Author: Christine Dantz

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IT’S DEADLY! LISTERIOSIS PREVENTION NEEDS YOUR SPECIAL ATTENTION

Listeriosis prevention needs your attention.

Listeriosis, a disease caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, is the third leading cause of death by food poisoning in the U.S. On average, there are 1,600 cases of listeriosis nationally each year, 260 of them deadly. The main groups affected are pregnant women, older adults, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. Even though Listeriosis is not as common as other food-bourn disease, it is deadly and certified food protection managers need to keep staff vigilant.

The largest outbreak of listeriosis to-date occurred in 2011 and was traced to contaminated cantaloupes. In total, 147 people became ill and 33 died. Additionally, one of the five Listeria outbreaks identified in 2022 by the CDC effected Minnesota.

LISTERIOSIS PREVENTION NEEDS YOUR SPECIAL ATTENTION
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Identifying Listeriosis Symptoms and Sources

People acquire the illness by consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, body and muscle aches, and loss of balance. In the most severe cases, listeriosis can cause blood poisoning (septicemia) and meningitis. For pregnant women, listeriosis can result in miscarriage or premature birth. Doctors diagnose listeriosis by conducting blood or spinal fluid tests and usually treat it with antibiotics.

Listeria bacteria live in soil and water and can contaminate fresh produce, uncooked meat and dairy products. The bacteria can also live in food processing and packaging machinery and can contaminate food during processing, including luncheon meats and hot dogs, smoked seafood, and cheese. NRFSP/ServSafe classes in MN include instruction on the origins of Listeria contamination and how to reduce risk.

How CFPMs Can Lower the Risk of a Listeriosis Outbreak in Your Facility

Pasteurization and cooking kill the bacteria. However, for fresh produce and food that might become contaminated after cooking or pasteurization, food service professionals can take crucial steps to prevent infection:

  • Follow FDA guidelines by thoroughly washing and drying fresh fruits and vegetables, even when you plan to peel them before consuming. Always store raw meat separately from other foods.
  • Maintain hygiene in food preparation areas. Clean all cutting boards, kitchen surfaces, and knives immediately after and in-between use. Likewise, regularly clean floors and refrigerators. After handling uncooked foods, food preparers must wash their hands.
  • Safely store foods by setting refrigerators to 40°F or below and freezers to 0°F or lower. Above all, consume foods as soon as possible after purchasing them.

All certified food protection managers should train your staff about this potentially deadly type of food poisoning and detailed prevention guidelines. When was the last time you did a staff training on Listeria?

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New MN Food Safety Certification Guidelines On Avian Influenza

MN Food Safety Certification Guidelines On Avian Influenza

Just as it appeared to fade into oblivion, we get another reminder that Avian Influenza is still a health concern in the world and also in Minnesota. A recent article goes into detail on why we should still keep up our guard and a USDA study released  March of 2023 indicates Minnesota is the hot spot of the country for Avion flu. CFPM classes don’t always cover Avion flu, so providing food safety guidelines for it is crucial.

MN Food Safety Certification Guidelines On Avian Influenza
Image credit : USDA

MN Food Safety Certification Guidelines On Avian Influenza That Will Protect Your Customers

One of the best places to start to answer the question as to whether the “bird flu” can affect guests who have consumed tainted poultry is to look at the FDA’s take on the subject.

To give you a quick summary, Avian Influenza cannot be spread by consuming properly cooked turkey, chicken, duck or eggs. The most common transfer of bird flu is strictly from bird to bird contact in close quarters. It is possible for the disease to transfer to humans, but only in rare cases where the infected person has come into direct and constant contact with infected birds or their feces.

Even though there is very little chance of passing Avian Influenza on to your customers via prepared food, they will inevitably have their concerns. Here are a few tips on dealing with poultry and alleviating your guests’ qualms concerning the bird flu.

MN Food Safety Certification Guidelines On Bird flu
  • Always cook poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees
  • Wash all surfaces that have come into contact with raw and cooked meat products after use
  • Always cook eggs until whites and yolks are firm
  • If a recipe calls for undercooked eggs or more than three whole eggs substitute pasteurized eggs for raw shell eggs

These four MN food safety certification guidelines should always be taken under every circumstance. Even without the threat of Avian Influenza, but under the circumstances, reminding your staff about proper poultry handling can help alleviate contamination concerns.

The frequency of scares involving our food sources has risen over the past decade. We’d like to know how you educate your staff and customers on MN food safety guidelines to keep food safe when a new scare arises?

