How Restaurants Can Better Prepare to Prevent Foodborne Illness in the Wake of COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly across the country, forcing millions of restaurants to suspend operations or pivot to a delivery model in hopes of flattening the curve. As restaurants make this shift and close their physical doors to customers, they’re entering an unprecedented time in restaurant history.

As this global pandemic continues to evolve, we are learning that proper hygiene is critical in slowing the spread of the virus. In fact, 48 million Americans get sick each year from foodborne illness, and the spread of germs from the hands of food handlers to food accounts for 89 percent of all foodborne illnesses that are contracted in restaurants. As a result, consumers will have a renewed interest and demand for hygiene, and successful brands will learn how to proactively and thoughtfully communicate to their customers around the actions they take to ensure proper sanitation in the wake of the pandemic and what lies ahead. Before the pandemic, less than 25 percent of…