Unilever Food Solutions Conducts an Educational Program “Chefmanship Academy: Food Safety”

Today, Unilever Food Solutions, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Indonesia’s Food & Drug Administration (BPOM), is offering small scale restaurant operators a comprehensive educational program around Food Safety. The program aims to create both awareness and enhance the skills of food service operators to improve food safety at their premises.

Adam Djokovic, Managing Director Unilever Food Solutions Indonesia explains, ”The Chefmanship Academy is one of the services offered by Unilever Food Solutions to assist its customers in developing their businesses to be more successful and efficient. The topic of the first Chefmanship Academy seminar is food safety due to its high relevance & burning need, especially for small scale restaurant operators who often lack the necessary skills in this domain.”

According to a 2007 World Health Organization’s (WHO) report, there were 1.5 billion health problems caused by food borne diseases globally, of which 3 million have resulted in deadly casualties, and this number keeps increasing. 2009 data indicates that Indonesia is in the top 10 countries with the highest number of diarrhea patients who eventually die because of food poisoning. These numbers are complemented by data from BPOM which shows that 51% of the hotel, restaurant and cafeteria outlets in Indonesia currently do not meet the standards of food safety.

Food safety encompasses vast & complex areas, from the process of production, preparation, storage, transportation until the final food serving. This partnership between Unilever Food Solutions and the government bodies aims at explaining this complex topic in simple terms that are easily understood and applied by Indonesian food service professionals.

All attendees to the seminar will receive a certificate of attendance endorsed by Ministry of Health and Indonesia’s Food & Drug Administration (BPOM).

Chef Vindex Tengker, the Brand Ambassador of Unilever Food Solutions, said, ”Besides serving delicious and healthy food, chefs also need to realize the dangers of food poisoning. They must therefore maintain the highest standards by prioritizing food safety.”

In the seminar, Unilever Food Solutions explains the following five easy steps of food safety which make a big difference:
1. Ensure personal hygiene, especially the hands, kitchen area and cooking utensils
2. Separate raw foods from cooked foods
3. Cook thoroughly
4. Keep food at safe temperatures
5. Use clean water and safe raw materials

“Maintaining food safety is actually not difficult, but operators must be disciplined in implementing these steps; they are fundamental for operators when preparing the food to prevent contamination from bacteria and dangerous microbes,” adds Chef Vindex.

Operators who are not able to attend the seminar can also obtain an inspiring booklet outlining five easy steps for food safety via Unilever Food Solutions’ website at ufs.com or simply call the hotline at 021-92514399 or 08891403955.

”We hope that by helping food operators to gain a better understanding of food safety, both health and diners’ satisfaction will be ensured, which will ultimately lead to a more successful and prosperous business,” concludes Adam.