Spotlight On Holiday Charitable Donation Resources For Food Safety Managers

Spotlight On Holiday Donation Resources For Food Safety Managers

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Nearly one in 11 Minnesotans struggle with hunger or are food insecure, and coming out of the COVID pandemic, many are still fighting poverty to feed their families. Over the hard times of the past two years, Minnesota food safety managers stepped up to help fill that void by donating surplus supplies, ingredients and meals to local food banks and charitable meal providers, but now that we’re entering the post-COVID holiday season we should be aware that the hunger problem hasn’t dissipated with the pandemic, and Minnesota food businesses can still play a vital role in helping struggling families enjoy the holiday season. We’ve assembled a list of donation resources for food safety managers who want to help local families in need.

Spotlight On Holiday Charitable Donation Resources For Food Safety Managers
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Donation Resources For Food Safety Managers That Can Help Struggling Families Put Food On The Table During The Holidays

There are many reasons for food safety managers to consider donating surplus or ordering and preparing extra holiday dinners to donate during the holidays. Some include:

  • Tax deductions
  • Waste reduction
  • Business promotion
  • Becoming a vital part of the community

While charity doesn’t always include a business bonus, sometimes helping your community can help reduce your taxes. Food businesses that donate food are eligible for a tax deduction. A tax deduction up to twice the cost of purchasing the product donated can be written off come tax time. This includes surplus as well as food brought in with the intention of donation.

Donating surplus over the holidays will not only feed struggling members of your community, it will also reduce waste and help keep your food cost in check. Nearly one-third of product brought into food businesses is wasted, so donating excess can go to help your neighbors rather than the dumpster.

Finally, businesses can donate anonymously, but often times charities will give credit to donors. When your food business donates meals, ingredients or other items during the holidays, your community will inevitably hear about it. When your business is known for charity, you may attract customers who may have never frequented your business if they didn’t know you were a vital part of the community during the holiday season.

Here’s a brief list of donation resources on how food safety managers can donate during the holidays. Many local municipalities have organizations and charities focused on your local communities, so feel free to reach out to local charities not listed here:

Do you have plans to donate product to charity this holiday season? Do you know of other donation resources food safety managers can use to distribute food to the community?

Staying Home when Sick

A Lesson in Norovirus Control for Certified Food Protection Managers

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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?

Food Safety Management Steps for Starting a New Food Business

Food Safety Management Steps for Starting a New Food Business

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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?

Food safety training refresher for outdoor events

Really Astonishing Food Safety Training Refresher For Cooking Outdoors

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With summer around the corner, some eating establishments are beginning to plan outdoor events such as barbecues, mobile kitchens and backyard catering, but you should be aware that the health department requires the same food safety training standards whether you’re cooking inside or outside. There are quite a few challenges when taking the kitchen to the great outdoors, so we created a food safety training refresher for your use.

Food Safety Training Refresher For Cooking Outdoors
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Food Safety Training Review for Outdoor Cooking Events

When planning an outdoor event with live cooking stations, you should brush-up your food safety training and make sure that you have the capabilities to follow proper food safety training for:

  • Sanitation
  • Handwashing
  • Temperature control

Since you’re away from your kitchen, you’ll need to take steps to ensure you have an approved sanitizer solution on hand for preparation surfaces and cooking utensils. Not only should you have a bucket of sanitizer solution handy, you should take precautions to refresh your sanitizer solution occasionally. This could be a spare brought from your main facility, or if you’re close enough to your kitchen a replacement could be brought to your outdoor kitchen occasionally.

Another food safety training reminder is setting up an outdoor handwashing station, which is also required if you’re actively cooking and preparing food away from your kitchen. Unlike providing a sanitizer solution, a handwashing station will take a little bit more of an investment. Simply sanitizing hands or wearing gloves will not effectively prevent the transmission of foodborne pathogens from handling raw ingredients. There are a few styles of mobile handwashing stations available, so contact your equipment supplier to find one that is best suited for your setup.

Finally, cold foods will need to be kept cold and hot foods will need to be kept hot. If you’re cooking proteins such as hamburgers, chicken or bratwurst, they must be kept cold until they hit the grill. Make sure that you have a cooler box or ice bath that can maintain a temperature below 41-degrees or have a supply of fresh product brought out to your cooking stations periodically.

Are you planning on setting up an outdoor kitchen to attract customers this summer? Have you scheduled a food safety training refresher for your staff?