Food & Food Equipment News

Former Taco Bell Manager Sues for Wrongful Termination After Blowing Whistle on Food Safety Violations

William Bisek has sued his former employer, Border Foods, Inc. – one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees in the United States – for retaliation under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. Bisek alleges that he was wrongfully terminated for reporting serious food safety violations at Taco Bell's Columbia Heights, Minnesota, location to Border Foods' management. The Columbia Heights Taco Bell is one of more than 60 Taco Bell locations owned and operated by Border Foods.

Bisek's Complaint – filed in Hennepin County on May 31, 2017 – describes how he was terminated the day after he escalated reports to Border Foods' regional managers regarding food safety practices that violated the Minnesota Food Code and other laws protecting consumers. These food safety violations included extensive and clearly visible mold growing in the water supply tank and on the spouts for the beverage machines, and serving expired meats, tortillas, and taco shells to customers when the expiration dates marked on the storage containers had been fraudulently changed by employees. Bisek's complaint also involved improper sanitation: for example, the water temperature at the washing sinks was at least 40 degrees F below minimum requirements and a toilet brush and plunger that were often wet were kept at the front counter where money was exchanged.

"The food safety violations at issue here are shocking and appalling," said Bisek's attorney, Lawrence. P. Schaefer of Schaefer Halleen. "The law protects employees so they can be confident that if they put their neck out in an attempt to stop their employer from putting public safety at risk, they will not suffer retaliation. We intend to demonstrate for the court that Border Foods terminated Mr. Bisek because he blew the whistle and to prevent him from continuing to do so. We believe the company's conduct here goes to the heart of why we have whistleblower laws."

"Perhaps naively, I honestly thought Border Foods would appreciate me flagging these food safety problems for them. Because the violations were so obvious and the implications for Taco Bell customers so clear, I thought the company would quickly address them, and I might even be looked at in a positive light for helping them come into compliance," Bisek said. "I could not have been more wrong and it unfortunately cost me a great career opportunity."

Fogg’s New Door Styles Offer Greater Safety and Durability

Fogg Filler, a market leader in the design and manufacture of rotary filling systems for the liquids industry, is continually focused on improving technology that better serves its customers and the environment. Fogg raises standards on enclosure features to offer more durable enclosures that are safer and more durable.

Fogg’s newest enclosure features now come standard on all filling and rinsing machines. Stainless steel door frames offer a fresh new look, while still allowing visibility of rinsing and filling activity from the outside. The stainless steel frame supports all hardware and hinges, allowing for thermal expansion without cracking, and allowing for tighter tolerances and better fume containment. The new enclosure promotes positive pressure within the filler due to the tighter seal. This new door style enables chemical fumes from the rinsing machine to be better contained inside the enclosure, and then evacuated outside the building through an exhaust system, or chemical scrubber. This also allows for better fluid containment during enclosure washes keeping the filler’s outside surroundings dry and safe from any splashing.

Fogg enclosure doors are completely removable with quick and easy “lift-off” hinges. Simply flip up the cable guard, which runs across the top of the enclosure door, and unplug sensor wiring. Once the wire is free, the door can be lifted up and off its hinge for easier maintenance and changeovers. The spring-loaded cable guard and simple lift-off hinges make this process tool-free and faster than ever. Safety switches on enclosure doors are best in class, and Fogg also offers logo etching on enclosure doors for a more personalized machine.

Fogg strives to continually improve technology and functionality, aiming to achieve a hit list of improvements on every single machine, and creating an operator-friendly filling environment. Call 616.786.FOGG or visit www.foggfiller.com to see the full line of filling and capping machines and accessories.

 

Steri-Straw Launches the First Fully Automatic Sterile Straw Dispenser

Steri-Straw, the only automatic straw dispenser that completely sterilizes straws, will debut at the National Restaurant Association Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, May 21-24. After patrons place their hand beneath Steri-Straw’s motion sensor, the device uses an ultraviolet light for complete sterilization as the straw passes through the system.

“There has been little to no innovation in automating the self-service area of fast casual restaurants where customers are grabbing utensils and condiments to promote cleanliness,” said Che Wise-Jarvis, Chairman and Founder of Steri-Straw. “In the bathrooms, you have automated soap and paper towel dispensers. But where people are actually eating their food, you have pumps and dispensers spreading serious germs.”

Steri-Straw is not only the cleanest option restaurants have for straw distribution, but it also eliminates the need for straws to be individually wrapped, which saves restaurants money when buying straws in bulk. Steri-Straw is also designed not to jam and can be placed either inside of a fast casual dining area or outside in a drive-thru.

