Category: Certified Food Protection Manager

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How To Make Kitchen Staff Food Safety Training More Effective

Making kitchen staff training more effective

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.

Making kitchen staff training more effective
Image credit: Minnesota Department of Health

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?

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A Lesson in Norovirus Control for Certified Food Protection Managers

Staying Home when Sick

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
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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:

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?

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Food Safety Management Steps for Starting a New Food Business

Food Safety Management Steps for Starting a New Food Business

Congratulations! You have your business plan formalized, gained funding and even have a location picked out for your new food business, but just having the finances and space isn’t enough to get started. There are several food safety management procedures you need to take in order to open your doors so the public can enjoy your goods and services. Navigating the new food business landscape can be daunting, so let’s breakdown the steps you’ll need to take to open your doors.

Food Safety Management Steps for Starting a New Food Business
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Navigating Food Safety Management and Opening a New Food Business

There are numerous steps that must be followed in order to open a food business, and your banker should be able to help with the financial side, so let’s look at a quick rundown of what must be done on the food safety management side:

  • Plan on purchasing certified equipment for your establishment
  • Obtain the appropriate license for the Minnesota Department of Health or Department of Agriculture
  • Create a food risk assessment strategy
  • Hire a certified food protection manager
  • Consult frequently with your local health department

Food businesses must have properly certified equipment. Make sure your equipment has been classified for sanitation by an ANSI approved standard. Common standards include NSF, UL and Intertek. Approved equipment will have a valid standard stamp or sticker somewhere on the surface. When in doubt, your equipment supplier should have the appropriate paperwork for your new equipment.

Obtaining a license can be confusing since you may require a license from a specific agency depending on the location and type of food business you plan on opening. The State of Minnesota has a licensing wizard that will point you to the appropriate agency based on your answer to several questions about your food business’ target customer base and distribution methods.

Next it’s important to formulate a written food risk assessment plan. This plan should cover food safety during production, a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, allergen statements and recall plans. We don’t recommend formulating this on your own, but consulting with the health department that covers your establishment will help you create a detailed and acceptable plan for your new food business.

Before you open your doors or even begin any food preparation, you must employ a certified food protection manager. This can be your executive chef, kitchen manager, floor supervisor or even a hands-on owner. Certified food protection managers must pass an online or in-person certification class and exam, and they’re responsible for ensuring the safety of the food you produce.

Are you contemplating opening a new food business?

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Valuable New Certified Food Protection Manager Cleaning Schedule Design

Valuable New Certified Food Protection Manager Cleaning Schedule Design

Certified food protection managers have a lot on their plate with the day-to-day operation of their food business, so it’s important to have systems in place to streamline their operation. Designing a facility cleaning and sanitation schedule can free up time for other managerial tasks while your staff knows how to maintain a safe environment for food production. While a plan will look different based on your operation, we can give every Minnesota certified food protection manager a head start designing a custom sanitation and cleaning schedule.

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Food Cleaning and Sanitation Schedule Template for Every Certified Food Protection Manager

A certified food protection manager who are creating a cleaning and sanitation schedule, you should break it into sections based on frequency. You should consider which cleaning tasks occur:

  • Frequently
  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly

Immediate cleaning tasks include sanitizing prep surfaces after use, washing soiled utensils and changing sanitation solutions. These tasks should be easy to identify and your staff should be trained to do them habitually, but it never hurts to have a written plan identifying frequent food safety sanitation jobs.

Daily tasks can include sanitizing backsplashes in the dishwashing area, mopping floors and washing kitchen mats. You may also want to include inspecting raw food storage areas and refrigeration units for containers that need cleaning or spilled product that must to be thrown away. Daily tasks also can become routine, and a written record of these jobs makes training easier and ensure nothing becomes overlooked or neglected.

Weekly and monthly cleaning jobs are the most ignored unless there’s a written plan for these large projects. Weekly tasks may include cleaning storage racks in walk-in refrigerators, mopping infrequently used areas and washing garbage cans. Monthly sanitation projects might be a little harder to identify, and could be very specific based on the type of food business you operate, but these could include inspecting outdoor areas for pests, cleaning behind equipment and thorough hoof vent cleaning.

Are you a certified food protection manager that utilizes a cleaning and sanitation schedule?