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Urgent New Stay Safe MN Guidance For Certified Food Protection Managers

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On November 10, Governor Tim Walz released new guidance for Certified Food Protection Managers at restaurants as part of the Stay Safe MN effort to control the spread of COVID-19. While there are only a few new restrictions on foodservice businesses, CFPMs should be aware that these new regulations will go into effect on Friday, November 13 at 10 PM. These changes include:

  • Changes in dine-in hours
  • Limits on games in bars and lounges
  • Reduction in indoor seating capacity
Governor Walz Nov 10, 2020 presentation re Stay Safe MN new regulations for Certified Food Protection Managers
Image credit: Office of Governor Walz

The first rule will affect most certified food protection managers at restaurants and bars as well as any other establishment that offers indoor dining. Starting Friday, dine-in service must end at 10 PM and cannot resume before 4 AM. Delivery, takeout and curbside service are still allowed during normal business hours.

Along with the new restricted hours, restaurants, bars and other establishments must require all patrons to remain at tables except to enter, exit or use restroom facilities. This new Stay Safe MN guidance specifically restricts any types of games that require standing and moving around in gaming areas. Bars and lounges should cover pool tables, remove dartboards, unplug arcade machines and prevent guests from participating in other game activities that require them to leave their tables and come into contact with other patrons.

Finally, indoor seating capacity must be reduced to 50 percent and no more than 150 patrons are allowed in large dining halls.

Hopefully, by following these new Stay Safe MN rules, certified food protection managers will keep doing their part to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus so we can make progress towards restoring our vibrant dining scene.

Uncharted Flue Season for MN food safety managers

Uncharted Flu Season Warning For MN Food Safety Managers

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Food safety managers in Minnesota and the rest of the world have had to take unprecedented precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now are faced with balancing those precautions as well as monitoring employee health and hygiene as we approach the flu season. Due to the convergence of these two potentially debilitating illnesses, what can MN food safety managers do to protect their staff and their guests?

What can MN food safety managers do to protect their staff and their guests from the convergence of COVID19 and Influenza?
Image credit: Sorin Ciprian Suciu via 123rf

How MN Food Safety Managers can Prepare for Flu Season

While there is some speculation that COVID-19 precautions may help keep flu numbers low, it’s still very important to educate your employees on workplace food safety protocols surrounding influenza. The good news is that there is a great deal of overlap when it comes to influenza prevention and Coronavirus prevention. Food safety managers should remind employees of a few health and hygiene practices:

  • Wash hands often
  • Never work when sick
  • Return home for work if symptoms begin on the job
  • Wait at least 24 hours after symptoms vanish before returning to work

These should be standard practices in any food production business, no matter what the circumstance. MN food safety managers should not just assume that their staff will follow these rules, they should monitor the health and hygiene practices of their staff. Make sure that you post proper handwashing posters at all handwashing stations and monitor these stations often to make sure they are fully stocked with soap and paper towels. You should also take the time to verify that each handwashing station is supplying hot water.

Employees should be reminded that they should never work with symptoms of illness, flu or otherwise. Fevers, headaches, coughs, runny nose and other symptoms are red flags when it comes to influenza. Remind them to be extremely cautious and call in sick should they be displaying symptoms, no matter how mild. If symptoms begin while at work, food safety managers should make sure the potentially ill employee is sent home.

Finally, it’s important to wait at least 24 hours after recovering from flu symptoms before returning to work. Just because an employee wakes up feeling better than they did the night before, it doesn’t mean that they are no longer contagious. Considering the potential for a public health crisis involving both influenza and COVID-19, food safety managers may wish to extend this period to 48 hours before allowing an ill employee to come back to work.

Have you taken the time to remind your staff of good health and hygiene procedures as we roll into the flu season?

Food Safety Professionals and Mental Health during COVID-19

Urgent Mental Health Resources For Food Safety Professionals During COVID-19

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COVID-19 has taken its toll on the physical, economic and mental health of working professionals in our country, and the foodservice industry has been especially hard hit. Many restaurants have closed forever, workers have lost jobs and many furloughed and isolated food safety professionals have confessed to overwhelming anxiety, depression, or addiction during these times. where can industry professionals turn in these trying times? We’ve created a shortlist of mental health resources for food safety professionals.

Food Safety Professionals and Mental Health during COVID-19
Image credit: inesbazdar via 123rf.com

Free Mental Health Resources For Food Safety Professionals During COVID-19

The National Restaurant Association has compiled a list of free mental health resources in an effort to help industry professionals who are struggling.

Some of these free resources we’d like to highlight include:

While we encourage struggling food industry professionals to check out the full list of resources the NRA recommends, we’d like to highlight four of them.

Sanvello is an app with self-care resources, connections to other members in the hospitality industry, and coaching to help you get through trying times. With a focus on the hospitality industry, the Sanvello community has the potential to help food safety professionals find relatable resources to ward of anxiety and depression.

With anxiety, depression and isolation come increased risk for addiction or relapse from addiction recovery. Ben’s Friends was founded in honor of a lifelong food safety professional, Ben Murray, whose struggle with addiction led him to take his own life. They are currently offering free Zoom meetings to food and beverage personnel who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. With a focus on food industry professionals, they have a first-hand perspective on addiction in the industry.

Psych Hub offers comprehensive mental health resources and education that covers a great number of topics. From anxiety to suicide prevention, Psych Hub has an extensive mental health video library to assist those dealing with mental health problems during trying times.

If you need a real person to talk or text with about a mental health crisis, the Crisis Text Line is available 24/7. Just text 741741 anywhere in the United States to be immediately connected to a trained volunteer who will be instantly ready to provide support.

If you or a food safety professional friend are feeling too overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, addiction or any other form of mental health issue that these free resources don’t cover, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional rather than self-diagnose and self-treat. Mental health is an issue that should never be ignored and neglected.

Certified Food Protection Managers COVID-19 in Food

Should Certified Food Protection Managers Worry About COVID-19 In Food?

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The science behind understanding how COVID-19 spreads is ever-evolving and even though we don’t know everything about this virus, we have a general picture of how to prevent its spread. We’ve been told that masks, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings can slow the spread, but should Certified Food Protection Managers be doing anything to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 through the food we produce in restaurants and other food production businesses?

Certified Food Protection Managers Worry About COVID-19 In Food
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Certified Food Protection Managers and COVID-19 Spread Via Food

In the early days of the pandemic, researchers had suggested that the risk of transmission through food was small, and a more recent study completed by the International Commission for Microbiological Specification for Foods seems to finally give us some good news on the COVID-19 front by claiming that there may not be a food safety hazard when it comes to the Coronavirus.

These findings are great news for certified food protection managers. As restaurants reopen, they now have the added responsibility of enforcing local health guidelines on top of their other duties, so it takes some pressure off knowing there’s very little chance of the spread of COVID through their food product.

The ICMSF’s study shows that since food enters the human body through the gastrointestinal tract, COVID-19 shouldn’t be considered a food safety hazard since the coronavirus’ method of infection involves contaminated air entering the lungs. According to the study, there has been no substantial evidence of cases of COVID-19 that can be traced back to food. The current theory is that traces of COVID-19 on food and food packaging will lose viability over time and even if the virus were to be consumed with food, it would be destroyed in the digestive process before reaching the bloodstream.

These findings don’t mean CFPMs can relax when it comes to food safety in the kitchen or coronavirus prevention measures. We should still be vigilant in keeping our food safe from all pathogens and providing a healthy dining environment for our guests.

Are you concerned that food may contain a hidden COVID-19 risk?