SANITATION LINKED TO PROFITABILITY

RUPERT CHISHOLM

ATLANTA -- An effective sanitation program is vital for a supermarket to maintain good customer relations and profitability, especially in fresh foods departments, according to Robert Gravani, professor of food science at Cornell University.

Food items directly handled by supermarket employees "are the ones that affect not only your shrink, but also the numbers of people that come into your store," said Gravani, who spoke last week at the National Grocers Association annual convention here.

In a recent survey, Gravani linked employee knowledge levels of proper food handling and sanitation practices with a store's profitability. After comparing the responses of some 800 deli workers with the fiscal performance of 58 delis, the study concluded that increased employee knowledge improved departmental profits.

"We wanted to show that more knowledgeable deli workers lead to more profitable delis," Gravani explained, "and the results bear this out."

Gravani recommended that operators should institute and support well-defined preventative sanitation programs that emphasize employee education.

Intensified media scrutiny and consumer concerns about food quality have made sanitation initiatives increasingly important in recent years. Moreover, shoppers now perceive employee handling as a major threat to food safety, according to a 1993 Food Marketing Institute survey, said Gravani.

To combat losses in sales and customer traffic, Gravani recommended the implementation of preventative programs based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point concepts. HACCP first identifies hazards and critical control points such as cooking, hot holding and cross-contamination where safety may be compromised. Operators then impose parameters such as standard cooking temperatures and cleaning procedures and encourage employees to take corrective actions when guidelines are not met. To establish these standards, Gravani said, each supermarket must clearly define its sanitation programs.

"You've got to have things written down," said Gravani. "Procedures, schedules, manuals [should be] in place so that everyone knows what's expected of them."

Along with consistent monitoring through record keeping and regular inspection, the success of these systems depends upon effective employee training programs, Gravani said.

"The key word here is effective," Gravani said."Don't just give it lip service. It's got to be much more of a commitment than just popping in a training tape."

Continual education enables supermarkets to realize the multiple benefits of sanitation programs, Gravani said. While initial education underscores the importance of proper preparation practices and personal hygiene, its continuation reinforces the employees' respect for food products and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Store and department managers are an underutilized educational resource for regular sanitation training. "The people who are managers of stores or departments are quite knowledgeable," Gravani said. "But this is often not translated to their employees."