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Making kitchen staff training more effective

How To Make Kitchen Staff Food Safety Training More Effective

November 8, 2021/in Certified Food Protection Manager Training/by Jeff Webster

Certified food protection managers are responsible for keeping the food they serve safe through training, monitoring and evaluating the food safety procedures in their establishment. One important part of training is reinforcing food safety protocols, and the Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture have supplied handy food code fact sheets and downloadable food safety posters to help certified food protection managers remind their staff of essential food safety procedures.

Using Food Code Fact Sheets to Supplement Your Staff Food Safety Awareness

Just because your staff has been trained on the basics, it doesn’t mean that a review of these procedures wouldn’t be helpful. In fact, having frequent reminders of food safety basics will keep the food your serve safe and take some pressure off of the day-to-day duties of your certified food protection manager.

Printing and laminating food safety posters will provide constant visual reinforcement of the basics of food safety. Some key posters include:

A handwashing poster over your handwashing station will be a constant reminder of the importance of washing your hands, and having temperature control and heating procedures posted where food is cooked will give your staff a quick guide when checking the temperature of the food they’ve just prepared.

The downloadable food safety posters on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website don’t stop at the basics of food safety, however. Schedule some time during your day to check out the options available, and you’ll be sure to find some that fit the unique nature of your business.

Do you use food code fact sheets to remind your employees about food safety basics?

A Lesson in Norovirus Control for Certified Food Protection Managers

November 1, 2021/in ServSafe & NEHA Best Practices/by Christine Dantz

The norovirus made the news in a big way in the month of September thanks to a massive outbreak at Georgetown University. While the investigation into the outbreak has yet to locate the initial source, norovirus outbreaks often begin in food service, so certified food protection managers take notice that this outbreak has sickened nearly 150 people and take precautions to prevent a similar incident from happening at their food business or facility.

A Lesson in Norovirus Control for Certified Food Protection Managers — Image credit:: **belchonock** via 123rf

Certified Food Protection Managers And Norovirus Defense in High-Volume Facilities

Many norovirus cases fall under the radar when only a few individuals are sickened, but the case at Georgetown University shows what can happen in when the pathogen infects a large population. Officially, there is no link to food service in this Norovirus case, but certified food protection managers at university cafeterias, local school, hospitals and other facilities that serve a large amount of people every day have a great impact on preventing an outbreak such as this from even getting started. By taking a few simple precautions norovirus outbreaks can be stopped before they even begin by:

Enforcing Proper Handwashing Techniques
Avoiding Bare Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Foods
Staying Home when Sick

These three very easy steps will greatly reduce the risk of spreading the norovirus whether you serve thousands of guests a day or under 10. In fact, these three tools not only prevent the spread of the norovirus, but can help stop many other common illness that begin in food service from spreading.

Have you taken the time to review these basic food safety techniques with your staff to reduce the chances of spreading the norovirus?

Food Safety Advice For Hosting Down Home Wild Game Dinners

October 25, 2021/in ServSafe & NEHA Best Practices/by Christine Dantz

Hunting season is upon us for water fowl and will soon open for deer. Fall hunting is a great Minnesota tradition, and many food safety managers love to celebrate the season with hosting wild game dinners. When hosting an event where wild game is served, there are a few special procedures food safety managers need to pay attention to, so it’s important to review the special regulations for wild game dinners.

Wild Game Dinners and Food Safety Protocols

If you’re planning on hosting a wild game dinner, it’s important to note that these types of dinners can only be held for charity and not at for profit events. This means that if you’re a certified food manager wanting to serve locally hunted or trapped game in your restaurant, you’ll have to find a source that’s been approved for sale for food service purposes. Fundraising events, however, can host wild game events as long as the donated game meets the proper criteria. Game served a wild game dinners must meet the following food safety standards:

Has been legally hunted or trapped
Is pure, unground animal meat
Was properly cleaned at a Minnesota Department of Agriculture licensed facility
Was eviscerated less than two hours after harvest

To be legally hunted, the animal must have been taken in season and in an area where hunting is allowed by licensed hunters. Any wild game animal, be it bird, deer or other game, taken illegally cannot be offered at these events. They also must be cleaned in a facility licensed by the MDA to ensure procedures have been followed to prevent cross contamination and that other food safety protocols have been followed. Game that was processed at a private residence or unlicensed facility cannot be served. It’s also important to make sure the animal is processed as soon as possible after it was caught. Hunters have a two-hour window to make sure remove the bowels of any animal intended for a wild game dinner.

On a final note, it’s also required that a full receipt be obtained by the organization accepting the wild game donation. This receipt must contain the name, address and license number of the donating party as well as the date the meat was obtained.

Do you host charitable fundraisers that include serving wild game? Were you aware of the special food safety regulations wild game dinners?

Tremendous Food Safety Manager Training Tips Focused On Autumn

October 18, 2021/0 Comments/in Certified Food Protection Manager Training/by Christine Dantz

We focus a lot on food safety manager training in the kitchen, but did you realize that the fall season creates food safety risks outside of your building that may present a health threat? Just as the seasons change outdoors, food safety managers should make changes to their food safety training plan once the summer is over. This week we’ll highlight food safety manager training tips on potential outdoor food safety hazards that are especially prevalent in the fall.

Food Safety Manager Training Guide For Autumn

When the leaves begin to turn color and the geese prepare to fly south for the winter, Minnesotans also flock to the outdoors to enjoy the beauty of the fall season. This brings many potential guests to your establishment no matter what part of our great state you hail from, so you should be prepared to fight off food safety risks that may originate in outside of your business. Some common places fall food safety hazards begin include:

Dead leaves or decomposing vegetation in planters
Clogged storm drains or gutters
Dumpsters and recycling containers
Pest traps

The first three items on the list are common breeding grounds for gnats, flies and other insects that may infiltrate your food business. Potted plants, floral trees and other natural displays are quite attractive in the spring and summer, but once they begin to shed their leaves or die with the coming of the colder weather, they can host invasive insects, mice and rats. It’s important to maintain your plant fixtures and know when to remove them before they can attract pests that may enter your facility. Removing dead leaves and ensuring the perimeter of your building is free from decaying plant life will reduce the potential of pests from entering your establishment.

Insects also breed in areas of standing water. The fall rains may tax your gutters and outdoor drain systems. If your facility relies on these types of outdoor drainage systems, take steps to ensure that they aren’t clogged to prevent standing water. Your garbage and recycling containers also retain water if they are exposed to the rain. Try to make sure that they are covered in the fall or have proper drainage to prevent water buildup.

The final food safety manager training tip, pests seem to be more prevalent in the fall, so if you rely on fruit fly strips or other pest prevention traps, make sure they are checked and replaced frequently. A full trap will allow pests to go elsewhere, probably into your kitchen.

Do keep an eye on the exterior of your establishment during the fall season to prevent food safety hazards? Do you have other autumn tips for food safety manager training?