As the highest volume straw dispenser on the market, each Steri-Straw unit holds up to 600 sterile straws. While it can stay plugged in and charged at all times, Steri-Straw has a battery life of two days when removed from its power source. Steri-Straw is currently available in multiple colors and will also release an updated model later this year with a screen for restaurants to run marketing promotions or branded messages.

Steri-Straw will demonstrate its device at the National Restaurant Association Show. The booth will also include a demo of Steri-Straw’s next model, due for release later this year, which has an Internet of Things-enabled screen for restaurants to run advertisements, marketing promotions and CRM strategies. From a desktop or mobile device, restaurant managers can connect to a cloud and deploy different messages on the screens.

 

Nomination Period Open for Sani Awards

Sani Professional, the food safety division of Professional Disposables International (PDI®), and the Sani Professional Food Safety Advisory Council (SPFSAC) are now accepting nominations for The Sani Awards™.  The Sani Awards award program celebrates innovation and excellence in food safety within the foodservice industry.  These awards recognize and promote best practices spotlighting food safety.  These areas of focus are:

• Education/Training
• Employee/Customer Programs
• Guest Experience

The Sani Awards award program welcomes nominations of foodservice establishments (five-unit minimum) as well as the individuals responsible for program implementation. 

The nomination timeframe is October 30, 2015 through January 31, 2016.  Winners will be announced in March, 2016 and trophies will be awarded at the Food Safety Summit Gives Back Networking Reception in Chicago, Illinois in May, 2016.

The Sani Awards award program includes three categories:

Category A:  Outstanding food safety program innovation

Category B:  Exceptional food safety education and/or training program implementation

Category C:  Best food safety focused guest experience

Overall award criteria for nominations include:

• Five-unit chain (or larger),
• programs that are six months post-implementation,
• measurable results/improvements

For additional award criteria and nomination forms, visit thesaniawards.com.

MagneGas Deploys Manure Sterilization System to Major Hog Farm

MagneGas Corporation, a technology company that counts among its inventions a patented process that converts liquid waste into a hydrogen-based fuel, announced today that it has completed construction of its latest Venturi™ sterilization system which has been deployed to a major hog farm in Indiana.

The sterilization system is expected to process hog manure resulting in a high quality, low-odor fertilizer that MagneGas believes can be safely used on crops.  In addition, MagneGas® fuel will be produced as a byproduct that can be co-fired with propane or natural gas to reduce other fuel needs. Following a successful demonstration, the Indiana farm owner has indicated to the company that he plans to purchase the system to use for his manure sterilization needs and partner with MagneGas to launch the market for the use of MagneGas systems in the agricultural industry world-wide.

MagneGas corp and its partners have demonstrated that a wide variety of liquids wastes can be sterilized such as blood, sewage, manures, leachates and a variety of sludges. As recently as July 2014 MagneGas Corp. confirmed that it meets EPA 503.32 by sterilizing hog manures taking coliform bacteria counts to "Undetectable Levels." The company believes meeting this rule transforms this Class B Manure into Class A suitable for land application and in some cases fertilization.

"I am excited that MagneGas has achieved this significant milestone.  Having the ability to test our new high flow Venturi system in a real world environment with such a highly respected stakeholder in the agricultural industry speaks volumes as to how far we have come as a company," commented Ermanno Santilli, CEO of MagneGas. "We are looking forward to working with such a cutting edge farm on a system that we believe will change the way the world looks at liquid wastes."

Diamond Wipes Improves Handyclean Sanitizing Wipes

Diamond Wipes International announces newly improved Handyclean™ cleaning and sanitizing wipes.  The updated line will offer more variety in size and display, as well as an option for improved sustainability. This is the first of the new professional-grade wipe portfolio Diamond Wipes has to introduce in 2014. 

“With many improvements made on the Handyclean™ program, we are now able to offer our partners and customers high-quality, American-made products that compete with other wipes in the professional janitorial and sanitation market,” said Eve Yen, founder and president of Diamond Wipes. “We listened to our customers who wanted good American products at a lower cost. And we delivered.”

The Handyclean wipes include three formula options, including the newly developed Multipurpose Cleaning Wipes. Made with the cleansing and deodorizing power of vinegar, the wipes quickly and easily clean non-porous hard surfaces. The formula is free from ammonia and sulfate and is gentle on hands.  Handyclean Hand Sanitizing Wipes and Handyclean Alcohol-Free Sanitizing Wipes, with their proven antimicrobial efficacy, effectively kill 99.99 percent of germs. Both products are made with conditioning vitamin E and aloe vera so they safely clean and effectively sanitize, while being gentle on the hands.

