Recall creates unexpected problems for ServSafe food managers

Latest Recall Creates Unexpected Problems For ServSafe Food Managers

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In a major nationwide notice, the J.M. Smucker Corporation has recalled large batches of Jif peanut butter due to concerns over possible salmonella contamination. Due to the long shelf life of peanut butter and the numerous types of packaging being recalled, ServSafe food managers should take action now to prevent foodborne illness risks in the long run.

How ServSafe Food Manager Should Approach Recall Problems

Latest Recall Creates Unexpected Problems For ServSafe Food Managers

Many restaurants and other food outlets that use peanut butter sparingly enough that may simply purchase it in small quantities from grocery stores rather than large buckets from food service suppliers. ServSafe food managers that stock Jif peanut butter should take a close look at the recalled product ID numbers to ensure they do not have any potentially contaminated product on hand. If you do find recalled jars of peanut butter in storage, dispose of both opened and unopened containers.

Beyond jars of different sizes, this recall also affects smaller packages and grab-and-go style cups of Jif peanut butter. Cafeterias, hospitality businesses and other places that offer pre-packaged single-serving peanut butter cups need to investigate to see if these products have been recalled. These single-serving cups are not only available by themselves, but are also packaged in lunch kits and other grab-and-go snack packages.

Finally, you may want to consider disposing of product made with Jif peanut butter that was purchased during the dates contaminated peanut butter was shipped. It may sound like a drastic move, but if it saves your guests from salmonella poisoning risks, it may just be worth it.

Have you checked the FDA recall list lately?

Useful Idea for CFPMs- Bolster Staffing with Culinary Students

Useful Idea for CFPMs- Bolster Staffing with Culinary Students

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We’ve heard reports from some certified food protection managers CFPMs that the industry seems to have a shortage of applicants for open positions, and many food businesses are scrambling to bolster their staff to keep the kitchen fully staffed. Where help-wanted signs and ads on popular job websites may not be working, perhaps a call to your local culinary school would help fill vacancies, at least in the short term. We’ve talked to a few culinary instructors and found that they’re also looking for food businesses and CFPMs who have staffing opportunities to help their students gain real-world experience.

Useful Idea for CFPMs- Bolster Staffing with Culinary Students
Image credit: GSK via Flickr

How Culinary School Students Can Help Solve a Staffing Crisis for CFPMs

Over the past few decades, culinary schools have become more popular and have spread beyond exclusive schools for future high-end chefs to local technical and junior colleges for those looking to get their foot in the door in the industry. There are even programs at some larger high schools where students can earn future college elective credits by taking culinary classes, so while there may be a shortage of seasoned food-service professionals, there’s no shortage of those interested in learning about the industry.

CFPMs who need to fill staffing vacancies can take advantage of the culinary education sector by contacting these programs and searching for possible candidates for open job positions. These candidates may be raw when it comes to real-world experience, but they’ll have the desire to grow and learn. Many of these programs even require an internship or work-study, so your business’ interest in hiring a culinary student helps them to graduate and earn their degrees.

For the most part, internships and work-study programs aren’t exactly the beginning of a full-time career path for applicants in your company, but CFPMs can temporarily alleviate the staffing shortage for a set amount of time. These programs have a certain number of required work hours, so you’ll have a good idea as to an end date for your new temporary hire, and who knows, you could find a passionate professional who loves working in your food business and decides to stay if the option is available.

Has your certified food protection manager considered looking into hiring interns from a Minnesota culinary school?

Food Safety Training Tips For Handling Knives

See 5 Remarkable Food Safety Training Tips For Handling Knives

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No matter what type of food business you run, knives will be a vital tool in your operations. Learning how to use a knife safely is important to reduce injury but can also help promote food safety. Since it’s such an important tool in the industry, we should take a look at five tips for food safety training for handling knives effectively.

Food Safety Training Tips For Handling Knives
Image credit: michaelvave via pixabay

Knife Food Safety Training Guide For Using Knives

We’ve identified five steps to keep knives safe and reduce the risk of food contamination from improper use:

  • Use Proper Technique
  • Use the Right Knife for the Job
  • Use Appropriate Cutting Surfaces
  • Clean and Sanitize Properly
  • Keep Knives Sharp

Every staff member who handles a knife should have food safety training on how to handle it properly. Improper knife use can lead to cuts, slices of human flesh ending up in product and the inability to open doors due to missing digits. Knife techniques are best learned visually, so take a look at the following video demonstrating proper knife techniques.

Many knife injuries occur when the wrong knife is used for a specific job. If you’re using a paring knife for mincing onions, not only will it take forever, but you risk the knife slipping or sticking, whereas a chef’s knife is much too long to devein shrimp causing the risk to sliced fingers.

The cutting surface you use can greatly affect both personal and food safety. Glass, stainless steel and other slick and hard surfaces can cause knives to slide or bounce almost guaranteeing an eventual injury, while soft surfaces such as wood can be damaged by knives creating small grooves that can become breeding grounds for bacteria. The best cutting surfaces are NSF-approved cutting boards that can be easily cleaned and sanitized.

Knives also need to be cleaned and sanitized properly for food safety. Even if you’re only preparing vegetables, knives should be sanitized after each use. Over the course of time, remnants of food can begin to decay-causing a pathogen risk if used again unsanitized. It’s often recommended that knives be cleaned by hand using appropriate sanitizing solutions as chemicals in dishwashing machines can create microscopic pits in knife blades causing them to dull quicker and harbor bacteria.

Finally, there is an increased risk of injury and food safety risks from dull or uncared-for knives. A sharp knife will slice through product without bouncing off surfaces or changing angles during entry. Dull knives can also be more difficult to keep clean, increasing a foodborne illness hazard.

Have you taken the time to evaluate food safety training and knife use in your kitchen?

Food safety advice for visitors in the kitchen

Food Safety Advice For Visitors In The Kitchen

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The kitchen of most food businesses can be a busy place, and often you may have vendors, maintenance staff and other non-food service personnel either working or passing through your kitchen. Since these guests are not technically food-service workers, is there any outlined food safety management training necessary for these individuals? Food safety managers are obligated to cover every foodborne illness risk, and this may mean taking the time to assess what steps need to be taken for non-staff kitchen visitors in your establishment.

Food Safety Advice For Visitors In The Kitchen
Image credit: highwaystarz via 123rf

Food Safety Precautions for Visitors in Food Preparation Areas

Before we take the time to discuss precautions, it may be important to outline who should and should not be visiting your kitchen. There are many individuals who have business there, but before we invite grandma and the neighbors to hang out on the line there should be some ground rules.

When considering outside visitors, kitchen managers need to ask staff to respect the boundaries of the kitchen. If visitors don’t have a business-related purpose in food preparation areas, they should be asked to wait in public spaces. It’s not that we’re against friends and family stopping by; it just adds potential safety risks and possible foodborne-illness hazards to have untrained personnel in the kitchen.

Outside individuals who may have business in your establishment may include:

  • Vendor representatives
  • Delivery personnel
  • Maintenance staff
  • Corporate managers

Your vendors and food service suppliers should already have some situational awareness in the kitchen and may know better than to get in the way in a busy environment. However, if they’re handling food that is being inspected, sampled or delivered, it’s best to ensure bare-hand contact rules are followed. The same goes for delivery drivers. Most of these types of kitchen visitors have already been trained in some respects for food safety, but it’s always prudent to keep an eye out for potential contamination risks.

If you have planned maintenance whether it’s hood vent cleaning, equipment repair or any other type of work being done in your kitchen that does not involve food preparation, take steps to ensure that all food product is removed from areas where work is being done. Even if it’s something as simple as having new shelving installed in dry storage, the potential for contamination can be high in these situations.

Finally, larger food businesses, especially those with multiple locations, may have corporate higher-ups stop by. Most of these types may not have had food safety management training but may look to get involved in some food preparation activities during their time in your kitchen. Be prepared to respectfully ask them to not handle food if that is not the nature of their visit.

How do you deal with visitors to your establishment?