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GOJO Blog

We serve as a trusted resource for the latest news and helpful information related to skin health and surface hygiene advancements. GOJO microbiologists, scientists, nurses and other professionals post regularly and we also get the views of outside experts and thought leaders in the field. It’s all part of the GOJO Purpose, Saving Lives and Making Lives Better Through Well-Being Solutions.

Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

Dr. Chip Manuel joined GOJO Industries in 2019 as a Food Safety Science Advisor. In this role, Dr. Manuel conducts food safety related research with the intent to improve public health, serves as a food safety microbiology subject matter expert for internal and external stakeholders, and represents GOJO Industries at conferences as a thought leader in food safety. Dr. Manuel holds a BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Food Science. Dr. Manuel’s area of research expertise is in food virology, specifically control of norovirus in food settings. For information on his research, visit his ORCiD.

Red bucket in foodservice kitchen
Understanding the Food Safety Risks with Reusable Wiping Cloths and the “Red Bucket”

7/11/2023

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

There’s a good chance that you’ve been to a restaurant and observed an employee grab a soaking wet cloth towel from a red bucket filled with solution and then use the towel to wipe a table clean for the next set of guests. But did you know this seemingly routine practice can carry food safety risks if not conducted properly? In this article, we will take a deeper dive into the practice of reusable wiping cloths, exploring some of the potential food safety risks of this practice as demonstrated by recent scientific efforts.

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Foodservice worker in commercial kitchen cleaning food contact surface
Top 5 Citations in Food Establishment Inspections & Prevention Tips

5/31/2023

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

It has been 30 years since the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published the first Food Code, which serves as a model framework for ensuring food safety in retail food establishments – including restaurants, grocery stores, foodservice areas in convenience stores, caterers, and cafeterias in schools, hospitals, nursing facilities, and other institutions. State and local health departments are responsible for licensing and inspecting these foodservice operations and enforcing Food Code regulations, including potentially citing health code violations.

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Someone spraying restroom sink with PURELL surface disinfectant
What is Norovirus?

2/21/2023

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

Also By Megan J. DiGiorgio, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Senior Clinical Manager, GOJO Industries

CDC data shows that cases of norovirus (aka "the stomach bug") are rising. Recently, there have been multiple elementary schools in the news after outbreaks. You may have even heard from friends who had a recent bout with the dreaded "stomach flu." This blog will cover the basics about norovirus to help you prepare personally and prevent an outbreak at your business/school.

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Family seated at a table dining at casual restaurant with an employee behind them spraying another table with PURELL Foodservice Surface Sanitizer
Food Safety Experts Share Best Practices for Norovirus Prevention in Food Establishments

2/1/2023

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

As we reach peak norovirus season, I wanted to share the below takeaways from a conversation I had with two top food safety experts at the 2022 Food Safety Summit. Hal King, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Active Food Safety and Founder/CEO, Public Health Innovation, and Lee-Ann Jaykus, Ph.D., William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, North Carolina State University, shared best practices to help food establishments prevent foodborne pathogens from spreading at their facilities, with a focus on norovirus.

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Graph chart with trending upwards arrow
Slowing the Spread of Norovirus – Lessons Learned from a Global Pandemic

10/24/2022

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

Also By Hal King, Ph.D.

Managing Partner, Active Food Safety and Founder/CEO of Public Health Innovations

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on global public health as well as the food industry. In the U.S., restaurant and foodservice loss of sales surpassed $185 billion between March and August 2020. During the pandemic, the adoption of enhanced sanitation protocols, such as increased frequency for high-touch surface disinfection, thought at the time to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was widespread. This helped reduce outbreaks of norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., by over 80%.

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Young male professional cook cleaning surface in commercial kitchen
New Research Highlights the Importance of Surface Sanitizer Formulation for Norovirus Control

10/10/2022

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

It’s official: norovirus is back. Despite norovirus outbreaks being at historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus, which is the #1 cause of foodborne illness in the United States, came surging back in the first quarter of 2022 with outbreaks peaking at nearly 80 per week in March. Norovirus is a particularly pesky virus for a variety of reasons.

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Foodservice worker cleaning table with PURELL Foodservice Surface Sanitizing Wipes while family waits to sit
Back to the Basics for National Food Safety Education Month

9/21/2022

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

Did you know that an estimated 48 million people in the U.S. get sick each year with a foodborne illness? That’s 1 in every 6 people! To increase food safety awareness and spread the word on safe food handling practices, federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have deemed September National Food Safety Education Month. In this blog, we go “back to the basics” and revisit some easy food safety principles that we all can practice more frequently, which can help reduce our chances of getting sick from food.

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Health inspector and restaurant manager in kitchen, with red cleaning bucket
Unobservable Risks Associated with Reusable Wiping Cloths and the “Red Bucket” Practice

3/9/2022

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

The sights of a restaurant experience can often be as enjoyable as the food: unique dishes being shuffled to tables of smiling families amidst an appealing ambiance, all taken in from the vantage of a favorite spot. Another common sight that can be observed at a restaurant is an employee grabbing a soaking wet cloth towel from a red bucket filled with solution and then using that towel to wipe a table clean for the next set of guests. But did you know that this seemingly routine practice can carry risks if not conducted properly? In this blog post, we take a deeper dive into the practice of reusable wiping cloths within a restaurant and explore some of the hidden, unobserved risks associated with this practice.

Read more »
Workers at deli count talking with customer
Managing Listeria Outbreaks in Retail and Foodservice Establishments

9/14/2021

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

Members of the bacterial genus Listeria are frequently found in the environment, soil, and vegetation; however, the species Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) is a significant pathogen of concern in the food industry and is a hardy organism capable of thriving in conditions beyond what other organisms can survive in. L. mono can flourish in various environments or food products, including high-salt environments, moist conditions, and more terrifyingly, at refrigerated temperatures - even below 33.8˚F!

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Family wearing face masks shops at grocery store, uses PURELL hand sanitizer dispenser
An Introduction to Guest Experience: What Does It Mean Now?

5/10/2021

By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.

Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries

COVID-19 has changed the world, and with it the concept of “guest experience” has evolved. What does it mean now? Clean is king. While good food and atmosphere used to be the primary concerns of guests, and the main factors that impacted their overall experience, guests have now adopted a heightened awareness and focus on hygiene, cleanliness, and safety above all. Finding ways to create, display, and promote a safe environment may be the only way to make potential guests and customers feel secure and ensure repeat business. Current and prospective employees are looking for this security, too. This is what “guest experience” has come to mean.

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