In promoting cleaner and more hygienic experiences for guests, members and shoppers, Diamond Wipes is also introducing completely redesigned floor stands for dispensing Handyclean wipes in high traffic environments. Wipe Concierge™ floor stands are built with high quality stainless steel construction in a sleek, clean design with a touch-free dispensing mechanism and built-in trash receptacle, perfect for hotel lobbies, fitness clubs, and healthcare environments. Dura-Stand™ floor stands are constructed with durable fiberglass with a powder-coated stainless steel baseplate, making it suitable for outdoor and indoor placement.  Both floor stands accommodate the 1000-sheet Jumbo Rolls and the 600-sheet Mini Jumbo Rolls.

For BOH (back of the house) application, the USA-made Handyclean wipes are now offered in 240-sheet count, more wipes at a lower price.  Diamond Wipes has also partnered with a domestic supplier to package the wipes in recyclable plastic canisters made with a minimum of 25 percent post consumer recycled (PCR) contents that dramatically reduce the CO2 footprint for improved sustainability.

Interested parties should contact Diamond Wipes Customer Service for ordering information.

Fire at Dietz & Watson's Distribution Facility Does Not Hamper Manufacturing, Shipping

Fire struck one of Dietz & Watson’s distribution facilities in Delanco, NJ this weekend, but this fire had no effect on the company’s manufacturing plants in Philadelphia, Baltimore or Corfu, NY, and all other distribution points are still up and running normally. The company released a statement to the press this weekend and the fire has since been extinguished. While the supply chain should be a little tight in the next few weeks, Dietz & Watson customers can feel confident that all items are being manufactured and that things will be up and running to capacity very soon.

Dietz & Watson CEO, Louis Eni, said this weekend: “It has been an unexpectedly challenging Labor Day weekend for the Dietz & Watson Family, as fire struck one of our distribution centers, in Delanco, NJ. Sunday afternoon. NJ emergency responders continued to battle the fire Monday. Thankfully, all Dietz & Watson employees are safe. Right now, our efforts are focused on supporting the New Jersey firefighters and emergency officials who are battling the fire and ensuring that all are kept safe. These brave first-responders are our friends and neighbors. We are humbled by their efforts. Our production facilities continue to manufacture our premium meats and cheeses. Other distribution arrangements will be made as we assess the fire's damage. The Dietz & Watson Family deeply appreciates the outpouring of support and encouragement we have received from our friends and customers. It means so much that so many have taken time from their holiday weekends to wish us well. Thank you.”

Firefly Moonshine: Outshining Expectations

In less than six months since its launch, Firefly Moonshines have been making bright impressions with bartenders and fans across the country. But there's no place like home that tells the story better. 

The folks at the Firefly Distillery have been working overtime to keep up with the local demand and their tasting room has never been busier. Jim Irvin, Distillery co-founder explains, "Our distillery is in the backwoods on Wadmalaw Island, SC. Lots of visitors come out here and we're used to making them feel welcome. With the new Firefly Moonshine, we have more people coming out to see us than ever before, and I have to make sure we have enough Moonshine to serve everybody. I've had to add another bottling line and hire 10 new workers to keep up."

Charleston, SC is a leading year-round tourist destination with the Firefly Distillery being one of the most popular attractions. The visitors' experience includes a stop in the tasting room where the new Firefly Moonshine is showcased. Those of legal drinking age may purchase six  
1/4-ounce samples (not to exceed 1.5 ounces) for $6. They can pick and choose among all of the distillery offerings, including their specialty products. Out of all the Firefly Moonshine flavors offered, Apple Pie is the best seller.

Distillery co-founder Scott Newitt adds, "We expected our visitors to be curious and excited about our Moonshines because Firefly has become a well-known and trusted brand. At 100.7 proof, the Firefly White Lightning really appeals to those who are looking for a more 'rustic' drinking experience but there are flavors too." Scott adds, "Most people tell us they like to drink moonshine straight out of the jar but with our variety, folks also mix it up their own way. I've met bartenders out here that use it instead of tequila in margaritas and they use the flavored moonshines just like a fruit - or citrus-based liqueur or schnapps. The flavors are so crisp and clear you can add it to just about anything and it tastes great."

An emerging favorite is the chilled Firefly Caramel Apple shot – 1/2 shot of Firefly Caramel Moonshine mixed with a 1/2 shot of Firefly Apple Pie Moonshine. Or try the Lightning Ball: 1/2 shot of Firefly White Lightning and 1/2 shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Both are easy to make and easy to drink. Firefly Cherry Moonshine Coke™ is easy too. Just add a shot of Firefly Cherry Moonshine to a Coke™.  

