Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037828
Summer 2018 69 All it takes is one crisis to hobble a brand. The embattled chain Chipotle is still reeling after it was forced to temporarily close dozens of its restaurants in response to reports of foodborne illness in 2015. Two years later, when food safety issues resurfaced and sales began to slump, the chain asked founder Steve Ells to step down as its CEO. "When something like that happens, it takes a long time to recover," says Thermo-Kool's President and CEO Rand McLaughlin, who still recalls the damage done to Jack in the Box's reputation after its well-publicized troubles with tainted beef patties in 1993. Thermo-Kool's latest ad for its blast chiller and shock freezer lines, "We Keep Reputations from Spoiling," speaks to foodservice operators' height- ened concerns surrounding how to keep their brands and their customers healthy. Integrating a food safety management program into daily operations continues to be one of the big four, as in challenges facing restaurateurs. The others, according to FSR magazine, are tracing ingredi- ents from the farm to the back of the house, lever- aging big data to drive purchasing decisions and menu options, and managing the complexities of limited-time-offers and promotional programs. Approaching nearly 30 years at Thermo-Kool, McLaughlin has been privy to multiple conversa- tions with those on the front line who say that com- plying with FDA and HACCP guidelines without the proper equipment, or adequate budgets, can be tricky. Strictly from a food safety perspective, he says, getting more foodservice operators to see the value in investing in equipment that aides in staving off contamination—like blast chillers and shock freezers—would go a long way in curtail- ing the improper cooling of hot foods, a practice commonly linked to foodborne illness. Missteps in safely bringing down temps in U.S. restaurants and delis contributed to 504 outbreaks between 1998 and 2008, according to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control's Environmental Health Services. "I can't tell you how many times our customer service reps have taken calls from customers that RAND MCLAUGHLIN Thermo-Kool "Many people fail to realize—on the residential side and the commercial—that a refrigerator and a freezer are for storing food that is already at a chilled temperature." By Stacy Ward, Editor in Chief stacy@feda.com