Onsite Training Program at Chinese Retail Food Establishments

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On-site Training Program at Chinese Retail Food
Establishments

• A Hands-on Approach To Overcome Various Barriers

S. Samuel Wong, PhD MD Consulting P. O. Box
133 West Boylston, MA 01583 (508)
835-9898 mdconsulting_at_charter.net
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Communication Difficulties During An Inspection

• Language Barriers
• Cultural Barriers
• Societal Barriers

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Language Barrier

• The Chinese Language
• Hundreds of Dialects
• Different ways to pronounce
• Some difference in choice of words and
  expressions
• Major dialects Mandarin, Cantonese, Fokinese,
  Taiwanese
• Mandarin is the national language
• Written Forms
• Simplified created by the communist Chinese
  government used by Chinese from China
• Traditional used by Chinese from other parts of
  the world

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Cultural Barriers

• Person-in-charge
• Will the real person-in-charge please stand up?
• Who is it? The owner? The manager? the owners
  wife?
• Male dominance
• What do you mean its not clean?
• Literacy and educational background
• Attitude towards the Authority
• Avoiding conflicts vs Being compliant
• Schedule high risk operations

5
Societal Barriers

• Very Tight Labor Market for Chinese Chefs and
  Food Workers
• Why?
• Much lesser new illegal immigration from China
• Too many Chinese restaurants
• Results chefs choose the job (not owners choose
  the chef)
• High workload
• Pay too low
• Too far from hubs (NYC LA)
• Tough Neighborhoods
• Not compatible with other staff

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Our Solution

• Customized On-site Food Safety Training Program
  in Chinese
• Overcome the barriers
• Conducted in Chinese (preferably)
• Understands cultural and societal issues
• Customized to individual establishment

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Overcoming The Barriers

• Language Barriers
• Interpreters (waitstaff, school age children of
  the owner, etc)
• Inspection forms in Chinese
• Educational materials in Chinese (ServSafe
  coursebook, food safety signs, Food Code fact
  sheets, food safety videos, etc)
• Chinese-speaking food safety consultants

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Overcoming The Barriers

• Cultural Barriers
• Work with the chef
• RESPECT THE CHEF
• Review high risk operations with the chef
• Marinating ribs in large tubs or barrels
• Preparation of spring roll filling
• Cooling of cooked items (spring rolls, fried
  rice, chicken fingers, etc)
• Roast ducks
• Get the chef certified (ServSafe or equivalent,
  Chinese classes)

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Customized Programs

• Based on Individual Establishments
• Core Training Topics
• PHFs
• Time / Temp Abuses
• Cross Contaminations
• Personal Hygiene
• Hand washing
• Sick Policy

• Receiving, Storage, and Preparation of Food
• Cooking, Cooling, Holding, and Reheating of Food
• Cleaning Sanitizing
• Chemicals

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Customized Programs

• Based on Individual Establishments
• Additional Training Topics
• In addition to core topics
• Based on most recent inspection report
• Review corrective actions
• Use examples that they could understand
• Review High Risk operations
• Cooling of hot food
• Batch processing

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Customized Programs

• Based on Individual Establishments
• Hands-on demonstration using their own facilities
• Review cross contamination issues in their
  walk-in cooler
• Discuss handwash in their kitchen (why, when,
  where, how)
• Walkthrough of the entire establishment
• With owner and chef
• Discuss deficient areas (violations)

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Outcome

• Improvements
• Forty-eight Chinese restaurants
• Number of critical violations decreased by 62
• Better working relationships
• Health department inspectors and the
  establishment
• The owner and the staff