National Food Safety Month begins this week, marking 20 years of promoting best practices for food safety. The 20th anniversary is being celebrated in September by featuring 20 top food-safety tips from the past two decades.NFSM was created in 1994 by the National Restaurant Association to heighten awareness about the importance of food-safety education. It…

There was a lot of legislation debated and passed in the Golden State this summer. Late last month, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill allowing dogs to dine with owners if seated in a restaurant’s outdoor area. The law gives canine-averse restaurant owners discretion on allowing dogs to dine and requires restaurants have an…

NAFEM members have until Oct. 6 to leave a comment on the proposed rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which seeks to phase out all refrigerants currently used in commercial refrigeration equipment by Jan. 1, 2016. The EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy Program requires the agency to identify and approve climate-friendly chemical alternatives…

The California State Assembly approved a law last week making it harder for franchisor companies, including foodservice chains, to terminate franchising agreements. Another version of the proposed law, SB 610, already had been approved by the State Senate last year. The bill now will return to the Senate for final approval. Business groups, including the…

Quick-service workers’ rights triumphed in court last week, when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that store employees can sue McDonald’s Corp., which it said is responsible for the labor violations of its franchisees. NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin determined that McDonald’s should be considered a “joint employer,” along with the franchise owners who operate…

Since the 1987 Montreal Protocol first addressed and banned substances that deplete the earth’s ozone layer, phasing out refrigerants and chemicals deemed harmful to the environment has been an ongoing issue for refrigeration manufacturers. Today, the industry is facing the most sweeping, most accelerated and, according to NAFEM and the 155 refrigeration manufacturers it represents,…

California might have quickly changed its mind on requiring gloves for all food handlers, but there is unlikely to be a quick turnaround on any of South Carolina’s new but long-considered food-safety regulations. The state just updated its rules for the first time in nearly 20 years. In addition to a new requirement that all…

Two years after a federal law made menu labeling mandatory for some restaurants, a new survey reveals a small majority of Americans are using the information to influence their choices when ordering. The new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 57% of adults over 18 use menu-labeling information, such as calorie…

A new report from the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve sustainability program focuses on sustainability best practices for the foodservice industry to help operators save money, improve the environment and please customers and employees. The report, “Spotlight on Sustainability: Expert Tips from NRA Show 2014,” features tips, trends and real-world advice from industry experts who appeared…

The year-old law that would have required California’s foodservice workers to use gloves when preparing food was abolished last week. Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 2130, repealing the law requiring food and beverage handlers to change gloves every time they switched tasks or even touched other food. The “glove law” went into effect last January but immediately…