Food Protection Trends - November/December 2017 - 459

Panda associates are the most valuable resource we
have. We make sure that our employees are trained to
ensure food safety in all locations. Through requirements,
budgets, and bonuses we not only incentivize, but have built
procedures to assure that all our staff are properly trained.
No matter where you look, you will find that all associates
are trained beyond standards that are set in the regulatory
community.
Panda understands that not everyone comes to us with
the same background. So when educating our team we start
with the basics. We explain why food safety is important
and how critical it is to be diligent with food safety. To
guarantee that our associates have the basics correct, we
do not assume anything. PRG trains to all learners; auditory,
visual and kinesthetic (tactile). Panda utilizes computerbased learning modules, videos, interactive Q&A modules,
classroom and hands-on learning methods. We make sure
everyone understands our food safety terms, equipment
and procedures. Our goal is to inspire our associates to
understand food safety and be passionate about following
proper food safety procedures because at Panda, this is
how we show Guest Love!

SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
Suppliers must go through a rigorous process before
they can join the elite group of Panda Restaurant Group
Suppliers. We require all suppliers to have a commitment
to quality and customer satisfaction. Suppliers must go
through a multiple-step approval process, which includes
an audit by our FSQA team. We divide our suppliers into
two major categories; (1) core menu items suppliers and
(2) core fresh produce suppliers. Occasionally suppliers
are not able to provide everything that we need. When this
happens, we have procedures to maintain food safety. This
is to ensure the proper treatment of each unique food item.
It is our responsibility to protect the safety of our customers,
employees and the integrity of our brand. We expect all our
suppliers to hold the same standards. Once a supplier is
approved, we often work with them for years. We value
true, tested, trusted suppliers and long-term partnerships.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Panda has created a Crisis Management Program to
provide guidance to the Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Team in the event of a food safety crisis. The program
ensures timely and cooperative communication among
internal and external partners in order to resolve issues
quickly and in accordance with regulatory requirements,
thereby minimizing food safety risk and the potential for

damage to the Panda brand (Panda Express, Hibachi San
and Panda Inn).
It is crucial to identify which kind of crisis our leadership
is working with, how it escalated and how our response is
being received. Once we determine which type of crisis is
occurring, we identify action steps and team responsibilities.
We have created a table to help identify the level of crisis
of natural disaster, food risk and labor/human resource.
Each supplier must have an established and implemented Product Recovery Program. This program must
include documented procedures and defined responsibilities
for each of the suppliers' product recover programs.
Suppliers must provide all of their vendors and Panda with
an emergency contact form that has an up-to-date list of
all key personnel that are available 24 hours a day/7 days
a week.
Twice a year, our FSQA leaders Tricia DiPersio and
Chris Chestnut participate in a "mock" crisis event that is
led by Panda's third party Crisis Management Partner. This
event covers all aspects of our food recovery program from
food safety events, natural disasters, to a breach of our IT
Department. We see food safety as an event that is most
likely to occur, thus our simulated crisis events tend to focus
on this aspect of recovery.

PANDA CARES
Panda Cares, brings hope to
children in need. The program's
purpose is to promote the spirit of giving within Panda
by directly serving the health and educational needs of
underserved children. PRG has been a proud fundraising
partner since 2007, and has raised $61M through our
coin donation boxes, associate giving campaign and golf
tournaments. The program's purpose is to promote the spirit
of giving by creating a company that encompasses the
fundamental values of food safety, health and education in
every aspect of our corporation. The same beliefs extend
beyond the walls of our establishments and team members.
Panda Cares is a community involvement program
that was established by PRG in 1999. Panda Cares has
given millions of dollars of in-kind donations to numerous
non-profit organizations, schools, and hospitals. Panda
Cares promotes the spirit of giving and establishes a caring
presence in communities where the PRG guests and associates live. As one of our Panda core values states: We
give our time and resources to support each other and our
communities. We offer food and volunteer services to local
organizations that are involved in the promotion of health
and education of underserved children.

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