Covid-19

Air Culinaire Worldwide and Signature Flight Support Ensuring Your Health & Safety

Kitchen Operations Health & Safety Standards Updated

TAMPA, FLORIDA (May 12, 2020) – Kitchen Operations Health & Safety Standards have been updated for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Kitchen Operations Health & Safety Standards

MANAGING CLIENT & TEAM SAFETY & HEALTH FOR CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Air Culinaire Worldwide (ACW) production facilities and staff members will operate under our already strict food safety guidelines as well as additional practice standards of Health & Safety to ensure the safety and security of our teams, clients and partners. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global concern with a significant presence in the U.S. & Europe, where we own and operate facilities. The safety of our teams, clients, partners, you and your family are our first priority.

Outlined below are how kitchens operational safety standards have been modified to specifically address COVID-19 public safety protocols. (Kitchen Operations Focus)

RECEIVING REQUIREMENTS

  1. ACW receivers wear gloves when receiving and handling deliveries and change them after completing receiving, disinfecting and storing of perishable and non-perishable goods.
  2. All vendor delivery vehicles are to be spot-checked for proper temperature and sanitation on a daily basis and spot audited to report potentially unsafe or hazardous materials or handling.
  3. All receiver/chef receiving any delivery from suppliers will spray disinfectant all boxes with QUAT- Ammonium San spray, crates and items entering kitchen entrance before products are allowed to enter production areas and coolers.
  4. All invoices (copies) are to be checked and stored in the kitchen to track items and vendor deliveries.
  5. All storage areas will be cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis to ensure facility sanitation and integrity.

STAFF REQUIREMENTS

  1. All team members will dress in clean, sanitized ACW uniforms with disinfected headwear, shoes and tools.
  2. All team members practice social distancing to ensure the safety and security of team members and those we serve.
  3. All team members will apply disinfectant for hands and uniform as necessary upon entering our kitchens.
  4. All team members will wash their hands to the elbow with warm soapy water for 20-seconds before or immediately upon entering the kitchen and before beginning work.
  5. All team members will sanitize work surfaces, stations, cutting boards and tools with QUAT- Ammonium disinfectant before beginning.
  6. All team members will wear gloves during production work and change them regularly when handling raw foods or ready to eat foods.
  7. All team members will wash and sanitize their hands, stations, surfaces and tools between each task to ensure HACCP standards.
  8. All team members will clean and sanitize all kitchen production work areas, stations, tools and equipment used before clocking out for their shift.

*ANYONE required or allowed to carry a cellphone will sanitize the phone before entering the facility and throughout the day as the phones are used – and upon leaving the facility following their shift. Cell phones are never to be placed on work surfaces! *

DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS

  1. Delivery vehicles are sanitized each shift using sanitizer and disinfectant products.  This includes the vehicle cabin and catering storage areas.   FBOs/Handlers/Flight attendants receiving deliveries should wear gloves and change them for each delivery, disposing used gloves in trash containers. Staff must then thoroughly wash hands or sanitize hands upon completion.
  2. If staff must move items/meals within the delivery boxes, they must so wearing gloves to ensure safety in the chain-of-custody.
  3. ACW delivery confirmation on our iPads will no longer require a customer signature. Instead, it will only require the receivers name, which our own staff will enter in order to eliminate the need for customers to touch iPads.

ACW GENERAL OPERATIONS PREVENTION & BUSINESS CONTINUITY PROCEDURES (MANAGEMENT FOCUS)

