Tag: food borne illness

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The Hidden Risks of Raw Milk: What Minnesota Food Managers Need to Know About the Latest E. Coli Outbreak

Raw milk

The recent 2026 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak tied to raw cheddar cheese is a serious wake-up call for Minnesota food professionals. To keep your customers safe and your doors open, you need to stick strictly to pasteurized dairy from approved suppliers and keep your Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) credentials fully up to date.

Another Outbreak, Another Reminder

If you run a slammed diner in St. Paul or oversee a massive school cafeteria up in Duluth, you already know food safety is way more than just checking boxes for the health inspector. It’s about looking out for the folks we serve every single day.

When the CDC and FDA began investigating the latest multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to raw cheddar, it hit close to home for many of us in the industry. Seeing kids get sick from something preventable is incredibly tough. And honestly, it was frustrating to see the manufacturer initially push back on a voluntary recall even after the source was identified. We obviously can’t dictate what big manufacturers do, but we have absolute say over what gets delivered through our own back doors and put into our walk-ins.

Why Pasteurization Is Your Best Defense

Artisanal trends are popular right now, but unpasteurized milk and cheese simply aren’t worth the gamble. Raw dairy is a well-known hiding place for dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli.

Think of pasteurization as your kitchen’s built-in safety net. It’s the essential “kill step” that wipes out those bugs before the cheese even gets near your prep tables. Skipping that step puts your customers at immediate risk.

3 Non-Negotiable Rules for Your Next Shift Huddle

Talk through these quick checks with your crew before the dinner rush tonight:

  • Check the Paperwork: If a dairy delivery doesn’t come from a regulated supplier with the right documentation, don’t sign for it.

 

  • Watch the Thermometer: Keep a close eye on your coolers. Even perfectly pasteurized cheese goes bad if it sits above 41°F.

 

  • Back Up Your Team: Let your prep cooks and dishwashers know it’s okay to speak up. If a truck drops off a warm delivery, they need to know you have their back when they reject it.

Choosing the Right Path to Certification

Solid training is the best way to ensure your staff understands the “why” behind the rules we enforce. You need your 8-hour CFPM license or your 3-year continuing education credits to stay compliant, but how you get there is your choice. At Safe Food Training, we offer options that actually fit your schedule. 

Raw Dairy

What We Look At

In-Person CFPM Training

Online CFPM Training

The Environment

Distraction-free classroom where we talk through real kitchen scenarios.

100% flexible. Learn from your couch or the breakroom on your own time.

Passing the Test

Historically high pass rate because we work through the tricky stuff together.

Relies a bit more on your individual study habits and testing skills.

Best Fit For…

Folks who like to ask me direct questions and hate staring at screens.

Busy kitchen managers juggling crazy shift schedules and family time.

Location

Easy-to-reach spots all over Minnesota.

Wherever you have a solid Wi-Fi connection.

Safe Food Training Q&A

Common questions include:

What is the primary service that Safe Food Training offers?

We specialize in providing personalized, 8-hour certified food protection manager licensing courses tailored for food professionals across Minnesota. We also run the dedicated continuing education training you need right alongside our main certification course.

How will I know when it's time to renew my certification?

Nobody has time to memorize renewal dates while running a kitchen. If you’re a Safe Food Training client, we track your three-year cycle for you. We send out timely reminders well before you expire so you can easily stay compliant with Minnesota law without stressing about dates..

I just need continuing education credits. Do I have to take the full 8-hour course?

No, you definitely do not. We offer dedicated continuing education training specifically for professionals who just need to fulfill Minnesota’s renewal requirements. We run these sessions concurrently with our comprehensive certification course, making it super easy to drop in, get your credits, and get back to work.

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Farm-Fresh vs. Store-Bought Eggs: An Easter Food Safety Guide

Easter food safety guide
Easter food safety guide
How should you store your eggs?

Whether you’re grabbing eggs from a local Minnesota farm or a St. Paul grocery store this Easter, safety comes down to one thing: keeping them at 41°F or below. Farm-fresh eggs have a natural coating called the “bloom” that protects them, but once they’re washed or refrigerated, they’ve got to stay cold. This isn’t just a good idea—it’s how you keep your Minnesota kitchen compliant and your guests safe from Salmonella.

