Author: Christine Dantz

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Professional ServSafe Food Managers Need To Inspect Ready-to-Serve Produce

ServSafe Food Managers Need To Inspect Ready-to-Serve Produce

A high percentage of ServSafe food managers rely on produce items that are packaged ready to serve, but that doesn’t mean we can simply look at the expiration date and serve to customers without some sort of inspection process. Just because your bag of salad greens claims to be triple washed and good to go right out of the bag, it doesn’t mean there are zero food safety risks or quality control issues.

ServSafe Food Managers Need To Inspect Ready-to-Serve Produce
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ServSafe Food Manager Safety Procedures For Ready-to Serve Produce

Prepackaged produce can be a huge timesaver. Bagged spinach, salad mixes, shredded lettuce and even precut fruit greatly reduce prep time and allows kitchen staff to take care of items that can only be prepared in their facility, but there are some risks involved with these products. ServSafe food managers must look out for:

  • Foreign objects
  • Spoilage
  • Signs of insects
  • Allergen ingredients

We’ve seen news stories of foreign objects found in bagged lettuce that range from golf balls to dead mice. Sometimes, like in a recent story out of Seattle, something rare like a deceased lizard actually makes its way to the consumer. In this case, the salad mix in question came from a reputable supplier that appears to triple wash greens and have procedures to prevent foreign objects from making their way into bags, so it just goes to show that no matter how careful your supplier is there may be risks. It’s not like a lizard make a habit of frequenting kitchens outside of their native habitat.

It’s also important for ServSafe food managers to look for signs that your prepackaged lettuce mix has begun to spoil or may have been contaminated with insects at some point during the process. Greens that have started to turn brown, black or have abnormal deterioration should not be served to customers.

Finally, some companies that produce ready-to-serve salad mixes have varieties of their products that may contain nuts, eggs or dairy. Check the labels and ingredient lists carefully to be informed if a customer with one of the allergies dines at your establishment.

Do you take the time to inspect previously washed produce?

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Could Food Safety Managers Actually See Insects On Their Menus In The Future?

Could Food Safety Managers Actually See Novel Foods On Their Menus In The Future

“Waiter! Waiter! There’s no fly in my soup!” is something we never expect a guest to exclaim while dining out, but will food safety managers need to be ready for that in the future? While we find no trend on edible insects in the United States, the EU has recently begun investigating yellow meal worms as a novel food source. While there isn’t any mainstream call to begin serving meal worms in restaurants all across the US or European continent. Novel foods, like meal worms, bring up an interesting question as to where exactly the line is for what food safety science determines will be safe to eat and what’s not.

Could Food Safety Managers Actually See Novel Foods On Their Menus In The Future

Will the Food Safety Industry Embrace Novel Foods?

If we look at the history of edible food, we’ll see ancient cultures considered some foods unacceptable to eat that are common on our plates today while some ate foods we would never think about ordering at a restaurant. Some food historians suggest that unclean or forbidden foods may have become unacceptable due to the illnesses cause by consuming them. Parasites, bacteria and viruses we can control today with proper preparation directed by a certified food safety manager were potentially deadly before food safety science was even a theory.

Other plants and animals have been kept off of plates for centuries because, well, they just seem gross. Who really wants a few crawling mealworms in their salad? But we don’t imagine the first person to see a lobster thought that it might be delicious based on appearance.

According to the study, the novel food, yellow meal worms pose no high-level food safety risks. In fact, the study showed that they’re mainly composed of protein, fat and fiber. All ingredients digestible and usable by the human body.

We’re probably a long way off from seeing insects on our menus, but would you ever consider serving a novel food such as meal worms or other non-traditional ingredient?