  1. We open and close our catering production facilities every day via our HACCP plan by sanitizing and disinfecting all workstations, work surfaces and equipment to ensure cleanliness and sanitation.
  2. We’re pre-QUAT-sanitize and/or de-box all products delivered to our kitchens to ensure food safety and elimination of static microbials before allowing them into our facilities – receiving of all goods must be received with gloved hands and QUAT-disinfectant-spraying to eliminate potential biohazards.
  3. We follow CDC COVID-19 compliance as directed and as applicable to our business:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html
  4. We use a regimented plan of food safety in preparing all foods with gloves, headwear, masks where appropriate and ensuring that all hot food prep includes a ‘kill step’ to ensure food safety.
  5. We use Ecolab approved COVID approved cleaning agents for disinfecting and sanitation – which were added to the Ecolab order guide and emailed to all kitchens on March 10th. *See Ecolab order guide.
  6. We have designated kitchen production station separation measures (market specific) to continue to operate and allow the practice of social distancing.
  7. All staff members will wear gloves and masks as appropriate during work that involves handling and exchange of materials. Staff must change gloves regularly when handling foods and boxed goods.
  8. We clean and sanitize our delivery vehicles, office equipment and doors/handles each shift to maximize safety and sanitation.
  9. We change air filters monthly for all HVAC systems, coolers and machinery to ensure air safety and cleanliness.
  10. We are not any allowing visitors in our kitchens.

*We professionally fog-disinfect kitchens as required to ensure full facility cleanliness and safety as needed.

Download PDF Version

A PDF version of the Kitchen Operations Health & Safety Standards can be downloaded here. If you any questions, contact us at comments@airculinaire.com.

Operational Update

TAMPA, FLORIDA (March 20, 2020) – Air Culinaire Worldwide recognizes the struggles that we all are going through with COVID-19 pandemic. We are here to support you, your flight crews, FBOs, local law enforcement, our armed forces and anyone else that is need of a meal. We are proud of being part of the solution to combat this crisis with meals for special missions that feed not only business aviation,but also medevac flights, medical missions and government missions.

This includes a wide range of transportation companies that need meals so they can continue to deliver critical products to grocery stores, pharmacies, medical facilities and other essential businesses. We will deliver meals to a variety of destinations due to the circumstances; hotels, residences, hospitals and military bases or other mutually agreed upon locations.

Our primary concern is the safety of our employees and customers. We are doing everything possible to maintain our services. Currently, all our kitchens in the U.S. and the U.K. remain open to support your needs, but changes occur daily and we are monitoring them diligently. Communication about our facilities will be updated as needed to keep everyone informed.

We would like to thank our loyal customers and we want you to know that our dedicated team is here to help you in any way we can.

If you any questions, contact us at comments@airculinaire.com.

Actions We are Taking for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

TAMPA, FLORIDA (March 13, 2020) – At Air Culinaire Worldwide, the health and safety of our clients and team members is our top priority. Therefore, we want to share with you the additional measures beyond our already strict standards, given the evolving situation regarding COVID-19.

All team members, in our kitchens and office facilities, have been instructed to take the following measures to protect themselves and our clients:

  • Increase consistent hand-washing (frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, for at least 20 seconds). Wash hands hourly, or as needed, to ensure the removal of bacteria. When soap and water is not immediately available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer consistently.
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer consistently AFTER washing hands thoroughly.
  • Do not touch your face or mouth as a standard practice unless hands have been thoroughly washed and sanitized beforehand and again immediately after.
  • Practice social distancing, including refraining from personal greetings which involve person-to-person contact of any kind.
  • Clean and sanitize stations, vehicles, office PCs, telephones, handheld devices (such as iPads and scales) regularly and at the beginning of each shift.
  • As always, in kitchen preparation of food, do not handle food with bare hands that does not include a kill-step (using heat to kill bacteria) and always use gloves when preparing food.
  • Change gloves frequently, washing hands between each use!
  • Stay at least six feet away from anyone showing signs of a cold or virus.
  • As always, do not come to work if you are sick.

We are committed to staying current on this virus, proactive in our approach and practice prevention. Our leadership team will continue to meet as frequently as is necessary to develop and communicate any additional preventative plans needed.

If you any questions, contact us at comments@airculinaire.com.

Air Culinaire Worldwide Employee Travel Update Regarding Coronavirus

TAMPA, FLORIDA (March 9, 2020) – At Air Culinaire Worldwide, the safety and well-being of our employees is always our first priority. Given the current CoronaVirus concerns and the precautions recommended to stop the spread of the virus, our employees will not be participating in events with large crowds and will travel only when it is essential. This means we have informed our team members not to travel to events, starting today, and resume normal travel when public healthcare officials indicate it is safe to do so.

For any questions, contact comments@airculinaire.com.

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