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March 13, 2006, (Des
Moines, Iowa) – Culver’s of
Ankeny and Culver’s of Des Moines are the first Iowa restaurants to earn the
Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Food Safety Seal of
Commitment—a voluntary program that requires expanded training of all
employees and exemplifies an establishment’s commitment to serving safe food.
The Food Safety Seal of Commitment includes a formal
application/evaluation process with specific benchmarks for employee food safety
training.
“The Food Safety Seal of Commitment is only awarded
to restaurants that have demonstrated food safety training as a top priority for
ALL employees—from cashiers and hostesses to management and kitchen staff,”
emphasized May Schaben, vice president of educational programs for the IRA.
“This program signifies a restaurant’s level of commitment to its customers, as
well as its staff.”
Recognition Requires Ongoing Training
To receive the Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Food
Safety Seal of Commitment, restaurants must:
- Have at least one manager per location who has been
trained and certified within the last five years in the ServSafe Manager’s
Certification Course, an 8 hour nationally recognized food safety training
program offered in Iowa through ISU Extension Services and the IRA.
- Have at least 75% of all employees trained annually in
DineSafe, a two hour short course, based on the ServSafe program, which was
developed to train every restaurant employee on food safety, even those not
regularly handling or serving food.
- Implement a continuous new hire food safety training
program.
Restaurants must reapply for the Seal of Commitment
annually.
Jeff Vaassen, one of the owners of the two Culver’s
restaurants to earn this certification commented, “Customers expect their food
to be safe when they come into a restaurant. It’s our obligation to make sure
that everyone in our establishment understands how to deliver on that
expectation. It is part and parcel to delivering a great dining experience.”
Any restaurateur interested in pursuing the IRA Educational
Foundation’s Food Safety Seal of Commitment can contact the Iowa
Restaurant Association at 800-747-1453 or visit the IRA website at
www.restaurantiowa.com.
About the Iowa Restaurant Association
Headquartered in Des Moines, the Iowa Restaurant Association is the professional
association of the restaurant and retail beverage industries in Iowa. In
addition to representing the industries’ legislative concerns, the Iowa
Restaurant Association works to educate its members on ways to operate
efficiently, safely, and profitably and to promote quality and professionalism
in the industry. For more information, visit our Web site at
www.restaurantiowa.com.
Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
The Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation promotes awareness of
the restaurant and retail beverage industry as a professional career path. The
Foundation works to strengthen and improve educational offerings, opportunities
and services for the advancement of the industry. The IRAEF is a 501 (c)(3)
non-profit educational foundation.
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Media Contacts:
Doni DeNucci, CAE
Iowa Restaurant Association
515- 276-1454
ddenucci@restaurantiowa.com
Jessica Dunker
Iowa Restaurant Association
515-
202-6786
jessica@dunker.com
© Copyright Iowa Restaurant Association 2006
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