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Valuable Procedures For CFPMs Who Are Serving Raw Fish

Procedures For CFPMs Who Are Serving Raw Fish

Raw fish dishes are a popular summer time item as guests crave sushi, sashimi, poke or fish tartare on hot days. Fish served raw, undercooked or cooked with acid rather than heat can pose a higher foodborne illness risk than fish cooked to temperature, so how can certified food protection managers prepare these dishes in a way that is safe for their guests? Let’s take a look at how CFPMs (Certified Food Protection Managers) can reduce the chances of sickening a guest when serving one of these tasty and popular raw fish dishes.

Valuable Procedures For CFPMs Who Are Serving Raw Fish
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How CFPMs Can Serve Raw Fish Dishes Safely

For the intent of this discussion, when we refer to raw fish dishes we’re referring to fish that has not been cooked to temperature. While dishes such as ceviche, crudo and some tartare dishes may have been cooked or cured with acids such as citrus juice or vinegar, they still haven’t reached a temperature that kills pathogens. Seafood and fish pose a high risk of spreading illness via parasites and there are two effective ways of killing these parasites: cooking and freezing.

Since we’re talking about raw fish appetizers and dishes, cooking is not an option, so certified food protection managers must either freeze fresh fish or ensure that it has been previously frozen by the supplier or distributer. Before serving raw fish verify that you or your supplier has:

  • Frozen and stored fish at -4 degress or below for seven days
  • Frozen fish to a solid -31 degrees then stored at -31 degrees for 15 hours
  • Frozen fish solid at -31 degrees and then stored at -4 degrees for 24 hours

This procedure must be followed for all fish that is intended for raw consumption with one exception. Note that fish must be frozen solid before you start factoring in frozen hold time. Certain species of fresh tuna does not require freezing before serving raw. These species commonly go under the names of:

  • Yellow Fin
  • Northern or Southern Blue Fin
  • Bigeye Tuna

Fish eggs that have been properly harvested and rinsed may also be served raw without the freezing process. While we’ve focused on fish in this article, we should note that molluscan shellfish and seas scallops fall under different guidelines. Before deciding to serve raw oysters, mussels or clams, you may want a quick refresher on serving molluscan shellfish in the summer.

Do you enjoy raw fish dishes on a hot summer day?

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Are Farmers’ Markets Approved Sources of Ingredients for ServSafe Managers?

With summer time here, we’re seeing an increase in locations for weekly farmers’ markets all around our state. We’ve been asked from time to time whether ServSafe managers are allowed to purchase produce and other food ingredients from these farmers’ markets for use in their restaurants and food production businesses. The short answer to this question is yes with some exceptions, but there are few factors ServSafe Managers should consider when choosing a farmers’ market to purchase your ingredients.

Farmers' Markets Approved for Sources of Ingredients for ServSafe Managers
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Tips for ServSafe Managers Purchasing Ingredients at Minnesota Farmers’ Markets

The type of ingredient you’re purchasing from a farmers’ market will determine whether you can use it in your food establishment. According to the Minnesota Food Code, you may purchase produce directly from the grower, so fruits and vegetables don’t require special certification as long as you ensure you’re purchasing directly from the grower. However, if you choose to purchase eggs or raw proteins you must ensure a some conditions have been met.

  • Meat and Poultry have been USDA Inspected
  • Eggs must be Grade B or better

Besides checking on whether or not meats and eggs have passed inspection, you may also wish to take some time to evaluate how they are displayed for sale at a farmers’ market. Raw proteins and eggs displayed in open air have more risk of having been contaminated by flies, heat or other foodborne illness risks. In the heat of summer, there is a greater risk for these sensitive items to be exposed to danger zone temperatures. If you choose to purchase inspected and graded proteins from a farmers’ market, use your best judgment on how it’s stored and make sure you have the capabilities to transport them safely at temperatures below 41 degrees. From a food safety standpoint, inquiring about delivery may better way to purchase eggs and meat from local farmers.

We’ve also been asked whether farmers’ markets have any regulations or inspection. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has put together a list of approved farmers’ markets. This list is fairly extensive, so there’s sure to be an approved market near you.

Are you a ServSafe manager that frequents local Minnesota farmers’ markets?