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Vasapoli Takes Charge of D’Agostino's Food SafetyBy Katie Gallagher New York — As produce director at D’Agostino Supermarkets here, John Vasapoli and his department were hit hard by the spinach recall that prompted many consumers to stop buying leafy greens, and left many grocery stores like D'Ags wondering what more can be done at store level to protect food safety. "What peaked my interest in food safety was the spinach recall last year. It was quite eye opening to see what that really did to the industry in such a short period of time," Vasapoli said. When he approached management about the issue, D’Agostino appointed him as specialist/manager of food safety for the specialty grocery stores 18 locations. His new role is in addition to his 23 years as produce director and requires diligence and inquiry to stay abreast to what's going on in the industry regarding the safety of food, he said. "I'm the go-to person in a food safety crisis and am attending as many workshops and seminars to find things we can do at store level to guard against E-coli and other food safety issues," Vasapoli explained. Vasapoli, who has worked at D’Agostino for 34 years, said he is still getting his feet wet when it comes to food safety issues and practices. Resources that are helping him with his new role include the Food Marketing Institute, an informational organization owned by retailers and wholesalers and its Food Safety Info E-Share program, an online service dedicated to sharing information and resources with supermarket food safety contacts. He also receives online alerts daily, including nationwide recall notifications from recalls.gov, a federal Website. For D’Agostino, a family-owned company that operates 18 stores throughout New York City, the produce and deli departments are of primary concern when it comes to food safety. Vasapoli works hard to make sure the cold chain is maintained. "All of our deliveries are made through the sidewalk in New York, so all of the perishables that are dropped off have to be brought into the store within a short period of time to avoid spoiling and bacteria," he explained. Vasapoli is also working closely with the deli department to take precautions that ensure a clean, sterilized environment. While Vasapoli is still in the second month of his new role, he admits food safety precautions are an important step for retailers to take to ensure the best for their customers, and said he predicts those grocers that have plans in place will have a competitive advantage as food safety issues become more prevalent. "It's our job to be sure people are getting wholesome, well-inspected food and this is one more way D’Agostino is providing that," he said. |
