Christine Dantz, Author at Safe Food For Thought

November 21, 2017November 8, 2017

How Certified Food Managers Use Hands-Free Features to Reduce Utility Costs

Many certified food managers utilize hands-free faucets and soap dispensers in their restaurant’s guest washrooms. These are attractive for many reasons. They keep utility costs down by only being on when someone is using them, and they generally keep guest washrooms cleaner. While restaurateurs take advantage of automated faucets in public places, there are numerous advantages to incorporating hands-free devices in the work areas of your kitchens.

How Hands-Free Options Can Lower Utility Bills

Faucets in food-service handwashing stations can be covered in countless bacteria. Soiled hands turn them on and leave contaminates from raw food and other sources on the handles. While proper handwashing technique requires faucets to be turned off with a paper towel, this does not completely eliminate bacteria on the surface. Installing a hands-free system will prevent dirty hands from spreading bacteria to faucets and reduce the risk of spreading pathogens by turning on and off the faucet.

Hand-free faucets also reduce waste. These systems only turn on when an employee is actively using the sink. This keeps the water from running while an employee dries their hands or forgets to turn it off completely. The back of the house uses more water than guest bathrooms, and reducing water waste in the kitchen can go a long way towards keeping utility costs in check.

Hand-free faucets are not the only energy saving solution for your kitchen. Installing motion-sensor light switches will keep lights off in rooms that are often empty such as janitorial closets, dry storage areas and employee break rooms. Rising electricity rates can eat into your bottom line, and making sure that unused areas are not needlessly lit can help your profit margin.

Hand-free faucets and motion-sensor light switches are only two ways certified food managers can control their utility costs. Do you use any other kinds of automation in your facility to your lower your monthly bills?

November 14, 2017November 8, 2017

ServSafe Food Safety Managers and Contaminated Frozen Vegetables

During the month of October, we’ve come across several recall notices involving frozen vegetables. A few of these recalls occurred due to possible listeria contamination, and one brand in particular was recalled without the location of distributed product being fully disclosed. Since the FDA did not require this distributor from alerting the public to the risk of contamination of nearly 25,000 cases of frozen product, we’d like to discuss how ServSafe food safety managers can keep guests safe from potential illness.

Food Safety and Frozen Vegetable Preparation

While listeria is more commonly associated with deli meats and unpasteurized dairy product, the recent rash of recalls shows that other foods carry the risk of contamination. The frozen product in question may have picked up this bacterium during processing or packing. Steps that help prevent listeria poisoning from spreading to your guests include:

Fully cook frozen vegetables to 140 degrees
Cook frozen vegetables without thawing
Keep all cooked vegetables out of the danger zone when hot holding
Serve cooked product quickly if not hot held
Keep an eye on recall notices

When discussing cooking temperatures, proper procedure for vegetables tends to get overlooked. The proper cooking and holding temperatures for plant based ingredients is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Paying close attention to temperatures will reduce the risk of food-borne illness.

Cooking frozen vegetables directly from the freezer rather than thawing also reduces the risk of having bacteria multiply. Most frozen vegetables are blanched before packaged and frozen. While thawing, plant matter will become soft, giving bacteria ample breeding grounds. If you feel the need to thaw frozen vegetables, make sure that you thaw them in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature. Most food-borne pathogens multiply rapidly at warmer temperatures.

As with any other cooked food product, vegetables should be served as soon as they are cooked. Letting any product that is not hot-held sit for lengthy periods of time increases health risks exponentially.

Finally, ServSafe food safety managers need to keep an eye on recall notices. A handy widget on our blog page gives you a glance at recent recalls, and the FDA updates their recall site frequently.

November 7, 2017October 18, 2017

The Hidden Mental and Physical Costs of Being a Certified Food Manager

TV networks and reality shows tend to glamorize the life of the professional chef. One thing they don’t show is the toll that years of working in hot, stressful environments inflicts on hard-working professionals. We recently came across an article out of Canada that explores some of these issues, and we’d like to take a look at some of them this week.

The Toll the Industry Takes on Certified Food Managers

While talking to Certified Food Managers at busy and successful restaurants, we’ve heard kitchen service compared to any other job where deadlines exist, except that you only have 15 minutes to meet each deadline, you have a hundred of them in a single shift, it’s 103 degrees, you have hungover, foul-mouthed coworkers wielding scalding pans and razor sharp knives, and you have to repeat the process five or six days a week.

This scenario results in high levels of anxiety among food service professionals, and those levels tend to rise with responsibility. Executive chefs and food service supervisors are commonly known to put in more than sixty hours a week at their establishments. This can cause a mental breakdown when you combine shear exhaustion and the stress that comes from their position. As a certified food manager, it’s important to recognize the symptoms of stress and anxiety and take care of yourself before the environment leads to serious physical and mental health issues.

Another interesting issue brought up is that restaurant workers have easy access to alcohol, and the nature of their work puts them in an environment with other young adults who commonly seek a seat at the bar after hours. The author of this article goes on to suggest that with over half of restaurant workers being under the age of 35, many do not have the family commitments older professionals do, and the easy access to a few drinks after work can lead to alcohol and drug abuse problems.

While a chef is not a nanny or a parent to their staff, they can still do something to ease the stress and prevent problems from arising. The first thing is to recognize issues before they get out of hand. A food service manager should do their best to mentor the young people on their staff.

What are some of the unique issues that are important to you as a food industry professional?

October 31, 2017October 5, 2017

Types of Food Safety Manager Certification Training

You’ve worked hard and you’ve finally landed your first job as a food service supervisor. Congratulations! Now, the only thing left to do before you take on your new role is to make sure that you have the proper food safety manager certification required by the state of Minnesota.

The Food Safety Manager Certification Training Process

When the time comes to get certified, you have the option to choose between two types of training and exams; an online food safety certification course or an instructor led class and exam. Benefits abound for each type of course, so you have the opportunity to choose which style works best for you.

Online food safety manager certification training offers a high level of convenience and accessibility. These sessions can be viewed from any computer with an internet connection, and they can be taken at your own pace, night or day. When taking an online course, you schedule your own breaks giving you time between sessions if your schedule doesn’t allow you to finish in one sitting.

The biggest advantages to taking an instructor led certification course is that there is a teacher available should you have questions and class interaction to identify issues you may miss when sitting by yourself in front of a screen. If a question occurs during an online session, you’re on your own to clarify topics that you’re unsure about. This sometimes leads to more confusion and frustration if you cannot find the answers that you’re looking for. Classes led by an experienced instructor take place in a low-stress environment with a knowledgeable industry expert who is available to answer any questions that arise.

Safe Food Training offers both online and instructor led food safety manager certification training and examinations. Our 5 star rated classes are held at several convenient locations around the twin cities/central Minnesota. Which style of course do you feel fits the lifestyle of a busy food service supervisor?