SM Foodcourt Bacolod Cares About Food Safety

Recently, we were invited to a food tasting event at the SM Foodcourt of SM City Bacolod, which is conveniently located at the 2nd floor of the North Wing.

We were treated to the bestsellers of their four tenants, namely Kimbob, Tokyo Joe, Sizzling Plate, as well as lechon (roast pork) from their incoming tenant, Lechon H.

Foodcourt Manager Efraim Valencia welcomed the Negros bloggers, Skyscraper City, and members of the media to the quaint gathering that their called “Continental Flavors Media Day”. But aside from the food presentation, Mr. Valencia pointed out how SM Foodcourt ensures food safety among their tenants.

How SM Foodcourt Cares About Food Safety
SM Foodcourt is not just about leasing spaces to food stall operators that can provide a fast and affordable dining alternatives to mall-goers. They make sure that the entire area is clean, comfortable, and that the tenants can provide an assortment of dishes to cater to the different tastes of their clients.

But aside from that, SM Foodcourt does not just leave it to the individual tenants in ensuring food safety. They do not rely on the stock knowledge of the players but rather they have institutionalized food safety practices at the Foodcourt.

Mr. Valencia said that they frequently invite representatives from the Bacolod City Health office to conduct food safety seminars to the Foodcourt tenants. They have to do this regulary to remind the staff as well as to educate new workers because new personnel come in from time to time. The staff of the tenants are taught the technical aspects of food safety, hand washing, utensils handling, and the like.

The SM Foodcourt management also conducts a monthly food safety audit and the tenants are required to have a monthly general cleaning. Additionally, Mr. Valencia stresses that the staff are not allowed to leave the premises at night if they have not cleaned up after the day’s operations. The Foodcourt personnel visits each stall after the mall closes at night to check in on the counters and the kitchens if the tenants’ staff are cleaning their areas properly.

This is reassuring news actually, because I had also been a victim of a food-borne illness that drove me to write about:

Food Safety: Top Concern for Bacolod Restaurants

Kudos to the SM Foodcourt management for doing this. This is very reassuring. Thank you!