Easter in Minnesota usually means a hectic kitchen and plenty of eggs for decorating and brunch. If you’re managing a restaurant in Minneapolis or a catering business in Duluth, you know that spring brings plenty of options for where those eggs come from. But the rules for a farm-fresh egg aren’t exactly the same as those in the carton you grab from the grocery store.

The Shell Game: Store-Bought vs. Farm-Fresh

Commercial eggs from the store are power-washed and sanitized before they ever hit the shelf. This process removes dirt but also strips away the “bloom” layer that keeps bacteria out. Because that layer is gone, store-bought eggs have to stay refrigerated from the moment they’re processed until they hit your frying pan.

Farm-fresh eggs are different. Many local farmers leave the bloom intact. In a home kitchen, these can sometimes sit on the counter. But here’s the catch for pros: once a farm egg enters refrigeration, it must remain there. If a cold egg sits out and starts to “sweat,” that moisture can actually pull bacteria through the porous shell and right into the egg.

Feature

Store-Bought (Commercial)

Farm-Fresh (Local)

Processing

Sanitized and power-washed.

Often unwashed to keep the “bloom.”

Storage

Must be refrigerated immediately.

Can stay at room temp only if unwashed.

Safety Risk

Porous shells can absorb bacteria if sweating.

Higher risk of external dirt or fecal matter.

MN Regulation

Must come from approved sources for CFPM.

Requires specific labeling for retail sale.

Hard-Boiled Safety for Easter

Farm fresh vs. store-bought eggs
Farm fresh versus store-bought eggs, how do you store them?

If you’re boiling eggs for the kids to dye or for a Sunday brunch salad, don’t forget that the cooking process also removes that protective bloom. Hard-boiled eggs actually spoil faster than raw ones. You shouldn’t ever leave them out of the fridge for more than two hours. If you’re hosting a big outdoor event and it happens to be a warm Minnesota spring day, that window drops to just one hour.

The shells of hard-boiled eggs are actually more porous after they’re cooked. This makes it a lot easier for smells and bacteria to get inside. It’s best to store them in a sealed container in the middle of the fridge. Avoid the door, where the temperature jumps every time someone opens it to grab the milk.

Your Training, Your Choice

Staying on top of these details is what keeps your doors open. Minnesota has specific food safety standards that go beyond knowing how to cook an egg. When it comes to getting your CFPM, you’ve got a choice to make.

Our in-person training in the Twin Cities is a great way to get out of the kitchen for a day. It’s distraction-free, and we see much higher pass rates because we can talk through these scenarios face-to-face. If you’re tied to the kitchen and can’t get away, our online courses offer the flexibility you need to study between shifts. Both options will get you exactly where you need to be.

Register for an upcoming in-person course or start your online training today to stay compliant with Minnesota food safety laws.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some of the most common questions we get include:

What specific topics are covered in the 8-hour Certified Food Protection Manager course?

Our course covers the prevention of foodborne illness, proper time and temperature controls, preventing cross-contamination, personal hygiene, and cleaning procedures.

Is the CFPM exam included with the course?

Yes, the cost of our 8-hour licensing course includes the certification exam in one convenient session.

How often must I complete continuing education to maintain my certification in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, you’ve got to renew your CFPM license by completing continuing education every three years.

I just need continuing education credits. Do I have to take the full 8-hour course?

No, you don’t. We offer dedicated continuing education training specifically for professionals who just need to fulfill the renewal requirements.

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Is Your Kitchen in the Danger Zone? A Guide to Precision Temperature Control

temperature control

In Minnesota, the “Danger Zone” is the temperature range between 41°F and 135°F where bacteria grow most rapidly. To stay compliant with the Minnesota Food Code, Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods must be kept outside this range—either held hot above 135°F or maintained cold at 41°F or below.

If you are managing a busy kitchen during a rush, it is easy to trust the thermometer on the outside of the walk-in cooler or assume the steam table is “hot enough.” However, after years of training food professionals across Minnesota, I’ve seen that relying on guesswork is the fastest way to land a correction order from the health department—or worse, cause a foodborne illness outbreak.

temperature control
Do you know the rules?

Here is your guide to mastering precision temperature control and keeping your kitchen safe.

Why Minutes Matter in the Danger Zone

Bacteria need little time to become dangerous. In the Danger Zone (41°F – 135°F), bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes. This means a pan of soup left on a prep table for just a couple of hours can turn from safe to hazardous before you even notice.

