Safe Food Training MN Archives

August 8, 2017August 3, 2017

Cat Cafes and Minnesota Food Safety Certifications

Cat Cafe and Minnesota Food Safety Certifications

Originating in Japan, cat cafes are now beginning to make their way to the United States and gain in popularity. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a cat cafe offers the opportunity to grab a beverage and a snack while playing with frisky and friendly felines. Some cafes double as adoption centers or as non-profits to raise money for animal related charities. Whenever you mix live animals and food service, the looming issue becomes what Minnesota food safety certifications are required and how do you serve food safely in a restaurant full of cats.

Food Safety Regulations for Cat Cafes

No cat cafe currently operates in Minnesota, but local entrepreneurs plan to open one in Minneapolis by the end of the year, and if it’s a success more are sure to follow.

Cats have a mind of their own, and they don’t care what food safety regulations say, they’re going to do whatever they want and go wherever they wish. A few ideas come to mind to help prevent animals from contaminating food in these establishments.

Separate food preparation from animals
Provide one area designated for eating and one for interacting with kittens
Serve prepackaged items and beverages that do not require on-site preparation
Have hand-washing sinks or sanitizer stations readily available for guests

When we talk about separating food preparation areas from animals, we mean that there should be no chance that a cat could have access to prep stations or food. This problem could be solved by having one area for food, and a completely separated space for interaction with cute, fuzzy creatures.

Another solution can simply be to serve bagged items such as chips and snacks as well as beverages in cans, bottles or cups enclosed with lids. This greatly reduces the risk of cat dander or other pet related contaminates from mixing with food.

With this craze in its infancy in the U.S., only time will tell what health risks these attractions pose and what food safety certifications and regulations will have to be followed. How do you feel about the idea of a cat cafe?

July 25, 2017July 7, 2017

MN Food Manager Certification Training and Menus

Whether written in chalk on a sandwich board or displayed in elegant fonts in a leather bound folder, menus exist in nearly every restaurant around the world. They also play an important role in food safety and preventing the spread of food-borne illness. In a recent food manager certification training session we engaged in a discussion about what style of menu best promotes food safety, and this week we’d like to share our findings.

Food Manager Certification Training for Keeping Menus Safe

If a restaurant places menus on the table, guests inevitably pick it up. Sometimes food spills on menus and used eating utensils come into contact with the surface. Each of these things potentially transfer bacteria onto these menus that can cause food-borne illness. Different types pose different levels of risk, and some of the menu solutions we’ve looked at include:

Paper
Laminated
Overhead signs
Digital

Some food managers use disposable paper menus to prevent one guest from spreading an illness to the next. This is effective only if the menus are disposed of after each diner uses them. Paper menus come with the added cost of the regular purchase of paper goods and the time it takes to print them before, after and even during service if supply runs low.

Laminated menus last longer than paper menus, but an increased risk of spreading bacteria comes if cleaning is infrequent. We’ve visited restaurants where laminated menus feel slick and greasy and may not have been sanitized. Laminated menus beat paper as far as cost effectiveness goes, but sanitation should occur between guests.

From a food manager certification training perspective, an overhead sign poses no real food safety threat to guests. This or a sandwich board offers a good solution for establishments that take orders at a counter rather than provide table-side service.

Many restaurants experiment with the use of digital menus. These range from a tablet left by a server or a touch screen permanently resting on the table. Using a device as a menu may raise operating costs, but they give your customers a unique experience as games and videos give them extra entertainment while waiting for food to arrive. It helps speed up service during busy times as guests can place an order without a server’s assistance. The screens of these need cleaning often as guests will frequently touch them.

Do you consider the spread of food-borne illness when deciding what type of menu to use in your facility?

July 11, 2017July 7, 2017

ServSafe Food Manager and Allergy Education

Allergy Action Plans and the ServSafe Food Manager

As a ServSafe Food Manager it’s important that the staff be familiar with your allergy action plan. While most food service workers know about food allergies and feel they can accommodate customers with allergies who visit their establishment, educational gaps occur in some facilities concerning how allergies work and what to do in an emergency situation. The CDC recently conducted a study seeking to find how much restaurant staff actually knew about the topic and came up with some interesting findings.

Allergy Action Plans and the ServSafe Food Manager

One illuminating fact this study shows is that allergies are more common than many ServSafe food managers realize. One in 13 children suffers from some form of food allergy, while one in 25 adults must avoid certain foods. The severity of reaction varies from person to person, but some react by coming into contact with allergens without even ingesting the ingredient.

Since some of these reactions cause severe distress, and possibly death if emergency help does not arrive in time, having a plan in place prepares your staff to deal with guests with allergies. Some things you should teach your employees include:

What common allergens exist in your facility
Some customers cannot consume even small amount of certain items
How to react if a guest has a reaction

Knowledge helps keep your guests safe. Some of your patrons will not be able to consume common items such as nuts, dairy or shellfish. Teaching your cooks and service staff how these ingredients are used can help steer guests away from certain dishes.

If a guest has a reaction, get help immediately. Some reactions happen from minor contact and should not be waited out to see if the guest recovers. Call 911, and if a guest wears an allergy alert bracelet relay that information so that emergency responders can be prepared.

Integrate allergy training to make sure your staff feels confident in serving diners with allergies. Some outlets nominate one or two employees, one of them their designated ServSafe food manager, to receive extra training and pass that knowledge on to staff members and personally handle guests questions about allergens on the menu.

Do you have an allergy action plan? If so, feel free to share in the comment section below.

June 27, 2017June 11, 2017

A Minnesota Commercial Kitchen Inspection Checklist

Whenever the health inspector arrives at your establishment for a routine inspection, they’ll more than likely pull out a clipboard with a kitchen inspection checklist of common violations to look for. We think that creating your own checklist is an important tool for certified food managers, and regularly scheduled self-checks of your kitchen will ensure you’ve maintained an environment that prevents the spread of food-borne illnesses.

by BDSPN – yayimages.com

Creating a Commercial Kitchen Inspection Checklist

Your checklist should resemble that of your local health inspector’s list. An inspector checks these common things shortly after they walk into your establishment:

- The availability of soap, hot water and paper towels at handwashing stations
- Cold storage refrigeration temperatures
- The availability of probe thermometers
- The availability of properly mixed sanitizer solutions
- Hands free food-handling compliance
- Proper posting of food handling certificates

Your local health department prioritizes these six things during an inspection, so you should make sure that your facility has these items covered on a daily basis. During an inspection, an official checks cooked and hot-held foods for proper temperatures. Include a review session with your staff to make sure they know their holding temperatures for all products.

Also, your staff’s handwashing technique will be observed. Posting a handwashing procedure chart helps remind your team to be diligent

Your checklist should not only include routine checks of your refrigeration temperature, but a reminder to make sure food is stored properly. Stocking raw proteins above produce or ready to eat foods results in a violation and increases the risk of cross contamination. Rules require proteins to be stored in descending order of final cooking temperatures. Raw chicken and poultry must remain on the bottom shelf. We recommend that you section off your cold storage so that raw meat and fresh produce have very little chance of coming into contact with each other.

Finally, your commercial kitchen inspection checklist should include a review of the maintenance of your equipment. Regularly inspecting equipment lets you know if any mechanical issues exist that could possibly cause problems in the future. This reduces waste in the event of a refrigerator malfunction, and prevents shutdowns due to faulty cooking equipment.

Tailoring your inspection checklist to your establishment’s specific needs is important. No two food production facilities are the same. What things do you regularly look for when inspecting your facility?