Food Safety – edible myTickets

Food Safety

Allergen warning:

Edible® products contain, or may have come in contact with, tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, coconuts, and pistachios), peanuts, wheat, eggs, wheat, milk, and soy. If a customer advises that they have an allergy, advise them that Edible cannot promise that a gift will not have come in contact with nuts, nut oil, or another allergen, and that Edible recommends that you take the necessary precautions based on any related allergies.

Nuts:

Edible Arrangements stores produce products that contain nuts including almonds, pistachios, coconuts, and hazelnuts. Some other toppings may be processed in a facility that processes other tree nuts, as well as peanuts.

Milk and Soy:

Many of Edible’s toppings, including Edible’s semi-sweet and white chocolate contain soy and milk. Edible also sell products containing yogurt, and Edible Arrangements stores use equipment that may have come in contact with soy and milk products. Edible recommends that you take the necessary precautions based on any food allergies and ask the Edible Fruit Experts® about any possible equipment exposure to soy and milk.

Gluten:

All of Edible’s products are free of gluten-containing ingredients (wheat, barley, rye); however some toppings may be processed in a facility that processes wheat, barley, or rye or some combination thereof. Therefore, while Edible products do not contain gluten ingredients, they are not certified gluten-free and trace amounts of gluten and wheat may be present. Again, Edible recommends you take the necessary precautions based on any food allergies.

Egg:

Although Edible products do not contain egg, the toppings may have been manufactured in a facility that may also manufacture products containing egg-based products.

Dipped Fruit Cross Contamination Warning:

Edible’s process for dipping fruit in chocolate may cause some cross contamination in the preparation of those fruit products. The fruit that could be affected are typically strawberries, pineapple, granny smith apples, bananas, oranges, and seasonal chocolate dipped fruit offerings. Edible recommends you take necessary precautions based upon any food allergies and ask the Edible Fruit Experts® about any possible exposure in the dipping process.

Important Safety Warning:

Arrangements are made with skewers that may have sharp points. Carefully remove fruit with utensil and dispose of skewers immediately. Keep skewers away from small children. Containers are intended for display only and are not toys to be played with by children. For safety, transport arrangements should be in a secure place away from passengers and never allow a passenger to hold an arrangement while the vehicle is in motion.

Fruit Allergies:

There are times when a customer calls and states they or a recipient may have an allergy to a fruit such as strawberries and want an arrangement to be made without them. It is very important that this is NOT done. Removing fruit from an arrangement changes the shape and the trademark designs of them. If someone is allergic:

Suggest an arrangement that does not contain the fruit that causes the allergic reaction.

Remind the customer this may not be the best purchase, since Edible cannot make an arrangement without the required fruits, nor can Edible guarantee another piece of fruit did not touch a piece of fruit or the juice of the fruit that causes the allergic reaction.

Hand Washing and Glove Usage

Hand washing for all production employees is a MUST! Your hands touch many different surfaces throughout the day and come into contact with a variety of micro-organisms. Your hands can transmit these micro-organisms to the fruit or utensils used in cutting the fruit. It is very important that you keep your hands clean and wear gloves when appropriate.

Production employees must wash their hands often using antibacterial soap. When washing your hands you must use hot water, soap and scrub hands together for at least 20 seconds. Once hands are washed, rinse all soap completely, allowing water to run from elbow to fingertips. Thoroughly dry hands with single-use paper towels. Here is a list of times when hand washing must take place:

Before starting work

Before putting on gloves - every time!

After using the restroom

After touching your hair, face, skin or clothes

After opening any doors

After touching the trash can

After using the phone

Whenever moving from one activity to another

Whenever they are visibly soiled

After cleaning assignments such as sweeping, mopping and taking out the trash.

After putting on a hairnet.

Please review the proper “Hand Washing” and “Glove Usage” procedure in the following nSpire video:

Category	Topic
Food Safety	Hand Washing and Glove usage

Along with washing your hands thoroughly, using gloves properly is a must. Disposable, food grade plastic gloves must be worn by production employees during all food handling activities. The following is how gloves need to be used:

wash and dry hands each time gloves are changed by following the hand washing guidelines listed above.

never blow into gloves before putting them on.

never wash and/or re-use gloves (even if they are not visibly soiled).

if a glove becomes ripped immediately throw it away.

Coolers and Food Storage Temperatures

The Edible Standard for all cooler temperatures is 36° to 40°. Each cooler, which shall include the walk-in cooler, the display cooler, the federal case, and the fruit bar, should be maintaining this temperature range at all times. This will keep fruit, both whole and prepared, within the safe range for produce storage and prevent or slow growth of most contaminants on the food. Of course, food safety is Edible’s number one concern.