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Hints For Food Managers Considering A Special Bar Menu

Hints For Food Managers Considering A Special Bar Menu

In our food manager certification courses, experienced restaurant pros often exchange ideas and discuss strategies. During a recent session, some students debated creating a bar or lounge menu for casual diners with low food costs. We decided to contribute our insights, which food managers might find useful for special menus in bar, lounge, or patio dining areas.

Hints For Food Managers Considering A Special Bar Menu
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The Ideal Bar Menu for Food Mangers Considering Something Different

Visiting local restaurants, we often notice a mismatch between the bar menu and dining floor dishes. Crafting a bar menu for regular patrons with your establishment’s theme offers many benefits for food managers.

  • Ingredients should already be in your inventory
  • Eases the stress on the kitchen staff
  • Offers an alternative dining option for guests on busy nights

Food managers designing your bar menu with ingredients from your regular menu can cut food costs. This approach leads to less waste and a lower risk of food spoilage. However, don’t merely serve smaller portions of your dinner menu. For instance, a steak house can offer steak sliders made from steak trimmings or other casual dishes, using available ingredients. Be creative while maintaining the same ambiance for returning guests who dined in the main area previously.

This streamlined concept also aids production during service. Line cooks get frustrated when one or two menu items differ significantly from the rest. This issue slows down service and consumes valuable line storage space. Simplifying and maintaining familiarity helps the kitchen staff serve food to guests promptly.

Offer Options To Retain Customers

Finally, a well-designed bar menu attracts guests unwilling to wait for a full-tabled restaurant. Informing guests of unique lounge or patio options can save them from long waits or trying competitor venues.

What strategies do you use for bar menu planning? Is it necessary to offer special lounge selections, or are regular offerings enough?

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Simplified Reasons For MN Certified Food Protection Manager Training

Simple Reasons for Certified Food Protection Manager Training

What are the worst messages you could get when opening the kitchen for the Thursday lunch shift? There are many operational messages that would be bad. But we would argue the worst possible messages would be multiple customers calling to say they were doing the “Pepto Bismol dance” after having the Wednesday daily special at your establishment. Can you imagine how scared and bad you would feel? Avoiding this embarrassing and costly situation is why the State of MN mandates that “All food establishments are required to employ a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM)”.

In a recent blog post, on the US Department of Agriculture website, the Economic Research Service (ERS) estimated the total cost of the leading U.S. foodborne illnesses at $17.6 billion in 2018 dollars. A foodborne illness incident can be more than embarrassing, it can ruin a business.

Reasons for Certified Food Protection Manager Training
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Most MN certified food protection managers probably think ‘that would never happen to a kitchen that I was managing’. But the statistics published by the CDC “estimates that each year:

  • roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick
  • 128,000 are hospitalized
  • 3,000 die of foodborne diseases

So the odds indicate that it could happen to you. Go to FoodNet Fast for detailed Minnesota foodborne illness statistics.

Certified Food Protection Manager Training in Minnesota

To meet the state certification requirements and avoid foodborne illness incidents, restaurants, and food chains rely on qualified programs. Programs offered by the National Registry of Food Safe Professionals or ServSafe are recognized by the state. Even more, they reassure diners that their food is indeed safe.

Foodborne illnesses can be prevented with basic food safety knowledge and practices. The NRFSP and National Restaurant Associations created specific courses. This training educates food service managers, and anyone working in the food service industry, on best practices for food safety. They encompass a wide variety of important food safety topics including:

  • employee hygiene and health
  • receiving specifications
  • transport guidelines
  • storage rules
  • prep process best practices
  • food display instructions

Minnesota and federal requirements accept and recognize both the NRFSP and ServSafe testing and training for CFPM certifications. NRFSP or ServSafe training programs for food safety certification in MN are provided by trusted companies like Safe Food Training.

Example of MN Food Protection Manager Certification

Since running a restaurant involves serious amounts of money, it is imperative that the owners invest a portion in education. Requiring kitchen managers to obtain their food safety certification and keep it current will be an excellent investment. Companies like Safe Food Training can train restaurant managers in an engaging manner and increase their chances of passing the exams.

Requiring kitchen managers to obtain their food safety certification and keep it current will be an excellent investment.

The Backend Is Serious Business

Designers “set a mood” with lighting, furniture, and music. Sophisticated or whimsical or relaxing might be the target. But the back end is a serious business since it involves the welfare of the customers. MN public health and the long-term success of any food preparation business depend on properly trained and certified food protection managers and staff.

Do you use your MN certified food protection manager knowledge to train your kitchen staff on food safety best practices?