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Safe Food Act

The Safe Food Act and Streamlining National Food Safety

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Currently, the responsibility of food safety oversight of food products imported, grown and produced in the United States is split between 15 different agencies. In late June, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have once again introduced their Safe Food Act, a bill that aims to streamline federal food safety operations by consolidating these 15 agencies into a single, independent agency. This week, we’ll explore this bill and briefly summarize how the current federal food safety process works.

Safe Food Act
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New Safe Food Act Details

The bill itself is 81-pages long and chock full of complex language, but we can pull out a few highlights to summarize what this bill intends to accomplish.

  • Establish a single food safety agency
  • Improve the import inspection process
  • Require product traceability to quickly identify the source of outbreaks
  • Develop data sharing to learn more about outbreaks and foodborne illness

The sponsors of this bill are concerned that the current food safety system is too fragmented to be incredibly effective. The FDA and USDA are responsible for different aspects of regulation and inspection while the CDC also becomes involved in the event of an outbreak. There are also several sub-agencies that are involved in the overall process. The lawmakers feel that consolidating these agencies will put all of the information at the fingertips of one agency reducing gaps in coverage.

With numerous outbreaks occurring from product from out of the country, the Safe Food Act aims to improve the inspection process of foreign product before contaminated food reaches the market.

Finally, this bill will aim to provide a system to learn more about foodborne illness outbreaks. If the source of an outbreak can be traced quickly, product can be recalled and removed faster than under the current system. Data tracking and sharing also gives greater insight that can be used to counter the effects of outbreaks in the future.

This isn’t the first time lawmakers have suggested consolidating all of the federal food safety agencies under one roof. The Safe Food Act was previously introduced by these same senators in 1999, and the White House called for the simplification of the food safety inspection and outbreak prevention process in 2018.

Do you feel a consolidated food safety agency will reduce foodborne illness, or do you believe multiple agencies provide us better protection?

Certified Food Protection Managers and Farmers Market

Certified Food Protection Managers and Farmer’s Markets

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One of the great things about living in our state is the unbelievable bounty of fresh produce available in the summer and fall at local farmer’s markets. Local restauranteurs and certified food protection managers love to source ingredients locally and many feel that advertising fresh ingredients grown by members of the farming community draws customers in, but can food purchased at the farmer’s market be used in commercial kitchens?

Certified Food Protection Managers and Farmers Market

Certified Food Protection Managers Guide for Farmers Market Ingredients

Fresh product, especially produce, is the key to making any dish great, and it doesn’t get much fresher than buying from a local producer at a farmer’s market. There are no regulations prohibiting the use of ingredients purchased at the farmer’s market, but certified food protection manager training tells us that we should take precautions and be prudent to make sure they purchase their product from safe sources. Here’s a few tips to making sure you’re purchasing quality ingredients that won’t sicken your customers:

  • Inspect product for traces of quality and freshness
  • Be smart about your sources
  • Only purchase wild mushrooms from licensed vendors

Of course chefs and Minnesota certified food protection managers are going to take a close look at the product they purchase, but the same inspection process should happen even when only purchasing a few items at the market. Take a close look for excess dirt or other contaminants as well as signs that a pest has been nibbling on the product somewhere between the farm and market. Most pesticides will be invisible, but if you notice an overly waxy texture or odd sheen to produce, there’s a chance it has been treated with something to resist insects or make it look more attractive.

Secondly, purchase products from farms and vendors you trust. Depending on the circumstances, vendors may or may not be required to obtain a license to set up a booth, but a license does not necessarily mean that all proper food safety protocols have been followed. We suggest you buy from booths that represent farms you know and avoid unaffiliated produce vendors.

Finally, only purchase mushrooms from certified vendors. The Minnesota Food Code requires wild mushroom harvesters to be registered as a mushroom expert to prevent bad mushrooms from sickening or even possibly killing anyone who consumes them.

Do you take advantage of local Minnesota farmers markets to bring freshness to your menu?

