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Food safety a priority for Dietetic Services

by Michael Baker
Public Relations
August is National Food Safety Month, highlighting an aspect of daily life that often escapes public notice. Many people accept that their food is sanitary, never questioning its cleanliness unless they drop a piece of lettuce on the floor while making a sandwich.

For Brad Masteller, general manager of Dietetic Services, food safety isn’t a passing thought. Masteller and his staff maintain responsibility for the quality and safety of nearly all food served at MUSC.

“We provide food for patients at MUSC, Charleston Memorial Hospital, and the Institute of Psychiatry,” he said. “That includes the cafeterias of the main hospital, Rutledge Tower, and IOP, as well as Subway, the gourmet coffee shop, the pizza shop, and MUSC Catering.”

The scope of Dietietic Services’ coverage means the department supplies food to thousands of people at MUSC every day. To maintain a consistent level of sanitation and safety across such a wide area requires a strong system of health regulations. To that end, the safety checks begin as soon as food arrives at MUSC.

“Everything we bring into MUSC must be approved by Sodexho,” he said, referring to MUSC's contracted food and facilities management company. In the event of a food item's recall, the company provides immediate notice to the department, preventing any dangerous food from entering MUSC’s system.

After ensuring that food maintains specific levels of quality, the next safeguard is a program among the department’s employees.

“Each of the department’s managers and supervisors are ServSafe-certified,” Masteller explained. “It’s the biggest step towards assuring our safety standards.”

ServSafe, a national program, teaches participants about stringent food safety practices.

In addition, all of the 180 departmental employees attend annual and monthly training meetings, reviewing a variety of topics ranging from thermometer sanitization and calibration to  proper cooking temperatures.

Monthly food service audits support frequent daily checks. “The audits cover everything—how the food is received, stored, cooked, and held for service, and even hand-washing,” Masteller said. 

Among notable, MUSC-specific regulations, employees involved in food preparation wear gloves at all times and take off any jewelry (except flat wedding bands) before reporting to work.

Such adherence to sanitation and quality standards draws consistent praise from governing bodies like the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

Two years ago, Sodexho honored the Dietetic Services staff with an award for having the second-highest sanitation score in the Southeast.

More recently, the NSF gave the main hospital a rating of 98 percent during its March inspection. Masteller said DHEC historically rates MUSC facilities at or above 95 percent. He credits consistent policies and procedures along with an excellent staff for the success.

“With the size of our staff, we’ve got a lot of food going to a lot of different places, so we have the same policies in place at every satellite location,” he said. “By sticking to the same policies across the board, there are no exceptions when it comes down to serving safe food. We take food safety very seriously; we have to.”

Friday, Aug. 20, 2004
Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.