Behind the Kitchen Door: Stories from the Frontlines Welcome back to National Food Safety Month 2024! Last week, we explored the pathogens that most commonly cause foodborne disease in the United States. This week, we’re taking a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes of a foodborne illness outbreak. But there’s another piece of the puzzle still missing: what happens to restaurants after an outbreak occurs? Is it possible to bounce back from an outbreak and if so, what steps do food service professionals need to take to regain trust? Anonymous stories from past outbreaks...

September is Food Safety Month. Week 1: What is a Foodborne Illness? Breaking Down Common Foodborne Illnesses

September 3, 2024
Millions of Americans experience food poisoning each year, suffering symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. In some cases, those symptoms aren’t just disruptive – they’re life-threatening. That’s why, to kick off National Food Safety Month 2024, we’re focusing on some of the most common culprits behind foodborne illnesses. While food can become contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological elements, we’ll be focused on biological hazards. Biological hazards in food known to make people sick are called foodborne pathogens. If you work with food,...

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 .

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