{"id":4926,"date":"2026-02-27T20:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/minnesota.safefoodtraining.com\/2026\/?p=4926"},"modified":"2026-02-27T20:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:09:49","slug":"keep-it-under-wraps-the-truth-about-hair-restraints-in-mn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minnesota.safefoodtraining.com\/2026\/certified-food-manager-mn\/keep-it-under-wraps-the-truth-about-hair-restraints-in-mn\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep it Under Wraps: The Truth About Hair Restraints in MN"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"hair<\/a>

Are you meeting the hair requirements for your kitchen?<\/p><\/div>

If you’re managing a busy kitchen in Minneapolis or anywhere across MN, you’ve likely heard the term “properly restrained” hair, but do you know what the state actually requires? It’s not just about looking tidy. In Minnesota, “properly restrained” effectively means <\/span>fully covered<\/b>. It isn’t enough to just pull it back in a ponytail; if there are loose strands peeking out from under a ball cap or visor, or if a long braid is swinging free, you aren’t following the state’s safety rules.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Long and Short of It: The \"Tie & Tuck\" Method<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We know you don’t have time for fluff when you’re on a shift, and neither do your line cooks. But when the health inspector walks in, or worse, a customer finds a hair in their hot dish, it becomes a major problem.<\/span><\/p>

For anyone with long hair, simply throwing on a hat will not cut it. You’ve got to follow two simple steps to stay compliant:<\/span><\/p>

  1. Tie it back securely:<\/b> Use a hair tie to keep it in place while you’re working. This is the foundation.<\/span>

    <\/span><\/li>
  2. Tuck it in:<\/b> This is the step most people miss. Make sure you completely tuck the ponytail, bun, or braid into your hair covering.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

    Pro Tip:<\/b> If you’re using a visor, you’re likely not compliant unless you’re wearing a hairnet underneath it. Visors leave the crown of the head exposed, and they rarely keep long hair in place.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Why Does This Actually Matter? (Beyond the \"Yuck\" Factor)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \"Keep<\/a>

    Keep it wrapped and maintain a food safe kitchen in Minnesota.<\/p><\/div>

    Sure, finding a hair in your food is gross, and it’s the fastest way to kill a customer’s appetite and your restaurant’s reputation on Yelp. But as Certified Food Protection Managers, we know the risk goes deeper than optics.<\/p>


    Physical Contamination<\/strong>: Hair is a physical contaminant. It can choke an infant or cause a gag reflex in adults.<\/p>

    Biological Contamination:<\/strong> This is the big one. Human hair and scalps are prime real estate for Staphylococcus aureus (Staph). When staff members touch their hair to fix a loose strand and then touch food without washing their hands, they’re transferring bacteria directly to the plate.<\/p>


    By insisting on “fully covered,” you aren’t just being a stickler for the dress code; you’re breaking the chain of infection.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    How to Enforce It Without Being a Nag<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    At Safe Food Training, Jeff Webster emphasizes that knowledge is useless if your team can’t use it. Enforcing hair restraints can feel awkward, but it doesn’t have to be.<\/span><\/p>