Safe Food Training MN Archives

January 29, 2018February 12, 2018

Customized Food Handling Training Courses

The food service industry is unique in the fact that many different types of businesses fall under the food service umbrella. The training needs of a restaurant defer from the certification requirements of school cafeteria and food processing outlets may have specialized protocols for food handling training. Since many different types of facilities exist, why should the same food handling training be given to the employees of different types of food service businesses?

There are many benefits to providing customized food safety training for your employees.

Training can be tailored to your type of business
Training can occur on-site at your facility
The appropriate certification test for your facility can be given
Training can occur on your time

One of the greatest advantages to arranging a customized training session is that the food handling requirements of your staff’s day-to-day routine can be addressed. It’s even more advantageous when the training occurs at your facility so that your instructor can see exactly how food safety procedures will be implemented.

With customized training, you don’t have to wait for the next ServSafe, HACCP or any other certification class and exam. You can request specifically the certification that you require, and you can work with the instructor to perform the training at a time that works for you and your staff.

At Safe Food Training, we can gladly work with you to design a course that will meet your certification requirements and help keep your food safe. We also offer online and regularly schedule training classes and certification examinations. Would a customizable food training course work for your business?

January 23, 2018February 12, 2018

Food Safety Certification Smartphone Training Apps

Every day, the modern smartphone becomes more and more ingrained into our daily routine. Nearly everyone has one, and it is one device that never seems to be too far out of reach day and night. That got us thinking about what a smartphone can do to improve food safety not only in the food service industry but wherever we go.

Food Safety Certification Training on Mobile Devices

A quick search for food safety apps on your device’s app store will reveal that there are a plethora of food handling apps that range from at food safety tips to food safety certification preparation, study guides and practice tests. Many of these apps are free to download, while some from more official sources require a small amount of money to acquire. With this information literally at your fingertips, you can quickly find the answers or resources whenever you have a food safety question or would like to take a quick refresher course.

Before you dive head first into any food safety app, it is important to note that these apps may not be endorsed by your local health department. While they can be a valuable resource, you should be double checking any questionable material with your official food certification training guides or the Minnesota Food Code.

We’ve been having fun checking out some of these mobile resources. We can only wonder what the future of technology and food service training holds. Hopefully VR and robotic food certification instruction is far off into the future and we hang on to our need of human interaction, at least for a little while.

Do you have any apps that have helped you keep on top of food safety or make any aspect of your business easier?

January 2, 2018December 13, 2017

Food Safety Training Advances for Specialty Crop Farmers

At Safe Food Training, we focus on keeping food preparers and certified food managers informed and up to date on food handling procedures. We also spend a significant amount of time keeping an eye on where our food comes from. Recently, the USDA has funded grants for specialty crop farmers in an effort to help modernize food safety training on farms and keep our food supply safe.

Innovations in Food Safety Training on Farms

Farmers of major crops such as corn, soybeans and rice receive their share of approximately 25 billion dollars in subsidies from the US government, but, up until recently, specialty crop farmers received very little. A specialty crop farm ranges from large producers of unique produce to small family farms. Many of these growers don’t have the resources necessary to use more modern and technologically advanced techniques to battle food-borne illness carriers such as insects, amphibians and other influences.

Much of the money from these new grants will be spent on education to help underfunded farms receive training on how to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act. These workshops teach farmers how to update their sanitation procedures to prevent potential contaminates such as E.coli, listeria or chemical products from spreading from sources such as manure or farming equipment to product that is ready to be shipped.

One of the largest issues these grants are looking to tackle is the issue of water quality control. Microorganisms and pathogens are easily spread through water, whether it’s the water in irrigation systems, drinking water for animals or water used to clean equipment. With better water-quality standards and practices, the chances of contaminated produce reaching restaurants and other food preparers will greatly decrease.

Beyond training and water-quality modernization, there are many other food safety training goals for specialty farmers that come along with this funding, including:

Advanced washing and storing solutions for leafy greens to extend shelf life
Water temperature control during the washing of fruits and vegetables
The establishment of clear guidelines on how to follow the FSMA

We think that funding food safety training at all levels will go a long way to reduce product recalls due to contamination and keep the food supply safe for food preparers and consumers in general. Are there any other aspects of the food supply chain before it reaches your facility you’d like us to explore?

December 5, 2017November 8, 2017

Winter Hours and the MN Certified Food Manager

Now that fall is here and daylight savings time has given us one less hour of daylight in the evening, many restaurant goers are choosing to dine out earlier in the evening. For some restaurants, this could mean a nearly empty dining room as the night wears on and closing time approaches.

MN Certified Food Managers and Winter Hours

An empty dining room is never profitable, no matter what time of day it is. MN certified food managers still need to pay the salaries of cooks and wait staff as well as utility bills. It’s important to find solutions that help you maintain a healthy profit margin during the winter months when some diners forgo eating out to save up for Christmas shopping and holiday events.

If you notice a major drop off in business an hour or two before closing, you may wish to adjust your hours of operation accordingly. Some restaurants close an hour earlier during the first part of the week so that they can reduce labor costs during non-peak hours. Keep in mind that weekends still bring out late night diners, so look at the patterns of days you still have a full dining room before adjusting your schedule.

If you’re simply not comfortable with closing early, there are still plenty of options to keep your bottom line in check. Some restaurants keep their bar or lounge open while closing a majority of their dining room. This will allow you to serve a limited menu that can be prepared with a skeleton crew in the kitchen and eliminate the need for excessive service staff eating up payroll. However, due to local liquor regulations minors may not be able to dine in your lounge, so keeping a couple of tables outside of bar area may be a wise decision.

Do you make adjustments during non-peak dining times in the winter season? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.