Certified Food Protection Manager Archives

July 8, 2019July 2, 2019

On-site Food Safety Training in MN

Not all restaurants, food production facilities and institutional kitchens produce the same product in the same way, so why should all food safety certification training take place in a location that doesn’t resemble your facility? We think there numerous advantages to scheduling an on-site food safety training class that takes place at your operation.

The Advantages of On-site Food Safety Training

Right off the top of our head, we can think of several benefits to scheduling an instructor led food training session at your facility:

Convenience
Certifying and training multiple staff members
Ability to ask questions relevant to your business
Training tailored to your needs

What can be easier than having your instructor come to you? You don’t have to worry about your GPS sending you to North Dakota when you’re searching for a training location you’ve never visited or finding parking near the training facility. It also makes it possible to train and certify multiple employees without worrying about scheduling conflicts or whether or not your employees have access to reliable transportation to the testing location.

A highly knowledgeable food safety expert knows the Minnesota food code in and out, and during a training session at your food production facility you’ll not only have the ability to have your questions answered, but you’ll have the advantage of having your instructor being able to give you real world answers that pertain to your facility and the type of food you produce. A school cafeteria has different needs than a restaurant and there are many different types of kitchens that have different food safety risks. Your instructor can take a look at your facility and answer questions accordingly.

Finally, you can choose which food safety training certification standard you want your employees to achieve. You may want your employees to receive ServSafe training, HAACP certification or any other MN accepted testing, but times and location for your preferred classes just don’t work. Having an on-site training session with all members of your staff that require a certain type of training solves this dilemma

Would you be interested in an on-site food safety training and exam session at your establishment? Let us know, and we’d be happy to design a course that suits your needs.

July 1, 2019June 19, 2019

What is ServSafe Certification?

According to the Minnesota Food code, food preparation establishments must employ a Certified Food Protection Manager that has gained certification from an ANSI accredited program. The National Restaurant Association recognizes ServSafe Certification as its accredited program qualifying it to be used by food protection managers in Minnesota.

MN ServSafe Certification

ServSafe offers several food and alcohol safety certifications, and passing the ServSafe food manager exam meets the Minnesota Food Code’s requirements for certified food protection manager training. Minnesota also recognizes 3 other exams as meeting the requirement including the one from the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals which we regularly use.

As with many training courses, ServSafe is available via instructor led sessions and online training classes. There are positives with each type of training. Online classes can be convenient and taken at any time of day. Instructor led classes allow for interaction with your fellow food managers and give you a rare opportunity to ask questions and discuss food safety procedures with an experienced expert.

ServSafe and the other exams enable you to get certified in Minnesota for three years. Within three years, you must renew your certifications in order to comply with the food code. The health department no longer has a grace period for renewing, so it’s vitally important to stay up to date on your paperwork and take your recertification training without delay before the three year anniversary of initial certification.

While there are four exam options for food safety certification in MN, some national chains and organizations may require ServSafe as their standard for food managers in their employ. If this is the case, Safe Food Training will gladly custom design ServSafe training and examinations that meet Minnesota standards. If you’re looking for your initial certification, refresher courses or recertification instruction, get in touch with us and we’ll set up training that fits your establishment’s requirements.

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019

Certified Food Protection Managers and Meatless Burgers

At Safe Food Training, we like to visit local restaurants and observe current menu trends, and we’ve noticed that more and more establishments are serving meat alternative burgers that are crafted to have a similar taste and texture to that of real beef. Seeing these products trend on menus and in the news got us to thinking, are there any food safety concerns for the certified food protection manager serving meatless burgers?

Meatless Burgers and Certified Food Protection Managers

Vegetarian burger substitutes have existed for ages, but none have come close to simulating beef until now. Two brands in particular, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are easy to find in local restaurants and major chains. Are there any concerns from a food safety standpoint regarding these products?

Never assume that a product is safe just as it is. Even vegetarian products that are served hot must reach the proper temperature of 135 degrees. However, we’re not talking about raw fruit and vegetables that have been pulled from the produce shelf in your walk-in refrigerator, we’re talking about a mixed ingredient product not put together in your facility.

Beyond Meat recommends an internal cooking temperature of 165 degrees for their products, while Impossible Foods labels their product as “well-done” at 160 degrees. In the sales literature for their products, these manufacturers state that their product can be treated as if it were beef, so customers can choose to order their meatless burger undercooked to their liking. If you serve these products, we recommend cooking these product to well done unless a customer requests otherwise. If you choose to serve these burger alternatives at any temperature lower than 160 degrees, we suggest you include the same consumer advisory on your menu as if it were an actual beef burger.

Over time, as food innovations continue to change the landscape of menu options, training for certified food managers in Minnesota will have to be adjusted to incorporate new products. Do you know of any new and exciting food trends we should explore in upcoming articles?

June 4, 2019May 8, 2019

Online Certified Food Protection Manager Exam Study Guide

Whether you’re taking the certified food protection manager- CFPM exam for the first time, or you’re taking the test after your certification has lapsed, it’s always a good idea to review material and subjects that are sure to be on the test. We’ve compiled this CFPM exam study guide to identify the most important material to review before taking the certified food protection manager exam.

Just to be clear none of the MN Department of Health approved test providers allow instructors to provide actual questions for obvious reasons. It’s also impossible to identify the actual questions because the tests have multiple variations of all the questions. It’s likely the person taking the test right next to you will have a different version than yours.

CFPM Exam Study Guide Topics

The certified food protection manager tests are designed to make sure that food service supervisors have the knowledge to keep the food they serve safe and train their staff on how to prevent foodborne illnesses. We can break down study topics to a few categories that should be reviewed before test time:

Preventing cross contamination
The flow of food
Personal hygiene and employee health
Time and temperature control
Active management controls
Facility management and pest prevention
Cleaning and sanitation

This list might look a little daunting, but we’ll simply break it down for you so that you can have a clear plan of action while preparing for your exam.

Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria spreads from one food item to another. This generally occurs when raw food touches ready to eat food, fresh product is prepared on surfaces previously used for raw product and raw food is improperly stored over ready-to-eat foods and food cooked at lower temperatures.

The flow of food deals with what happens with products from the second inventory arrives at your facility up until the moment it is served to guests. In order to get a firm grasp on the flow of food, review how to receive, store, prepare, cook, serve and display food products properly.

Personal hygiene consists of hand washing and the rules for working when sick. Always wash your hands after eating, smoking, using the bathroom and handling raw foods. Also, it’s important to note that sick employees should not handle food.

Time and temperature control will be tested extensively. Review proper cooking and holding times and temperatures.

Active management controls refer to your outlined procedures for ensuring food safety. These can be training, education, action plans or any other food safety management tactics employed to keep your establishment in compliance with the Minnesota food code and prevent food borne illness.

Facility management refers to the cleanliness and maintenance of the physical aspects of the building your business operates out of. Food-borne illness comes from other sources than improperly prepared food. Pests, plumbing problems, deteriorating equipment and other issues with your building’s mechanical elements can pose a food safety risk.

Knowing proper cleaning and sanitation methods is also key to passing the food safety certification exams. Make sure you understand which sanitizing solutions and cleaning methods are approved for food service.

Safe Food Training instructors spend the last portion of every class reviewing each one of these points in detail. Students often comment that, “the review at the end was the best part of the class!” Well over 90% of our students pass the exam the first time they take it.

Click proper here to find a class scheduled at a place and time near you.