Firefly Moonshine is available nationwide at major liquor retailers and several national restaurant chains. For more information on where to buy Firefly Moonshine, visit our website. You can also post your pictures, recipes and comments on our web and social media sites and look for "insider info" on:  www.Fireflymoonshine.com, www.facebook.com/fireflymoonshine or www.twitter.com/TheFireflyShine

Green, Hygenic Touch-free Concepts Catches on in Restaurants and Food Service Businesses

Top restaurant owners know their business isn't just about food. They have to keep their customers happy with every aspect of their experience, and that includes the restrooms.

Yes, restrooms. According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for SCA Tissue North America, 50 percent of restaurant patrons who have a negative experience with the restroom— bad odors, grimy soap dispensers, dirty toilets, and other cleanliness problems— blab about it to friends and family. And 29 percent will never return to give the restaurant a second chance.

Every restaurant wants to provide customers with a clean, hygienic restroom, but the technology doesn't always make it easy. Traditional soap dispensers require hand pumping, spreading germs; and they also tend to leak, resulting in an unappealing congealed blob on the sink. Toilet levers notoriously spread germs. And let's face it— restrooms don't always smell good.

Touch-free systems offer a solution to all these problems, and more restaurants and businesses are adopting them as a result.

"We're getting a lot of orders," said Elliott Greenberg, owner of www.TouchFreeConcepts.com. "People are concerned about spreading germs, so they get touch-free faucets, touch-free auto soap dispensers, and automatic flushers." He's selling them not only to restaurants, but to hospitals, health clubs, and churches, and other businesses.

"Any place that has a restroom buys from us," Greenberg said. Touch-free Concepts' soap containers are hermetically sealed and hold more than regular dispensers, saving labor. They're guaranteed not to leak and have a 10-year warranty.

"I've found it to be very convenient," said Michael O'Grady, operating partner of P.F. Chang's at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, AZ, who buys from Touch-free. "It saves us money because you don't overuse any product. The hardware is all installed, which makes it easy to use."

"There's no pumping. It's more elegant in our restroom," said chef Michael Garcia of the upscale Fleming's Prime Steakhouse in Chandler, AZ. "It smells better and feels better. You don't have to clean it all the time like the other kind."

Comments like these are the reason companies nationwide are installing more touch-free products.

"Growth in our touchless systems is strong double-digit growth," said Donna Santoro, senior product manager of the washroom solutions global business team for Rubbermaid Commercial Products. "We live in a world that is consumed with hand sanitizers and green living. The consumer is acutely aware of those things that cause the spread of germs and bacteria. And it is all about touching."

Touch-free flushers and faucets also reduce water consumption, she said.

"Consumer demand…is strong for products that keep us healthy and help us to live in a safe environment."

 

MillerCoors Achieves Landfill-Free Status At Largest U.S. Brewery

MillerCoors today announced that its Golden Brewery is now landfill free. Building on its experience in taking four of its other breweries landfill free, this latest move means the largest brewery in the U.S. eliminated an average of 135 tons of waste monthly that was previously sent to landfill. For the brewing industry, the accomplishment is significant: no other breweries, including small craft or large national, have managed to achieve landfill-free status.

Beginning in 2011, MillerCoors began reducing the municipal waste sent from the Golden Brewery to landfill, complementing process improvements with nearly $1 million in new infrastructure and equipment, including new choppers, bailers and compactors. The brewery beneficially reuses or recycles 100 percent of waste, including all glass, paperboard, plastics, metal and brewing byproducts, such as spent grain. Residual refuse, such as cafeteria waste and floor sweepings, is sent to a waste-to-energy facility and used as an alternative fuel source to generate electricity.

"Environmental stewardship is part of our company DNA, and we challenge ourselves daily to be more sustainable throughout our operations," said MillerCoors CEO Tom Long. "Through our commitment to continuously improving, we've found a way to eliminate trips to the landfill and developed a zero waste model that's scalable to our other facilities."

Longtime MillerCoors brewery employee Kelly Harris was a driving force in the efforts. As a shop floor technician, Harris noticed small process changes could lead to large waste reductions. After conducting research, he developed and implemented a waste-reduction business plan that in 2010 led MillerCoors Trenton, Ohio, brewery to become the company's first landfill-free facility and the world's first zero waste mega-brewery. Three other MillerCoors breweries, Shenandoah, Irwindale, and Eden, have also achieved landfill-free status.

"There's a misperception that sustainable manufacturing is expensive, but employee behaviors are really the key to efficiently and affordably making the change," Harris said. "Working alongside brewery leadership, we developed a way to do things differently and implemented new manufacturing processes at the brewery. We've proven that there's an alternative place for all waste, even at one of the world's largest breweries."

The company is working swiftly to implement similar changes at its other facilities. For more information, visit www.millercoors.com.