Food Manager Certification MN Archives

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

How CFPMs Can Reinforce Approved Use Of Sanitation Solutions

CFPMs can reinforce Approved use of Sanitizing Solutions

Sanitizer solutions are essential in reducing the risk of sickening guests, but when used improperly, they can actually increase foodborne illness hazards. So how can certified food protection managers ensure that the staff is using the sanitation solution properly?

Proper Sanitation Solution Use for Certified Food Protection Managers

There are four things CFPMs should be aware of when it comes to properly using sanitizer solutions:

Approved Solutions
Strength
Effective Time Lapse
Cloths Soaked in Solution

CFPMs Can Reinforce Approved Use Of Sanitation Solutions — *Image credit: vectorfusionart via 123rf*

Your sanitizer solution must be a solution approved by the Minnesota food code. Common approved solutions include bleach, quat sanitizers and iodine. These solutions must be mixed to the appropriate strength, so follow the directions closely and use test strips from your sanitizer supplier to ensure proper strength. If it’s too strong, you risk contaminating food with the chemicals involved, and weak solutions will not properly sanitize your surfaces and equipment. Many restaurant suppliers offer automated dispensers that will mix sanitizers and water at the appropriate strength, just make sure to test from time to time to ensure that your solutions are in acceptable ranges.

Sanitizer solutions don’t remain effective forever, so certified food protection managers should instruct their staff to dispose of old sanitizer at regular intervals. If used often, these solutions may become less effective sooner than indicated on the bottle’s label, so be aware that solutions may need to be rotated frequently.

Finally, be aware that your solutions don’t necessarily completely sanitize cleaning rags. If you have an extremely dirty cloth and continue to use it, you’re not exactly sanitizing anything. In fact, you could be spreading grease and bacteria all over your kitchen no matter how long a dirty rag has sat in your sanitizer solution. The best plan is to keep a damp sanitizer rag available rather than soaking it in sanitizer buckets and use clean cloths after old ones become soiled.

Do you take the time to test your sanitizer solutions from time to time to ensure their effectiveness?

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022

Revealing New Certified Food Manager Debate: Day Dots Versus Labels

The Minnesota health code requires certified food managers to utilize a date marking system to keep tabs on when food was produced and stored in their business, but it doesn’t require a specific type of marker. We’ve asked some of our Certified Food Manager students where they stand in this date marking controversy, and we’ve heard a lot of different answers, so we thought we’d explore the different types of methods used.

An Online Certified Food Manager Guide for the Date Marker Debate

Just for a quick review, certified food managers should date mark all food that is:

Ready to eat
Stored for over 24 hours
Refrigerated

All food prepared or moved from its original packaging should be marked with the date it was made or stored, but which marker is the best? We’ve heard several suggestions, but two stand out; day dots and preprinted labels. Certified food managers have strong opinions on the subject, so we’ve had some lively discussions on the pros and cons.

On one side of the certified food manager date marker debate, day dots are color-coded to a specific day of the week, giving a quick visual of when the product was made, but they do have the drawback of limited space to include any details besides the date. Preprinted labels come in a variety of types but often come in a format allowing for the date, what is in the container, the staff member who produced it and the expected shelf life. These labels can be more expensive than day dots, take more time to decipher and could be harder to remove from plastic and metal containers.

During our certified food manager discussion, We also heard of some other creative solutions that may be more cost-effective, but might not be as convenient as using day dots or pre-outlined labels. Masking tape or painter’s tape has been suggested, but oftentimes this will leave glue behind on your storage bins creating a hassle for your dishwasher when containers are empty. We also heard of writing directly on plastic wrap that covers the container. This unfortunately doesn’t meet the standards as plastic wrap can easily be discarded or broken by a felt pen, and please don’t ever consider writing directly on food product, even with edible ink.

Where do you stand on the date marking debate?