In order to ensure that your cooler(s) is maintaining the proper temperature, associates should fill out the Temperature Log three times a day. Each cooling unit (walk-in, display cooler, federal case, dipping freezer, etc.) must have a minimum of two functioning thermometers to ensure proper temperature gauging. If your cooler(s) is not maintaining the proper temperature for any length of time contact your cooling unit service provider to have a maintenance visit scheduled immediately.

Food-Borne Illness

If a customer contacts your store claiming that they or a family member may have contracted a food-borne illness, follow the steps listed in the “Food-Borne Illness/Product Complaint Form” located in the forms section. Record the name, address, and phone numbers of the complainant and all affected persons. Be sure to document the date and time that the complaint was received. By obtaining accurate and detailed information you will help Edible conduct a thorough investigation.

 If you or your manager is in the store, the complaint should be handled by you or your manager. If you or your manager is not in the store, the person answering the phone should politely take the customer’s information.

OWNER/ MANAGER: Hold any involved products that still remain in the store if known.

COMPLETE AND SEND THE "FOODBORNE ILLNESS/PRODUCT COMPLAINT FORM," LOCATED IN THE FORMS SECTIONS, TO THE CORRESPONDING NUMBER ON THE FORM.

 Proper Cantaloupe Cleaning

The safety of Edible guests is of the utmost importance. It’s important to remind you of Edible standards for properly cleaning cantaloupe to help protect Edible guests, and the Edible franchise system.

The most effective approach includes:

A. Proper fruit preparation and storage

B. Participation in the FRESH Program

Cleaning the fruit is key. Please review these steps in the “Fruit Prep” in Canada or for US “Fruit Prep ”folder in nSpire.

Always use cold water, never warm. Warm water causes pores in the rind to expand, allowing bacteria to penetrate the fruit.

: Use a clean brush to remove dirt and bacteria from crevices in the rind, scrubbing the entire surface. It is important to scrub thoroughly.

Before handling the cantaloupe that’s been washed, be sure your hands are clean, and you’re wearing protective gloves.

Make sure blades and countertops are cleaned and sanitized before cutting cantaloupe.

After preparation, be mindful of these important Food Safety Procedures for proper cantaloupe storage:

If you are not immediately designing with the prepared fruit, it must be properly stored in the walk-in cooler, out of the temperature danger zone.

Cooler temperature must be maintained between 36-40 degrees F.

Prepared fruit must be stored in approved NSF bins with drainage trays and covered.

Keep different fruits separated until the design process to avoid cross-contamination.

NSF Bins of fruit must be labeled with the date the fruit was prepared. Dissolvable labels (Day Dots) should be used for dating.

With proper fruit preparation and participation in the FRESH Program across the board, we can minimize the dangers that health threats pose to Edible guests and Edible stores.

Federal Case Holding
Product prepared for the Federal Case should be replaced every 48 hours from time of prep. Product should be reviewed daily to ensure that it meets Edible® quality standards.

Precautions during Flu Season

Because of concerns about transmittable illnesses caused by viruses, such as the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, you need to be prepared. Edible normal workplace hygiene procedures and policies are recommended by health officials to prevent illness. Employees should be encouraged to use these same precautions when outside the workplace.

Health officials have made these suggestions to reduce risk:

Tell sick employees to stay home and stay home for 24 hours after they are free of fever.

Cover all coughs and sneezes with a tissue - not your hand!

Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and face.

Encourage all employees with school age children to have childcare plans in the event of school closures.

Redouble all cleanliness and hygiene efforts (already a top priority for our business!)

Be familiar with local and state health department communications methods.

Provide hand sanitizer in the workplace.

 Business Continuity Plans in the Event of Illness

Officials urge companies large and small to think ahead and create “business continuity plans” in the event a large percentage of their workforce is out ill at the same time. Even without the possibility of large-scale illness, it is a good idea for small businesses such as your store(s) to have a contingency plan in place because a common cold could affect several of your employees at once. Particularly because some of Edible’s busiest holiday seasons coincide with cold and flu season, you cannot afford to be without a backup plan.

You should have a contingency plan that considers how you will fill the breach in the event several of your employees are out at once.

Locate your contact list of temporary help that you have used in the past, and have it at the ready

Ask friends and family for names of potential temporary workers – students, retirees, stay-at-home parents who might welcome extra income on a limited basis

Use friends and family of your current staff who have not been exposed to illness

Advertise for temporary help using services such Indeed, Craigslist, or Monster.

Consider Temp/Staffing Agencies but be mindful of the cost of these services.

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