Food Safety First

Erasing Black Marks

The first and most important thing to do if you receive a bad health-inspection report is to correct the infraction," says Hank Steinberg, president of The Rochelle Group, Ltd., a consulting firm in Congers, NY.

When the press receives a copy of a bad report and prints it, the operator is often forced to respond publicly to all infractions. So what should you do if the press surprises you at your door, waving a less-than-perfect health-inspection report in your face?

Turn problems into opportunities. Here are several things to remember when dealing with the media in a crisis situation such as this:

Express sympathy. Begin by expressing your sympathy and concern for the victims and families affected by the incident.

Avoid saying "no comment." It suggests that you have something to hide. Instead, say that you don't yet have enough information to comment and that you will get back to the reporter later.

Avoid speculation. If you don't know something, admit it. In particular, be careful not to speculate on the cause of the crisis or the extent of the damage.

Blame no one.

Emphasize the positive. If precautions were taken to avoid the crisis, point them out.

Don't repeat the negative. If you include any negative comments in your response, they may be attributed to you.

Don't allow surprise media visits into the kitchen. If a reporter asks for a tour of your kitchen at a moment's notice, you can explain that for reasons of hygiene, the public is not allowed in the kitchen. In fact, most food codes don't allow non-foodservice personnel in the kitchen of a commercial food operation.

Excerpted from Restaurants USA, August 1999 (published by the National Restaurant Association).