Certified Food Protection Manager Fire Procedures

Certified Food Protection Manager Procedures for Fires

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Fires are something we never like to think about, but something we should prepare for. The kitchen is a hot place, there’s plenty of open flame, electrical systems running at full capacity and other risks that may result in a fire that causes damage to your kitchen or other parts of your restaurant. So what procedures should a certified food protection manager put in place to address a fire in the kitchen?

Certified Food Protection Manager Fire Procedures
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Fire Procedures for Certified Food Protection Managers

Certified food protection managers should have a protocol for dealing with fires. If you don’t already have clear procedures for what to do in the event of a fire, sit down with your staff and develop a plan. Your plan should answer the following questions:

  • Is the fire containable?
  • Should I extinguish or evacuate?
  • When is it safe to reopen?
  • What product is salvageable?

If you do have a fire, chances are it won’t be as devastating as the worst-case scenario, but you should still remain calm and take action. If your fire is easily extinguishable, make sure you use a non-water based extinguisher. Oil and grease are common factors in kitchen fires, and water will cause the fire to spread. If you need help developing a plan for what to do in the event of a fire, contact your insurance agent or local fire department. In many cases, a representative from one of these agencies will gladly provide an on-site inspection and offer advice.

After your fire is out, determine whether it is prudent to continue operations. If you’ve had a fire which requires the use of your fire-suppression system or assistance from the fire department, you may need clearance from the local fire marshal and health department to resume operations.

Before you begin operations once again, food safety must be at the forefront of your decision. Take the following steps before returning to normal operating procedures:

  • Inspect containers for fire damage
  • Dispose of food in storage and refrigeration close to active fires
  • Dispose of product left in the danger zone
  • Clean and sanitize all utensils and surfaces affected by smoke

Cans heated by fire should be thrown away. Food inside cans may begin to cook at low temperatures causing bacteria to grow. Open produce and other product in storage areas that have seen smoke should also be disposed of, including the insides of refrigerators. Many industrial refrigeration units are not air tight, so product inside can become contaminated by smoke. If you lose electricity or food becomes warmed by the fire, it must be disposed of. If any product spends excessive time between 41 and 135 degrees, it must be disposed of. The old adage should apply here: When in doubt, throw it out.

Do you have a plan in the event of a fire?

Food Safety Training for Cooking Whole Turkeys

Online Food Safety Training for Cooking Whole Turkeys

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Thanksgiving is here and that means it’s time to overindulge on turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie, but the last thing you want to include in your festivities is a salmonella outbreak. Whole turkeys can take quite some time to cook and it may be difficult to achieve safe temperatures while keeping the meat moist and flavorful. This week, we’ll look into what food safety training recommends to cook a tasty turkey without a side of foodborne illness.

Food Safety Training for Cooking Whole Turkeys
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Food Safety Training tips for Properly Cooking Whole Turkeys

Whole turkeys can be tricky to cook properly because of the thickness of the breast. One part of the turkey can be cooked perfectly, but the center can be left an undercooked breeding ground for bacteria. In order to prevent this scenario, we have three food safety training tips for a properly cooked turkey:

  • Use fresh or fully thawed birds
  • Check internal temperature properly
  • Prepare stuffing separately

Partially thawed turkeys are a food safety nightmare. While the outer layers may feel thawed and ready to cook, the center of the thickest parts of the bird may still be frozen. This can add to the cooking time of larger turkeys. It can also result in vastly overcooked outer layers while still leaving the thickest section undercooked. Half-thawed birds may also cause complications when attempting to gauge the internal temperature. Outer layers may reach the proper temperature of 165-degrees well before the center, throwing off your thermometer’s readings for the innermost layers.

Many commercially sold turkeys come with a small probe that will supposedly let you know when your bird has reached a safe serving temperature. Our advice to you would be to remove this probe before cooking and place in the nearest garbage receptacle. The only accurate way to assess the internal temperature of large turkeys is to use a bi-metallic stem thermometer. Insert your probe thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast as deep as possible without touching any bones. If your thermometer reads 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds, you can be confident that your turkey has been fully cooked.

One final note concerning food safety training for turkey stuffing. Stuffing your turkey before cooking will increase the amount of time that it takes to fully cook your turkey and pose a salmonella risk. There is a very real possibility that your stuffing will not reach a high enough temperature to kill any bacteria at the same time as the rest of your turkey, so we strongly suggest you cook your stuffing separately.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at !

