In the past several years, well-publicized outbreaks of foodborne illness have shined a spotlight on food safety. The stakes for restaurants are high. In the vast majority of cases, contamination could have been prevented with good planning and strict adherence to food safety standards.

Create clear, complete food safety standards for your operation.
Communicate these standards to employees in their initial orientation, and then repeat the lesson at regular intervals.
Ensure that employees complete all necessary food safety certification courses mandated by your state.
Get the word out — food safety is everyone's business!

Links to Food Safety Sites on The Web

U.S. Food & Drug Administration Sites:

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

FDA Food Defect Action Levels

FDA Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances in Human Food and Animal Feed
FDA "Bad Bug Book"

U.S. Department of Agriculture Sites:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA/FDA Food borne Illness Education Information Center

Other U.S. Government Sites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC & P Emerging Infectious Diseases Online Journal

Communicable Disease Fact Sheets from the New York State Department of Health

U.S. and Global Organizations and Interest Groups:

American Council on Science and Health

American Egg Board

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Fight BAC! - The Partnership for Food Safety Education

Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management

Institute of Food Technologists

International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods

National Center for Food Safety & Technology

World Health Organization - Food Safety Unit

University Sites:

The Food Safety Consortium

Iowa State University Extension Food Safety and Quality Home Page

Kansas State University Extension Foods and Nutrition Library

Kansas State University Food Safety Home Page

North Carolina State University Food Safety Information Retrieval System

Simon Fraser University - Jean Fremont's Food & Nutrition on the Web

Texas Agricultural Extension Service - Bacterial Food Poisoning

University of Georgia Center for Food Safety & Quality Enhancement

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Computer-Aided Instruction in Food Safety and Food borne Diseases

University of Kentucky Food Microbiology web page

University of Nebraska Extension Publications on Food Safety and Nutrition

University of Prince Edward Island Internet Food Science Resources

University of Wisconsin - Food Research Institute

Note: To be included on this links page, a site must be a non-commercial organization with a role in food safety, or a non-commercial site that contains information or links about food safety or foodborne illness.