E.coli in Raw Flour

Food Safety Managers and E.coli in Raw Flour

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It’s easy to identify the most common causes of foodborne illnesses; Undercooked proteins, ready-to-eat items contaminated by unwashed hands and produce that contacts pathogens in the dirt. Lately, we’ve noticed an increase in recalls and reports of illnesses caused by E.coli in raw flour. We’d like to take a look at the hazards of raw flour and how you can prevent contaminated product from sickening your guests.

E.coli in Raw Flour
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Raw Flour and E.coli

Raw flour isn’t exactly something that appears on everyday menus. In fact, we’ve never been to a restaurant where the wait staff has asked if we’d like to order a side of raw flour while we wait for our meal. If that ever does happen, we’ll take some time to question the chef’s qualifications before proceeding with our order.

Raw flour is, however, an ingredient in many different types of foods. Food service professionals use it in bread doughs, desserts, breading for fried foods and as thickening agents in soups and sauces. So how can we prevent E.coli that may exist in raw flour products from reaching our guests? Here’s a few tips:

  • Treat raw flour and products with raw flour ingredients as a high-risk food
  • Always sanitize preparation surfaces raw flour has contacted
  • Wash all utensils that contact raw flour before reusing
  • Fully cook products with flour ingredients to kill bacteria
  • Monitor recall notices for flour contamination

Food safety managers need to alert staff that E.coli in raw flour can sicken guests. Review cross contamination guidelines and remind employees that just like raw chicken, allowing prepared food to contact raw flour can potentially spread pathogens to your guests. Most products with flour ingredients are cooked well enough to kill E.coli. Just remember, do not undercook foods with flour ingredients.

Finally, remember that flour is a common allergen and can sicken your guests even if it does not contain the dangerous E.coli bacteria. You may wish to include a disclaimer on your menus and packaging that your products either contain or may have come into contact with wheat flour during preparation.

Do you know of any other under-the-radar food that could sicken guests that we should investigate?

ServSafe Allergen Labelling Icons

ServSafe Allergen Labeling

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The FDA issues a large number of recalls each year for a multitude of reasons. Reasons for recall include product tainted with bacteria such as E.coli or salmonella or if foreign objects have made their way into the product before shipping. We pay close attention to recalls, and we’ve noticed a trend in recalled product for a third reason. Many manufacturers are failing to identify potential food allergens in their product and label packaging accordingly. This week, we’ll look at Minnesota and ServSafe allergen labeling procedures.

Allergens free icons vector set

ServSafe Guidelines for Allergen Label Warnings

Food allergies have become a growing concern among customers who purchase grab-and-go items from food producers. In order to prevent inadvertent consumption of common food allergens, the Minnesota Department of Health requires labels on pre-packaged foods produced for sale. These labels should contain the following information:

  • Identity or name of packaged item
  • Net quantity of product
  • Ingredient list, including major food allergens
  • Nutritional information

While there’s a lot to consider when labeling your product, we’d like to focus on the major food allergens. There are eight items outlined by the department of health as major food allergens. These eight food items are responsible for approximately 90 percent of all allergies. The labels on prepackaged foods must identify these ingredients:

  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Crustacean shellfish
  • Fish
  • Milk and dairy products
  • Eggs
  • Soy

If your product contains any of these items, you must indicate that on the product’s label. We’d like to see food producers take it a step further and indicate on your label if you handle any of these items in your facility. Third-party contact can sicken those with extreme food allergen sensitivity.

We’d like to note that these rules apply more to producers of food for retail and restaurants that have prepacked foods available rather than customers who order takeout. However, you should use your best judgment and rely on this ServSafe allergen labeling training to identify the eight major food allergens on your menu if you don’t serve prepackaged foods. Marking common allergens on your menu can help those afflicted by allergies steer clear of items that may initiate an attack.

Do you identify and inform your customers of allergens in prepackaged food at your establishment?