Food Safety Training Hand Sanitizes

Food Safety Training and the use of Hand Sanitizers

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The FDA recently issued a warning letter to the makers of Purell sanitizer asking them to stop claiming their sanitizer kills norovirus, Ebola, influenza and other viruses. If you read the report closely, you’ll find that the FDA never said that sanitizers don’t kill these viruses, there just isn’t the scientific study to back up Purell’s claims. In light of this warning, how should we adjust our food safety training to teach food service employees the proper use of hand sanitizers?

Food Safety Training Hand Sanitizes
Image credit: Anna Earl on Unsplash

Hand Sanitizers and Food Safety Training

When delving into this topic, it’s important to start off with one vital truth:

Hand sanitizers are not a substitute for handwashing.

When discussing food safety protocols with your staff, it’s important that they understand proper handwashing is the most effective way to kill germs and prevent the spread of foodborne, viral and bacterial illness. While hand sanitizers may advertise that they kill viruses and bacteria, they can never take the place of handwashing. So is there any instance where hand sanitizers or antiseptics are allowed in the kitchen?

While the Minnesota food code is adamant that sanitizers are not an effective replacement for handwashing, they do allow for the use of sanitizers in the kitchen.

Foodservice workers can use antiseptic gels or liquids after they have washed their hands properly. This can add an extra layer of protection, but only when used properly after a good handwashing. They should never be used before handwashing, or when timing makes the washing of hands inconvenient. Remember, handwashing should never be inconvenient, and paying close attention to handwashing habits will help prevent the spread of foodborne illness.

When it comes to the norovirus, the flu or Ebola, it’s always good practice to teach proper handwashing techniques that can be used at work or at home.

MN Certified Food Managers Minimum wage

How MN Certified Food Managers Deal with a Rising Minimum Wage

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How MN Certified Food Managers Deal with a Rising Minimum Wage Later this year, the minimum wage in Minnesota is going up to 10 dollars an hour for high-grossing businesses and 8.15 for businesses that bring in less than $500,000 annually, and the minimum wage in Minneapolis is set to rise to 11.75 for small businesses and 12.25 an hour for businesses with over 100 employees. The majority of our local restaurants and food producers tend to be smaller, one-outlet operations, so they may have to adjust more than larger corporations. Just how will rising minimum wage affect the food industry, and is there anything MN certified food managers can do about it? How MN Certified Food Managers Deal with a Rising Minimum Wage

MN Certified Food Managers Minimum wage
Image credit: Sergey Nivens via 123rf

The New Minimum Wage and MN Certified Food Managers

If you’ve ever calculated food and labor cost, you know the profit margin in the food industry is already razor-thin, in some cases as low as pennies on the gross dollar. Under the circumstances, how is it possible for MN certified food managers to retain the same amount of staff yet still continue to make a profit?

Some theorize that with a rising minimum wage, the general populace will have more money to spend on luxuries such as eating out. If this theory holds true, then many restaurants could see extra revenue due to increased business or have the option of raising their prices. While it would take time to see if this theory holds out, it will be interesting to monitor if Minnesota restaurants will see an uptick in business due to the higher minimum wage rate.

Restaurateurs in areas with a higher than average minimum wage have suggested implementing a tip credit as an option for offsetting labor costs. A tip credit essentially involves a lower hourly wage than the minimum for workers who receive tips as a portion of their income. If their tips don’t raise their income per hour to equal or exceed Minnesota’s minimum wage, their employer would be required to compensate them to ensure they made the state-required wage per hour for their shift.

Finally, many larger restaurants see automation as a way to control labor costs. Using touchscreen kiosks or screens at individual tables allows them to reduce labor by cutting jobs. As technology becomes more advanced and cheaper to acquire, we may see some form of automation trickle down to lower-volume businesses. We don’t see this as an ideal solution, as we feel a thriving food industry should involve human staff wherever possible.

MN Certified Food Managers Minimum wage

How MN Certified Food Managers Deal with a Rising Minimum Wage

/in /by

Later this year, the minimum wage in Minnesota is going up to 10 dollars an hour for high-grossing businesses and 8.15 for businesses that bring in less than $500,000 annually, and the minimum wage in Minneapolis is set to rise to 11.75 for small businesses and 12.25 an hour for businesses with over 100 employees. The majority of our local restaurants and food producers tend to be smaller, one-outlet operations, so they may have to adjust more than larger corporations. Just how will rising minimum wage affect the food industry, and is there anything MN certified food managers can do about it?

MN Certified Food Managers Minimum wage
Image credit: Sergey Nivens via 123rf

The New Minimum Wage and MN Certified Food Managers

If you’ve ever calculated food and labor cost, you know the profit margin in the food industry is already razor-thin, in some cases as low as pennies on the gross dollar. Under the circumstances, how is it possible for MN certified food managers to retain the same amount of staff yet still continue to make a profit?

Some theorize that with a rising minimum wage, the general populace will have more money to spend on luxuries such as eating out. If this theory holds true, then many restaurants could see extra revenue due to increased business or have the option of raising their prices. While it would take time to see if this theory holds out, it will be interesting to monitor if Minnesota restaurants will see an uptick in business due to the higher minimum wage rate.

Restaurateurs in areas with a higher than average minimum wage have suggested implementing a tip credit as an option for offsetting labor costs. A tip credit essentially involves a lower hourly wage than the minimum for workers who receive tips as a portion of their income. If their tips don’t raise their income per hour to equal or exceed Minnesota’s minimum wage, their employer would be required to compensate them to ensure they made the state-required wage per hour for their shift.

Finally, many larger restaurants see automation as a way to control labor costs. Using touchscreen kiosks or screens at individual tables allows them to reduce labor by cutting jobs. As technology becomes more advanced and cheaper to acquire, we may see some form of automation trickle down to lower-volume businesses. We don’t see this as an ideal solution, as we feel a thriving food industry should involve human staff wherever possible.

Does your MN certified food managers have a strategy for dealing with rising minimum wage?

Will food safety ratings be the defining issue of the 2020 election?

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In a recent interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg mentioned health and food safety (3:34) as one of the pressing issues our country needs to address. During the discussion, he referenced New York City’s requirement to post food safety ratings in the entryway so customers can see just how well their favorite local restaurants performed on their last health inspection. New York isn’t the only city to post-inspection grades, as several states and municipalities also require restaurants to post their grades. It makes us wonder, would this requirement improve food safety in our state?

Food Safety Rating near entrance

Public Food Safety Ratings

When assessing the effects of any new regulation, our goal is to assess whether or not it will be effective in keeping food safe. Will an easily viewable public disclosure of health inspection results keep the food served in local restaurants safe and improve the overall risk of foodborne illness?

This is one case where certified food protection managers can use food safety training to not only to prevent foodborne contamination but to bring in more revenue. If your restaurant receives a two out of five stars, a C- or sickly gray face, customers may choose to move on, but if your restaurant is getting an A+, it won’t only be a deciding factor in drawing in guests, it’s probably something they’re going to tell their friends about.

This may also put added pressure on certified food protection managers to ensure that there are no lapses in food safety training. A health inspection usually comes unannounced and unexpected. If your staff is continually following health department protocols to the letter, you should have nothing to worry about. Without publicly posted food safety ratings, there may be less pressure to provide thorough training on every aspect of food safety. One slip could reduce your grade, and even if you take steps to address issues following your health inspection, potential customers will see your low grades until your next review.

How would you feel about having your restaurant’s food safety ratings posted where all of your guests can see?