Cyclospora Outbreak: Our Commitment to Food Safety
Food Safety Is Not A One-Time Initiative - It's An Ongoing Commitment. We Continuously Evaluate Our Ingredients, Suppliers, Processes, And Procedures To Ensure We Are Providing Our Customers With Meals That Meet The Highest Standards Of Quality And Safety.
The health and safety of our customers have always been our highest priority. In light of recent concerns regarding Cyclospora, we want to share the steps we take every day to provide safe, high-quality meals.
Trusted Produce Suppliers:
We purchase our produce only from federally inspected suppliers that operate under stringent agricultural Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and comprehensive food safety programs.
Validated Cooking and Cooling Procedures:
We not only meet FDA food safety guidelines, we exceed them. Our cooked ingredients are prepared to an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit and then rapidly cooled using validated time and temperature controls. Proper cooking is recognized as the most effective method for inactivating Cyclospora in foods that are cooked.
Strict Sanitation Standards:
Our facilities operate under rigorous sanitation procedures, with strict cleaning, employee hygiene, and food handling practices designed to minimize food safety risks throughout production.
Continuous monitoring:
We are actively monitoring updates and guidance from the CDC and FDA regarding Cyclospora. As new information becomes available, we evaluate our processes and implement changes whenever appropriate.
Menu Review and Enhancements:
We are proactively reviewing and updating menu items and procedures where necessary to further enhance food safety while continuing to provide the quality meals our customers expect.
Partnership with our produce processors:
We work closely with our produce suppliers and processors to verify that they continue to maintain robust produce washing, sanitizing, and food safety programs throughout their operations.
Leafy Greens:
All of the leafy greens we source are grown in California and are thoroughly washed and processed by our approved suppliers before arriving at our facility. To date, California has remained one of the least affected growing regions associated with the current Cyclospora investigations, and no confirmed link has been established between West Coast-grown leafy greens and the current outbreak. We continue to monitor FDA and CDC updates closely and will adjust our sourcing practices immediately should new information become available.
We appreciate your trust and will continue to take every reasonable step to protect the health of those we serve.
- The Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating Executive Team