Christine Dantz, Author at Safe Food For Thought

January 7, 2019December 19, 2019

Food Safety Standards for Automated Restaurants

It may sound like we’re pulling this story out of an episode of the Jetson’s, but the future is here and automated mobile restaurants are starting becoming a reality. That got us to thinking, in the absence of employees and ServSafe food managers that have completed food safety courses, how exactly will we know if the food safety standards are being maintained in future automated restaurants?

Food Safety Standards and the Future of Restaurant Automation

While current examples of automated restaurants appear to be types of juice and smoothie bars, it’s not too hard to fathom that technology will eventually provide opportunities for automation to serve more complicated dishes that require storing and cooking raw foods.

While the Minnesota food code doesn’t currently contain a section regarding robot chefs, we’d have to speculate that much more than the cooking process would have to be automated. Sanitation procedures would have to be closely followed, and we feel those procedures should at least be moderated and supervised by a living, breathing human being. Here are just some procedures we feel would have to be monitored by a ServSafe food manager:

Hot and Cold Holding Temperatures
Sanitation of Cooking Utensils
Temperatures of Finished Product
Quality of Raw Ingredients

As we all know, machinery can malfunction and even our computers freeze up from time to time. Without human observation, who’s to say that a robotic restaurant hasn’t had some sort of memory failure? If storage temperatures drop for hot-held foods or refrigeration fails, will an automated system have fail-proof safeguards for preventing customers from receiving tainted product?

Another major issue we see with automation is the quality of product. Not all products store for the same duration of time, and there can be product that may be spoiled or damaged that an organic chef can spot that robotic system won’t be programmed to assess.

While the Foodarackacycle may be several decades off, the foodservice industry and ServSafe food managers will have to adjust as automation becomes more and more prevalent.

How do you feel about the concept of maintaining food safety standards for automated restaurants without on-site human monitoring?

January 2, 2019January 2, 2019

A Quick Resource Guide to the New Minnesota Food Code

The new Minnesota Food Code take effect January 1, 2019.Over the past few months, we’ve covered many of these new changes, and this week we’d like to give food safety managers a quick resource guide to some of the most important changes in the code.

A Food Safety Manager’s Resource Guide to the New Minnesota Food Code Changes

It’s been 20 years since the last revision of the Minnesota Food Code, and we feel a lot of these changes are for the better. Here are some of the top changes that we’ve covered over the past few months:

The first change we’ll highlight is the change to the Certified Food Manager’s title. The Certified Food Manager will now be known as the Certified Food Protection Manager. This change was made in order to clarify the types of business require a CFPM.

Your handwashing stations will now no longer be required to have a nail brush available. The new regulations also outline other changes to handwashing stations including the use or air dryers and required signage.

Sanitation and having a documented plan for certain instances is now required. Going forward, you must have a documented plan for vomit and diarrhea cleanup.

There are new equipment standards in the updated food code that make it easier for food safety managers to choose which equipment to purchase for their kitchen.

Temperature control is a big part of food safety, and the current code now restricts the use of the standard probe thermometer for certain foods in favor of a small-diameter probe.

Speaking of temperatures, you will now be required to monitor the water temperature or your dishwashing machine.

The new code also addresses obtaining wild mushrooms from verified sources. Food safety managers must now source their mushrooms from registered providers.

The writers of the food code have taken the time to address certain unique situations. New sections have been added to code to include regulations for non-continuous cooking, reusable takeout containers and food preparation for susceptible groups.

Go ahead and bookmark this page for quick reference whenever you need it. At Safe Food Training, we’ll continue to update any new changes and how they affect food safety managers in Minnesota.

December 31, 2018December 12, 2018

New MN Food Code Guide to Serving Highly-Susceptible Groups

Certified food protection managers equip themselves with the knowledge and tools to safely prepare food for their guests, but certain groups require additional precautions. The Department of Health has taken notice and added a section in the new MN food code guide to serving highly-susceptible groups, outlining the precautions that must be taken when serving these groups.

MN Food Code Guide to Serving Highly-Susceptible Groups

The language in the new code defines highly-susceptible groups as “…immunocompromised, pre-school aged children, or older adults.” If you’re a certified food manager at a hospital or other medical facility, care center for aging adults, pre-school or any facility that serves these groups, you should be aware of extra precautions you must take to prevent bacteria from reaching the people in your care.

The food code outlines a few precautions:

Undercooked eggs animal proteins may not be served or offered for sale
Raw eggs broken for preparation must be used immediately
Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods is prohibited
Unpasteurized juices may not be served to children under the age of nine
Food and food packages served to medical patients in isolation cannot be re-served or reused

If you prepare meals for any of these populations, make sure to cook all products to the proper temperatures, and always check the internal temperature of animal proteins using the proper thermometer. It is also important to be aware of any food in the danger zone. Prevent raw meat and eggs from sitting at room temperature for any length of time, and always make sure your meals are served as soon as possible after preparation. This will prevent bacteria growth that could result in severe foodborne illness for compromised individuals.

Finally, if you serve contagious or isolated medical patients, never re-use food that may have been exposed. Use an abundance of caution with all utensils and food packages that have been used in serving patients. You may wish to look into disposable utensils and serving ware for these individuals.

Bacteria that may have little or no effect on the general populace has the potential to be fatal among sensitive groups. As a certified food manager, what precautions do you take to keep the food you serve safe for these groups?

December 17, 2018December 12, 2018

New MN Food Code Thermometer Rules

Starting January of next year, a new MN food code becomes effective. One altered rule from the previous code involves the types of thermometers that food managers use in their kitchens. This week, we’ll break down the new MN food code thermometer rules change and discuss changes to temperature requirements.

Image credit:King Arthur Flour an authorized dealer for ThermoWorks products

New MN Food Code Thermometer Rules Guide For ServSafe Food Managers

The new food code rules involving thermometers ensures that ServSafe food managers get proper readings when checking the temperature of their product. In order to do this, the new code restricts the use of standard bi-metallic stem thermometers. These standard thermometers can now only be used to gauge the temperatures of larger food items such as roasts or hot liquid products such as sauces or soups in a pan deep enough to submerge most of the stem.

For thinner food items such as chicken breasts, beef patties and any other thin item, a small-diameter probe thermometer must be used. These are more accurate, and, due to their relatively small size, they can be completely inserted into most foods without having their readings compromised if the probe is too close to the outside surface of your product.

Along with the required use of a small-diameter probe, the Minnesota Department of Health has elected to make a small change to hot-holding standards. Hot-holding temperatures have been reduced from 140 degrees to 135 degrees. Research has sufficiently shown that bacterial growth can be sufficiently controlled at 135 degrees. This five degree reduction gives ServSafe food managers the opportunity to serve a higher quality product while hot holding their foods.

How do you feel about the new regulations involving small diameter thermometers?