Food Safety Blog and CFPM Resource Hub

November 7, 2022November 3, 2022

It’s Here- Proven Online Food Manager’s Training Guide To Hand Drying

Food safety training is pretty specific on how handwashing should be done, it’s one of the most effective weapons we have to prevent foodborne illness, yet many food managers are unaware of the options when it comes to appropriate drying implements. Since you may not be aware of all the alternatives, let’s talk about the appropriate food manager’s training on ways to dry your hands after washing them.

Food Manager’s Training for Drying Tools after Hand Washing

The standard food manager’s training tool for hand drying is a simple paper towel dispenser. These are generally the most common due to their ease of use and cost effectiveness, but there are a few alternatives that meet health code requirements and may serve your handwashing stations better. Other approved methods include:

Powered air dryers
A continuous towel system

Some food managers may wish to look into one of these two options as there is less waste than paper towels, and each of these options don’t require as much product to remain operational. With paper towel dispensers, there’s always the need to order paper towels and a good portion of these towels may not go towards their intended purpose.

Another food manager’s training option for hand drying, a powered air dryer. It can be cost effective after the initial investment. Once set up, you simply need to keep the power on for it to do its job. There may be a filter to change occasionally, but other than that no product is needed week in and week out. The one draw back to the air dryer is that they can be powerful enough to blow water droplets onto items in the nearby vicinity, so they are best used away from preparation and storage areas.

A continuous towel system consists of a long towel on a roll that has a clean portion pulled out with each use while soiled portions are spooled inside the housing. This system creates less waste, but the towel must be washed and replaced once it reaches the end of the roll. A continuous towel system also runs the risk of having multiple staff members dry their hands on the same portion if it is not rotated correctly.

Food manager’s training also recommends preventing as much contact with surfaces during the hand washing/ hand drying process. Motion sensor activated paper towel dispensers and blow dryers offer a decreased chance of contaminating hands between washing and drying

What type of drying system do you use in your facility

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

How CFPMs Can Reinforce Approved Use Of Sanitation Solutions

CFPMs can reinforce Approved use of Sanitizing Solutions

Sanitizer solutions are essential in reducing the risk of sickening guests, but when used improperly, they can actually increase foodborne illness hazards. So how can certified food protection managers ensure that the staff is using the sanitation solution properly?

Proper Sanitation Solution Use for Certified Food Protection Managers

There are four things CFPMs should be aware of when it comes to properly using sanitizer solutions:

Approved Solutions
Strength
Effective Time Lapse
Cloths Soaked in Solution

CFPMs Can Reinforce Approved Use Of Sanitation Solutions — *Image credit: vectorfusionart via 123rf*

Your sanitizer solution must be a solution approved by the Minnesota food code. Common approved solutions include bleach, quat sanitizers and iodine. These solutions must be mixed to the appropriate strength, so follow the directions closely and use test strips from your sanitizer supplier to ensure proper strength. If it’s too strong, you risk contaminating food with the chemicals involved, and weak solutions will not properly sanitize your surfaces and equipment. Many restaurant suppliers offer automated dispensers that will mix sanitizers and water at the appropriate strength, just make sure to test from time to time to ensure that your solutions are in acceptable ranges.

Sanitizer solutions don’t remain effective forever, so certified food protection managers should instruct their staff to dispose of old sanitizer at regular intervals. If used often, these solutions may become less effective sooner than indicated on the bottle’s label, so be aware that solutions may need to be rotated frequently.

Finally, be aware that your solutions don’t necessarily completely sanitize cleaning rags. If you have an extremely dirty cloth and continue to use it, you’re not exactly sanitizing anything. In fact, you could be spreading grease and bacteria all over your kitchen no matter how long a dirty rag has sat in your sanitizer solution. The best plan is to keep a damp sanitizer rag available rather than soaking it in sanitizer buckets and use clean cloths after old ones become soiled.

Do you take the time to test your sanitizer solutions from time to time to ensure their effectiveness?

October 25, 2022December 9, 2022

What Minnesota Food Managers Need to Know About Listeria

With recent national listeria outbreaks linked to soft cheeses and packaged deli meats, we’ve been asked what Minnesota food managers can do to prevent listeria from becoming an issue in their facility. To understand how to prevent a listeria outbreak, it’s important to take a look at how they get started.

How Minnesota Food Managers can Reduce Listeria Risks

The most common causes of listeria poisonings come from soft cheese, processed meats, ice cream and raw vegetables at the mass production level. Due to some of these items being prepared in large batches, the danger exists for ingredients to be held at temperatures conducive to listeria bacterial growth. This is why we tend to see widespread recalls rather than smaller outbreaks on local levels since many of these items are produced in large facilities.

Minnesota food managers at production facilities that generate mass quantities of any product need to take extra precautions to prevent listeria risks. Keep large batches of ingredients out of danger zone temperatures and ensure that your heating and cooling procedures are fast enough to reduce the risk of bacteria and other pathogens from growing as your product moves through the danger zone.

Most Minnesota food mangers work with food at smaller volumes in restaurants, cafeterias and other service industries rather than at the mass production level, so what can they do to reduce listeria risk? If you work with processed meats and soft cheese, make sure that they are always stored under 41 degrees Fahrenheit. This will prevent bacteria from forming during storage.

Secondly, pay close attention to CDC/FDA recalls and safety alerts. This is the best way to stay up to date on the latest recalls concerning potentially contaminated product.

Do you have a handle on storage for deli meats and soft cheeses to keep them safe?

October 17, 2022October 16, 2022

Informative Food Safety Training Targeted At Rubber Floor Mats

Floor mats in kitchens are essential for the physical health of employees that are on their feet for extended periods, but did you know that they can also become a foodborne illness hazard if not properly maintained? Since you’re not serving food on your floor mats, unless you’re designing a new concept restaurant that probably won’t fly with your local health inspector, you may not see the connection between foodborne illness and rubber floor mats, so let’s take a look at food safety training for rubber floor mats.

Food Safety Training Tips for Floor Mat Cleaning

From an employee safety standpoint, dirty floor mats can be a slip hazard, so making sure they are clean prevents potential injury. Ripped or torn mats can catch the toes and heels of shoes causing staff to drop food or utensils, or even trip and fall. If your mats are in a condition that causes staff to fall into deep fryers, replace them immediately.

Dirty and torn mats also present a likely habitat for bacteria and pests. If your mats aren’t washed and cleaned on a regular basis, you’ll breed pathogens that can be stirred up by fans or even staff walking on them. Good food safety training should include regular maintenance of your floor mats to prevent this from happening.

Pests like fruit flies, ground bugs and even mice can be attracted to the smell of debris and grease left on dirty rubber mats. Cracked and torn portions can be an ideal spot for flies to lay eggs, harbor fruit fly nests and provide snacks for cockroaches and other small ground insects.

Making sure your floor mats are in good shape is not only good for the physical well-being of your staff but can also result in improved food safety training. Do you regularly sanitize your rubber floor mats?