Food Safety Blog and CFPM Resource Hub

May 20, 2024May 6, 2026

Instructive Tips For Food Safety Managers At Medical Institutions

If you’re a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) in a Minnesota medical facility, you’re serving a “highly susceptible population.” This includes older residents, surgical patients, and those with weakened immune systems who are more likely to get sick from foodborne illnesses. Staying diligent with sanitation, allergy tracking, and produce prep is the best way to keep your residents safe and your facility compliant with the Minnesota Food Code.

Extra Precautions for High-Risk Food Service

When you’re managing a busy kitchen in a hospital or assisted living center, the stakes are much higher than in a standard restaurant. You aren’t just serving dinner; you’re protecting vulnerable people. It’s why we focus so much on these specific areas during our training sessions.

Master Your Sanitizer Mix

It’s vital to sanitize every utensil and prep surface correctly. You’ve probably done this a thousand times, but it’s easy to get careless during a Friday rush. Don’t guess at the mixture. If your solution’s too weak, bacteria stay on the counters. If it’s too strong, your patients might ingest chemicals like bleach or iodine. Keep those test strips right where you can see them and use them often.

Don't Skip the Produce Wash

We always tell our clients to wash all raw fruits and vegetables, even the ones that say “ready to eat” on the bag. Produce travels a long journey before it reaches your loading dock in Duluth or the Twin Cities. It sits in warehouses and travels in trucks, where it can pick up dirt or other hazards. For a healthy adult, a little leftover bacteria might not be a big deal, but for your residents, it could be a serious health risk. Taking that extra minute to rinse everything is a simple way to stay safe.

Tighten Up Your Allergy Tracking

In medical facilities, patients come and go quickly. It’s easy for allergy information to get lost when someone new moves in. You’ve got to be strict about your record-keeping. Some of the best managers I know have decided to just cut out high-risk items like peanuts or shellfish entirely. It takes the guesswork out of the equation and keeps everyone a lot safer.

Frequently Asked Questions About Institutional Food Safety

If you’re running a kitchen in a care facility, you probably have specific questions about state rules. Here are some common things we hear during our certification courses.

What is a "highly susceptible population" in Minnesota?

This term refers to groups such as preschool children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. The Minnesota Food Code has much stricter rules for facilities serving these folks because their bodies can’t fight off foodborne infections as easily as others.

Are there specific foods I can't serve in a medical facility?

Yes, there are restrictions. You can’t serve raw or undercooked animal products, such as rare steak or raw oysters. You also can’t use unpasteurized eggs in recipes that aren’t fully cooked, like Caesar dressing or hollandaise sauce, unless you’ve got an approved HACCP plan in place.

Do I need a HACCP plan for my facility?

You might. If you’re performing specialized processes, such as vacuum packaging or using unpasteurized juice for highly susceptible residents, the state often requires a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. This is just a systematic way to identify and control food safety risks.

Book Your Training with Safe Food Training

Food Safety Managers at Medical Institutions — Are you up to code for your medical institution?

Whether you need a full 8-hour certification or just your 3-year renewal, we’re here to help. Give Jeff a call at (952) 210-0195 or email info@safefoodtraining.com to find a class near you. You can also see our full schedule and register at safefoodtraining.com.

May 13, 2024May 13, 2024

Genuine ServSafe Sanitizer Solutions Guide That Will Make You Safe

Your sanitizer solution is critical to ensuring food safety and preventing food-borne illness. This week, we’ll discuss how ServSafe Managers can ensure they mix and use sanitizer solutions properly for maximum effectiveness.

ServSafe MN Guide to Sanitizer Solutions

The following are the three sanitizer solutions the Minnesota Food Code approves for food preparation outlets.

Bleach or Chlorine solution at 50 ppm for 10 seconds
Iodine solution at 12.4 – 25 ppm for 30 seconds
Quaternary ammonia solution at 200 – 400 ppm for 30 seconds

There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these three solutions. Bleach and quaternary ammonia solutions are currently the two most popular choices. Bleach is generally more affordable. However, it is easy to over-mix, creating the potential to remain on the surface of your utensils and surfaces. The chlorine residue will create a chemical contamination hazard. Quaternary ammonia solutions are more costly, but their safe concentration range is much broader. In addition, they are not as harsh on employee’s skin as chlorine solutions. Suppose you have questions about which solution is best for your facility. In that case, your local health department will usually be more than happy to recommend one and explain each product’s advantages.

Properly Mixing Your Solution

Unquestionably, the most accurate way to mix your solution is to have a service install a pump at a water source. These pumps will mix the solution into the water for you, creating a proper concentration. Many companies provide this service, and your health department should be able to direct you to one certified in your jurisdiction.

If you mix your sanitizer solutions manually, we strongly recommend using the proper test strip each time. A paper test strip will ensure you have not over- or under-mixed your chemical solution.

When using sanitizers, it is essential to change the solution often during heavy use to ensure it is still potent, store it below food preparation areas, and air-dry your surfaces before continuing work.

Finally, you should train your entire staff on properly sanitizing their workstations and regularly test your solutions to ensure you mix your chemicals safely. Proper use of sanitizers is a crucial element in serving and preparing safe-to-eat foods and is well worth reviewing even after you have gained your food manager certification in MN.

What is your perspective? How do you ensure proper workstation sanitation at your workplace?

May 7, 2024May 12, 2024

Valuable Health Advice For Tired CFPMs

Food management professionals take on a lot of responsibility, often to the detriment of their own well-being. We have critical health advice to help hardworking, dedicated CFPMs moderate stress levels and provide the healthy energy needed to survive the day.

Valuable Health Advice For Tired CFPMs — *photo credit: www.teoti.com*

Certified Food Protection Manager’s Guide to Staying Healthy on the Job

Eat healthy on the job
Make an effort to take a break
Replace coffee or soda with water

Maintaining a healthy diet at work can be difficult, especially for busy food industry workers. Often, the most convenient options for a quick bite are not healthy. During their snack and lunch breaks, workers frequently consume unhealthy leftovers from deep-fried dishes, yesterday’s specials, or low-quality cuts of meat instead of choosing fresh fruits or light salads, which are the healthier choices. Consuming these foods alone can cause a dip in energy levels, leading to a lack of focus and motivation. Pack fresh fruit or snacks for quick, healthy meals.

Certified food protection managers in food production facilities and restaurants often work through their allotted break times. While we understand that there is always something that needs to be done and that certified food protection managers have many responsibilities, taking ten minutes to pause, breathe, and refresh your mind will be beneficial in the long run. It’s important to remind yourself that you have trained your staff well, and you can trust that your operation will not collapse if you step away for a few minutes.

Drink Water

Overloading on coffee or soda can elevate your heart rate and lead to anxiety. When you consume multiple cups of coffee or soda during a shift, there will always be the inevitable caffeine and sugar crash that can only be avoided by grabbing another cup before it hits. We suggest that you balance out your caffeine fix by consuming plenty of water. Water will keep you better hydrated than coffee or sugary drinks and help provide the natural energy to get you through your shift.

While not every CFPM’s daily routine is the same, most have dedication and the drive to succeed in common. Don’t let that drive cause you to ignore your physical and mental health on the job. You can decrease stress, increase energy levels, and keep your facility running smoothly and safely by taking small steps.

Leave a comment! How do your co-workers picture you? How do you moderate stress levels? What tips do you have for staying healthy while at work?

April 29, 2024April 29, 2024

Confidential Tips For Certified Food Managers Launching A New Facility

certified food manager staffing a new location

Your business is booming, and you’ve decided that you’re ready to expand. You have your new facility leased or purchased, with equipment installed. Now, all you need is staff to begin operations. But what is the best way to staff a second outlet without too many complications? While there are many theories on this subject, we have a few tips for certified food managers to help launch a new facility.

certified food manager staffing a new restaurant — *Image credit: neydt via 123rf*

Keys That Certified Food Managers Can Use When Staffing a New Restaurant

We think three essential staffing procedures should be in play before you open a second outlet.

Management dedicated to the new site
A quality mix of new and transferred staff members
Quality training system in place

All too often, we see restaurants expand and expect their chef, certified food manager, and front-of-the-house managers to take on a more significant role during the transition. We feel that this is a mistake. Experienced management personnel can be temporarily transferred, but each location should have a qualified manager on duty.

Current state regulations require that each outlet have a certified food manager. Certain jurisdictions may also need a qualified manager to be on-site during all hours of operation. It may be prudent to check with your local health department to ensure your new facility has the appropriate certified management coverage.

Besides transferring management personnel, moving a few essential kitchen, production, or service staff members to the new location can give your new facility an edge in experience and open up opportunities to train new staff at your current location. This process also provides an opportunity to evaluate current employees who may deserve promotion.

A Detailed Training Plan

The third item on our list should be obvious, but many times, training is overlooked during expansion. Management and staff often become accustomed to their current facility’s routine and neglect to establish comprehensive training protocols at the new site. Having a member of your food management team design a detailed training plan will inevitably lead to success, and incorporating site-specific training procedures should never be left on the back burner.

With a well-thought-out strategy, you could be looking at even more success in the future. Even the largest chain had to endure the initial growing pains to become what it is today.