October 11, 2021October 6, 2021

Practical Reasons For ServSafe Food Managers To Use Frozen Product

During the fall and winter, many fresh ingredients tend to become scarce or the quality of these ingredients begins to decline. Replacing fresh product with frozen product keeps these ingredients on hand, and may offer the opportunity to reduce waste through better product inventory control. This week, we’d like to examine some items that ServSafe food managers may want to considering ordering in frozen product rather than fresh during the offseason.

ServSafe Food Managers Can Reduce Waste and Improving Quality with Frozen Ingredients

Spring and summer bring a bounty of fresh ingredients, but besides ingredients used in traditional fall cuisine the quality and availability of these summertime ingredients becomes scarce or subpar. Some common ingredients that begin to disappear in the fall include:

Fresh Ocean Fish
Seasonal Vegetables
Berries

While there are many species of fish that are available fresh all year round, several popular types become uncommon or begin to deteriorate in quality. Fresh salmon, halibut and other cold water fish become scarce at the end of the season. Not only will the quality of many ocean fish be subpar, the fresh prices will skyrocket as demand outpaces supply. If you want to avoid potentially mushy, flavorless ocean fish, buying fish that was flash frozen at harvest could save on food costs and provide a better experience for your guests. You’ll also have better control over your product as you can thaw the amount of fish you need for daily service without the risk that comes from spoilage from larger quantities of fresh product. Using flash frozen ocean fish can save on food cost, improve quality and help ServSafe food managers reduce waste.

If you’ve ordered vegetables traditionally only available in the spring out of season, you’ve probably noticed a decline in quality from months earlier. This is due to produce coming from farther away or being grown in conditions that may not be optimal. While many ServSafe food managers opt to rotate to locally available vegetables, many chefs can be stubborn and tied down to ingredients on their signature dishes. If you’re not serving these items fresh, most seasonal vegetables will be available blanched and frozen.

If you use berries or other fruit for baking or desserts, bringing in frozen ingredients will help with waste control as prices rise in the offseason. However, frozen berries and fruit are best suited for cooking, dressings or compotes rather than to be served on their own.

Do the ServSafe Food Managers in your establishment switch to frozen product in the offseason?

June 13, 2021June 13, 2021

Important Filing Deadlines For Your Food Protection Manager Certificate

We all know that restaurants and other establishments that serve or prepare food are required to have a Minnesota certified food protection manager on staff to ensure that the food they prepare is safe and that sanitation procedures are being properly followed. However, there is often some confusion as to what paperwork needs to be filed with the health department and when you have to document proof of a passed food protection manager exam. In order to clear up some of the confusion, let’s take a closer look at what steps CFPMs must take after gaining their food protection manager certificate.

How to File Your Food Protection Manager Certificate With The State

Every once in a while, we run across students who pass the certified food protection manager exam and are unclear if there’s anything else necessary in order to be properly certified. Simply taking in-person or online food safety management training and gaining your certificate is not enough to completely comply with the Minnesota food code. Candidates who pass their initial exam or complete a renewal course must complete the paperwork with the Minnesota Department of Health, and they have a limited time to do so.

Once you’ve passed the exam, you must fill out an initial CFPM application if this is your first submission or a CFPM renewal application when renewing your certificate. These then must be mailed to the department of health at the address listed on the application form. Included in the application should be a copy of proof of attending at least four hours of food management training or successful completion of the CFPM exam.

The exam certificates have expiration dates that are up to five years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have five years to send a copy of your certificate to the Minnesota Health Department. Most food management exam programs are accepted in multiple states, so the expiration date on your certificate does not give you added time to submit your CFPM application. The state of Minnesota requires the application to be submitted with six months of passing the course.

We’ve been asked if there is anything that can be done if this deadline is missed, and unfortunately, if you forget to apply before the six months is up you must repeat the course and retake the exam. Don’t frame your food protection manager certificate immediately or leave it in a drawer to be forgotten, make sure you file your CFPM application with the state as soon as possible after successful training.