The Importance of Zero
ZERO is the ultimate goal of foodborne illnesses caused by the production of food. As a junior enlisted United States Army soldier, assigned to the 173rd army brigade in Italy, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Dave-Roger Grosvenor was tasked to accompany an advance force to Tunisia. The goal was to prevent food-borne illness within the unit’s ranks.
In the previous year, a similar mission was suspended due to a vicious food-borne illness outbreak. Assigned as the leading officer and approving authority of the Tunisian mission, SSG Grosvenor evaluated potential food suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetable market vendors to Carrefour (a global food conglomerate).
When deployed to Tunisia, SSG Grosvenor conducted training with soldiers on proper field food handling. They conducted daily inspections of the food supply leaving purveyors’ facilities and monitored the daily production of more than 15,000 meals during the mission. Because of his efforts, the 173rd Airborne Brigade in 2001 experienced a ZERO record of food-borne illness and a successful mission. SSG Grosvenor was then rewarded with the Commanding General Golden Medallion and soon after he was promoted to Sergeant First Class (SFC).
The experience of this Tunisian mission, as well as others during his tenure in the U.S. Army, provided Dave-Roger with the impetus to establish VII Principles LLC. Furthermore, he aspired to create a team of driven food safety experts to replicate the importance of ZERO. The ultimate mission of VIIP is to protect the safety and welfare of the public, and safeguard our partner’s brands.
Our Goal is Accomplished Through
- Training of food handlers and managers
- Evaluating food safety handling of culinary staff and managers
- Observing the flow of food from concept to operation
- Assisting in monitoring facility’s sanitation efforts
- Advocating for the development of proactive systems and procedures
- Developing and assisting with implementation of HACCP plans
- Reviewing the entire food supply chain
Our Process Establishes the Importance of ZERO
- ZERO food-borne illness
- ZERO customer complaints
- ZERO negative publicity
- ZERO loss of revenue
- ZERO regulatory inspection failure
After more than 25 years of experience (both national and international) in the food safety and security arena, Dave-Roger Grosvenor and his team stand ready to assist in accomplishing your ZERO. Throughout his career, he has partnered, monitored and evaluated the food safety systems of:
