Food Safety Blog and CFPM Resource Hub

Posted on

New Year’s Training Resolutions Every Food Safety Manager Should Make

2022 Resolutions Every Food Safety Manager

2022 is almost upon us, and the time has come to reflect on the past year and set goals for the next one. With that in mind, we feel that 2022 should be the year that every every food safety manager focuses on staff food safety training as part of their New Year’s Resolution. We can join together with other MN certified food protection Managers in an effort to make our food service community the most knowledgeable and safest in the country.

2022 Resolutions Every Food Safety Manager
Image credit: pavelmuravev via 123rf

Simple Resolutions Every Food Safety Manager can Use to Improve Food Safety Training

When it comes to food safety training, January is a great time commit to a focus on training and the best way to start the new year is to start with the basics. Basic food safety training can go by the wayside over time, so make sure you and your staff review:

It may sound like basic common sense in the food industry, but these three things are the most effective tools we have to prevent foodborne illness. Resolve to not let food safety basics fall by the wayside in 2022.

Another very simple way to resolve to improve your staff’s food safety training knowledge base is to take advantage of food code fact sheets. The Minnesota Department of Health has a fact sheet for nearly any food safety rule that applies to your establishment. Print off copies and post them where appropriate for a quick reminder or store them in a readily available notebook for easy reference.

Finally, nothing beats food safety training from an industry expert. Rather than rely on your previous training, resolve to bring in an expert for a custom training session or send additional staff members to gain their certified food protection manager’s certificate. Nothing will prepare your establishment to protect your guests like training from industry leaders.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions for 2022?

Posted on

The Latest Food Safety Training On Hair Coverings

The Latest Food Safety Training On Hair Coverings

Kitchens and food production facility managers perform an essential role in monitoring employee health and hygiene. Making sure staff stay home when they’re sick, wash their hands regularly and adhere to all personal health rules are important, but oftentimes the rules behind hair coverings can be lax, overlooked or misunderstood. In order to properly provide food safety training in your establishment concerning hair coverings, we’d like to provide a precise breakdown of the Minnesota food code regulations on the subject.

The Latest Food Safety Training On Hair Coverings
Image credit: nvxier via Pixabay

Proper Food Safety Training for Wearing Hair Coverings in the Kitchen

According to the food code, any employee working in a food production establishment must wear a hair restraint that prevents hair from coming into contact with food product. Allowed hair restraints include:

  • Hair nets
  • Hats
  • Beard and moustache nets
  • Clothing that covers body hair

While hair nets are acceptable, hats have become a very popular head covering in the food industry. Paper chef hats, linen baker’s hats and baseball caps are all acceptable types of head coverings to restrain hair. Chef and baker’s caps can add a touch of class or professionalism if members of your kitchen staff can be seen by guests, and baseball caps can be comfortable and embroidered with your business’s logo to give some uniformity to your team. In your establishment’s food safety training, make sure that you note that employees with longer hair should style their hair in a way to be completely restrained by their hair covering. Sometimes simply wearing a hat is not quite enough to prevent hair from touching food product or preparation surfaces.

As you can see by our list, food safety training for hair restraints includes much more than just the top of the head. If you have employees who sport facial hair, they should wear a specially designed hair net that restrains facial hair. You should also ensure that employees wear appropriate clothing to cover body hair. Make sure that there are no open shirts or tank tops worn in the kitchen that could expose body hair.

There are a few situations in which hair coverings are not required. Many service staff are exempt from this rule. Waitstaff, hosts and hostesses, bussers and counter attendants who only serve beverages or prepackaged items do not have to don head coverings.

Finally, we’ve been asked from time to time whether bald kitchen workers require a head covering. For consistancy in your food safety training policy, we recommend that all personnel in the kitchen abide by the head covering rule even those who shave their head.

Does your establishment’s food safety training have a uniform head covering rule in place at your business?

Posted on

Expert Food Recall Procedures ServSafe Managers Need To Know

Food recall procedures that servsafe managers need to know

Recently, Green Giant announced a voluntary recall on yellow and white onions. Minnesota ServSafe managers should pay close attention to this recall since many of the delivery locations are in the state of Minnesota. This may be a good time to check your inventory for white and yellow onions to make sure that you don’t have any sitting in storage. It’s also prudent to review procedures Minnesota ServSafe managers should use to handle major food recall notices.

Green Giant Onion Recall Procedures ServSafe Managers need to know
Image credit: PPD via Pixnio

Procedures for Responding to the Onion Recall for ServSafe Food Managers

Some recalls affect the food industry more than others, and this onion recall impacts nearly every food business in areas where the recall is in effect. Onions are a staple ingredient in every food business, so what procedures should ServSafe food managers do when impacted by a recall of this scale?

Discarding recalled ingredients and prepared product which includes tainted ingredients should be the first step. Your guests’ safety must be a top priority, replacing these ingredients should come second.

Finding an alternative for necessities should only occur after you’ve cleared your storage of recalled products. Bringing in untainted ingredients while you still have recalled produce in storage could lead to a mix-up between tainted and untainted ingredients. You may want to order a replacement product as soon as you hear of a recall, but don’t stall on clearing health hazards before receiving a new shipment.

Most foodservice suppliers should have checked UPC codes and other information concerning a recall before sending you a replacement, but ServSafe managers should do their due diligence and verify their new product has not been affected. You may also have to consider going without due to scarcity during a recall. In that instance, informing your guests that onions, or any recalled ingredient, are being removed from the menu for their health and safety will keep them informed as to why some menu items may look different than normal.

Have your Servsafe food managers documented a recall procedure? Have you ever had to take steps to alter your menu during a recall?

Posted on

Private Onsite Food Safety Management Training Revisited

Private Onsite Food Safety Management Training Revisited

For the past year and a half, food production businesses have relied on online food safety management classes as a primary source of training. Now that we can return to normal activities, we’re seeing food safety manager candidates return to the classroom and the opportunity to bring certification classes to your local food business can be expanded through private onsite food safety management training.

Private Onsite Food Safety Management Training Revisited

Private Food Safety Management Training Onsite

While making sure you have certified food protection manager coverage for your facility via online or classroom training meets the standards and provides a wealth of knowledge to students who take the courses, many food businesses can gain even more benefits through a customized food safety management class. Some perks include:

  • Training multiple CFPMs at the same time
  • Saves travel time by having the course at your location
  • Scheduling on your time
  • Unique training tailored to your business

Convenience is one of the biggest benefits of customized training. If you can provide the site for food safety management training, the staff that attends will know the location well and you’ll be able to schedule around their training accordingly. With remote classes, you may have to work around an already set class schedule, limiting your flexibility to send employees who require certification. Onsite customized food management training works on your timetable giving you the scheduling advantage.

At an in-person food training session, you learn everything you need to know to pass the certification test to become a CFPM and keep the food you serve safe, but a customized training session can offer a more directed training session. With a customized training session, your staff will not only be able to pass the certified food protection manager exam, but they’ll also learn how to directly apply the knowledge they’ve learned to the type of food business you operate.

Finally, private food safety management training offers large food businesses the opportunity to prepare multiple candidates for the CFPM exam. If you have multiple locations or require several CFPMs, an onsite class can train them all at the same time.

Are you interested in private food safety management training at your facility? Get more about Safe Food Training customized training classes here.