Food Manager in Walkin Freezer

Why do ServSafe Food Managers Set Freezers to Zero Degrees?

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According to the Minnesota Food Code, all frozen food must remain frozen until ready to use and the USDA recommends setting freezers to zero degrees Fahrenheit. This got us wondering; why zero? Is zero a scientifically determined number, or is it in the correct temperature range and just happens to be a good round number? Will two degrees work just as well? Or maybe -12.5? This week we’ll take a good look at freezer temperatures and how zero degrees became the standard for ServSafe Food Managers.

Food manager in walk-in freezer
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ServSafe Food Managers and Freezer Temperatures

The history of the standard of zero degrees goes back to the 1930s when the American Fruit and Vegetable Coalition advocated zero degree temperatures because it was, in fact, a round number. Prior to this, freezing recommendations had been set at 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Science didn’t even come into the conversation until much later.

According to the laws of thermodynamics and the use of a mathematical logarithm known as the Van’t-Hoff equation, scientists much smarter than us were able to show that there is a uniform lowering of the velocity of chemical reactions in any substance as temperatures decrease. To break it down in terms those of us without PhDs in chemistry and physics can understand, once the temperature reaches zero degrees, the molecules and atoms in frozen product slow to the point where there is little perceptible movement. This means that bacteria cease to grow and there is very little loss of nutrition in foods frozen below zero degrees. Using this method, it has been determined that the ideal range of freezer temperatures is between zero and -22 degrees Fahrenheit.

So now that we know why ServSafe food manager training tells us to keep freezers at zero degrees, why don’t we go further and freeze product closer to the low end of the range?

First, while bacteria are held at bay indefinitely, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a risk of freezer burn. Freezer burnt product may still be safe to eat from a food safety standpoint, but it sure isn’t pleasant from a taste and texture standpoint. Long exposure to extremely low temperatures will keep your food safe to eat but will tarnish its quality.

Finally, it’s unwise from an efficiency and energy use standpoint. Keeping your freezer at the upper end of the freezing range and closer to zero degrees will use a lot less electricity and keep utility costs down.

As a ServSafe food manager, what temperature do you set your freezer?

food safety managers plastic reduction

Certified Food Safety Managers and Plastic Reduction

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Over the past few years, some jurisdictions have sought to reduce the amount of plastic used in the foodservice industry, and while some businesses have been hesitant to make the change, many have embraced it. Eliminating plastic appeals to a wide selection of environmentally conscious consumers and can also potentially reduce the amount of waste your business produces. This week, we’ll cover a few plastic reduction alternatives certified food safety managers can utilize in their establishments.

food safety managers plastic reduction
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Plastic Reduction Alternatives for Certified Food Safety Managers

If you were to take a quick tour of any restaurant, you’d find a number of plastic items. To-go boxes, bags, straws, utensils and take-out serving dishes are all commonly made from plastic. Whether you’re voluntarily reducing your plastic usage or your local jurisdiction has passed codes and laws preventing plastic use, your certified food manager will have to find alternatives for these types of items. Here are a few solutions that you can employ to replace plastic necessities in your facility:

  • Paper and compostable boxes and bags
  • Reusable takeout containers
  • Biodegradable utensils and straws

In the past, plastic bags and Styrofoam to-go containers have been go-to packaging for guests looking for take-out or a way to bring leftovers home. With current trends, many different manufacturers have started producing paper bags and compostable boxes that are either easily recyclable or will break down over time rather than take up space in a landfill. These items may cost a little bit extra, but as more companies produce these products costs should begin to decline.

With the latest update to the Minnesota Food Code, the rules concerning reusable containers have been updated and more clearly outlined. Reusable containers not only reduce plastic waste, they give you the opportunity to sell or provide your guests with reusable take-out containers with your logo and branding on them. This can not only help to conform to local plastic reduction codes but provide a valuable marketing tool for certified food managers to draw repeat business from loyal guests.

Straws and utensils such as forks, spoons and knives present unique challenges since many consumers prefer a sturdy utensil that won’t break during use. The good news is that many companies are now producing durable wood alternatives and great advances have been made to produce robust biodegradable utensils that can easily replace plastic.

Are you making an effort to reduce plastic waste in your facility?