Author: Christine Dantz

Posted on

ServSafe Food Managers and the Return to School Cafeterias

As we roll into the fall season, some school districts in Minnesota are either set to return to the classroom or developing Stay Safe MN action plans to welcome their students back on campus at future dates. While there’s plenty of information in the official document concerning social distancing, sanitation in the classroom and other COVID-19 protection protocols, ServSafe food managers working in schools may have to dig a little deeper to find how to safely operate their food service in their school. Let’s discuss some of the protocols we’ve found that school cafeterias will need to adhere to.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Safe Cafeteria Service for ServSafe Food Managers

One of the first things we noticed is that the Stay Safe MN guidance for schools is that the document only makes a few comments on school lunches before pointing school ServSafe managers to the Stay Safe MN guidance for restaurants and bars. If you work in a school cafeteria, you’re probably well aware that there are numerous differences between the two types of foodservice.

Let’s take a brief look at three key factors school meal programs are dealing with while opening back up for students:

  • Social distancing
  • Distribution of meals to students
  • Sanitation of dining areas

While adults, teens and older kids have had the summer to get used to social distancing protocols, some of the younger children returning to school may have trouble with the concept. Many kids are social and want to spend time with the friends they’ve missed since the sudden cancelation of the school year last spring, and a wide-open cafeteria increases the chances for close contact for an extended period of time. Many school districts around the country are recommending that meals and snacks be served in the classroom to avoid close contact and unmasked interactions during meal periods. If student desks are arranged in a proper manner, it may be easier to serve school meals and meet social distancing requirements in a classroom setting. This also allows for easier sanitation if students remain in the same areas throughout the day. An influx of new students for every meal period could put a strain on school staff as they try to sanitize lunch areas with every transition.

Under current regulations, ServSafe food managers will have to avoid self-service cafeterias in schools. This will avoid students gathering near a buffet line and help keep dining areas sanitized between lunch periods. Protocols seem to suggest that pre-packaged meals are the safest way to serve meals in school. If this is not an option, meals must be served directly to students with limited interaction between students and staff.

Do you have a plan for meal service once students begin returning to campus?

Posted on

Important Food Safety Training And Managing Expiration Dates During COVID-19

Food safety Training and Managing Expiration dates

With current regulations regarding COVID-19 and many people choosing to eat at home rather than frequent potentially crowded areas, restaurants have seen a steep decline in the volume of guests they serve. With this decreased volume comes the risk of product, raw and prepared, sitting in a refrigerator too long. This may cause the potential for spoilage and the spread of foodborne illness via bacteria growing in outdated foods. It’s especially important to provide your staff with appropriate food safety training regarding managing expiration dates and proper labeling of prepared product.

Food Safety Training and Managing Expiration Dates
Image credit: Feng Yu  via

Managing Expiration Dates, Labeling and Proper Food Safety Training

Fresh product doesn’t last forever, so it’s important to note expiration dates on raw ingredients. Some ingredients to pay extra close attention to include:

  • Produce
  • Dairy
  • Proteins
  • Seafood
  • Ready-to-eat Foods

Produce is one of the most susceptible products to mold, mildew and risk or bacteria from rotting. Keep a close eye on produce even if it hasn’t reached its expiration date. Any fruits or vegetables that show signs that they may be questionable should be disposed of.

Dairy is another product which causes a foodborne illness risk when expired. Just like produce, make sure you adhere to the expiration dates and dispose of dairy products of questionable quality.

Meats and seafood pose a substantial food safety risk when expired. During low volume, we’d recommend bringing in frozen proteins, especially fish and poultry, in order to more closely control the amount of product in your walk-in refrigerators. Pulling and thawing just enough product for a couple of days at a time will lower risk of spoilage, reduce waste and keep your inventory under control. Just remember your food safety training and thaw product according to Minnesota health regulations.

Finally, label and date all ready-to-eat foods. If you’ve brought in ready-to-eat foods from an outside source, take note of the expiration date on the package and do not use once expired. With ready-to-eat foods made in house, the food code allows for proper storage for up to seven days. This is why a well-planned date marking system should be utilized in your establishment. Just remember, some sensitive foods may not have a seven-day shelf life, so plan accordingly. During times of low volume, it may be prudent to reduce pars on ready-to-eat foods to reduce the risk of spreading illness.

Are you doing regular food safety training to remind your food prep staff to manage expiration dates and date markers?

Posted on

Powerful Staff Training Tips For ServSafe MN Food Managers During COVID-19

Staff training tips for SerSafe MN for food managers

With the ever changing landscape of protocols in the Stay Safe MN guidance for restaurants, it can sometimes be difficult for ServSafe food managers to find the time and space to educate their staff on current protocols. With limits on staff members allowed on site, mask mandates and social distancing regulations, ServSafe food managers will be required to get creative when training their staff about the new protocols in place during these challenging times. This week, we’d like to take a look at a few resources ServSafe MN Food Managers can utilize to provide effective staff training and adhere to current standards.

Image credit: Pikist

Hints for ServSafe MN Food Managers On Staff Training During Corona Virus Restrictions

Due to the limits on personnel on site, ServSafe MN food managers may want to consider some form of virtual staff training to share new updates from Minnesota’s guidance for bars and restaurants. This can bring together larger numbers of staff members than are possible in person given current circumstances. Virtual training may be a challenge, but the good news is ServSafe food managers can access a number of free, easy-to-use, web conferencing services to bring their staff together from remote locations. Some of the most convenient services are available in both mobile and PC versions. We recommend checking out:

All three of these services are free and easy to set up The only catch is that ServSafe food managers and their staff will have to create an account with one of these services if they don’t already have one.

Using these services, you can easily train multiple staff members at the same time before or after work hours and prevent the need to account for social distancing and occupancy restrictions.

Finally, we should alert you to some free COVID-19 specific staff training that is being made available by ServSafe MN. There are quite a few videos and training sessions that are available for free that you and your staff can view from home. Remember that these are national ServSafe guidelines, so you may wish to compare their information with current Minnesota guidance.

How are you, as the ServSafe MN food manager dealing with staff training for challenges under current Stay Safe MN regulations?

Posted on

Creating An Easy “Stay Safe MN” Preparedness Plan For Food Managers

food managers creating stay safe mn preparedness plan

Towards the end of July, Governor Walz updated and released a new COVID-19 preparedness template that business owners are required to complete according to current reopening regulations. We know every business varies, so we’d like to take a closer look at what this Stay Safe MN preparedness plan means for food managers who run restaurants and other food-related businesses.

Stay Safe MN Preparedness Plan For Food Managers
Image credit: Wavebreak Media Ltd via 123rf

How Minnesota Food Managers Should Build their COVID-19 “Stay Safe MN” Preparedness Plan

While we’ve already covered quite a number of the procedures required in the Stay Safe MN plan, it’s important to have your entire plan outlined in one single document for a couple of reasons. First, it’s required as part of Governor Walz’s guidance for reopening, but beyond that, safe reopening plans can tend to be convoluted, so it’s vital to have all of your facilities procedures in one easily accessible document. This will aid in training, enforcement and providing up-to-date information to guests and employees alike.

The benefit of having an official template is that you don’t have to take the time to create one yourself, and you don’t have to worry about overlooking certain protocols. Let’s take a quick look at some of the protocols Minnesota food managers are required to have outlined to stay compliant with Stay Safe MN:

It may seem like a mighty list and a daunting task, but filling out this template is a must for every business. The good news is that the template is fairly easy to follow, and it goes a long way towards tracking your adherence to current reopening procedures.

Have you filled out your COVID-19 reopening plan yet?