In a professional kitchen, we aren’t just concerned with “spoiled” food; we are concerned with pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli that don’t change the appearance, smell, or taste of the food. The only way to prevent this is to control how long food spends in this temperature range.

The 3 Critical Temperature Rules for MN Kitchens

kitchen fridge for precision temperature control
Are your temperature control regulations accurate?

To keep your food safe and your inspection report clean, your staff needs to memorize these three critical thresholds:

1. Cold Holding: 41°F or Below

  • The Rule: Cold foods (like cut melons, dairy, raw meats, and cut leafy greens) must be kept at an internal temperature of 41°F or lower.
  • Common Mistake: Overfilling the prep table. If you stack pans too high, the food on top isn’t getting the cold air it needs.
  • Jeff’s Pro Tip: Don’t rely on the built-in thermometer in your cooler. Place a separate thermometer in the warmest part of the unit (usually near the door) to get the real story.

2. Hot Holding: 135°F or Above

  • The Rule: Hot foods (such as soups, rice, and cooked meats) must be maintained at 135°F or higher.
  • Common Mistake: Reheating food in a steam table. Steam tables maintain temperature; they don’t bring food through the danger zone quickly enough.
  • Jeff’s Pro Tip: Always reheat food to 165°F (for 15 seconds) first, then transfer it to the hot-holding unit.

  • 3. Cooling: The Two-Stage Process

     

    cooling
    What procedures do you use for cooling?

    Cooling is where most kitchens get into trouble. You cannot just place a 5-gallon pot of hot chili in the walk-in; it will remain in the Danger Zone for hours and raise the temperature of everything else in the fridge. You must follow the Two-Stage Cooling Process:

    Stage

    Temperature Drop

    Time Limit

    Stage 1

    135°F down to 70°F

    Within 2 Hours

    Stage 2

    70°F down to 41°F

    Within the next 4 Hours

    Total

    135°F to 41°F

    6 Hours Max

    Why 70°F? Bacteria grows even faster between 125°F and 70°F. If you don’t reach 70°F within the first two hours, you must reheat it to 165°F and start over—or discard it.

How to Speed Up Cooling

To stay compliant, I recommend using one of these three methods:

  1. Ice Baths: Place the food container in a larger prep sink filled with ice and water.
  2. Shallow Pans: Transfer hot liquids into shallow metal pans (2 inches deep or less) to increase surface area.
  3. Ice Wands: Use frozen plastic paddles to stir liquids and cool them from the inside out.

The “Ice Water” Calibration Test

A thermometer is only useful if it’s accurate. If you drop your thermometer, it can easily lose its calibration. We recommend testing your thermometers at least once a week:

  1. Fill a glass with crushed ice and add water (more ice than water).
  2. Stir the mixture and let it sit for 3 minutes.
  3. Insert the probe into the center of the glass (don’t touch the sides or bottom).
  4. The reading should be 32°F (0°C).
  5. If it reads differently, adjust the nut under the dial until it hits 32°F.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions we get about temperature control.

What is the temperature danger zone in Minnesota?

The specific danger zone defined by the Minnesota Food Code is 41°F to 135°F.

How long can food sit out before I have to discard it?

Generally, TCS food should not remain in the Danger Zone for over 4 hours. If you aren’t using a specific “Time as a Public Health Control” (TPHC) plan, you must discard it once it reaches the 4-hour mark.

Can I use a laser (infrared) thermometer for everything?

No. Laser thermometers only measure surface temperature. To determine whether a chicken breast or a pot of soup is safe, use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature.

Get Certified with Safe Food Training

Understanding these rules is just the beginning. To truly protect your business and your customers, you need a deep dive into the Minnesota Food Code. We offer two ways to get your Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) license:

Pass/fail
Learn right away if you pass or fail.

Feature

In-Person Training

Online Training

Best For

“Get it done in one shot.”

“Learn on your timeline.”

Pass Rate

Highest pass rates because of live Q&A.

High, but requires self-discipline.

Environment

Distraction-free with immediate feedback.

Flexible; learn from home or office.

Jeff Webster

Direct interaction with Jeff.

Self-paced modules.

Ready to secure your spot?

Register for an In-Person or Online Course Today at SafeFoodTraining.com

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The Invisible Threat: 5 CFPM Strategies for Preventing Physical Contamination in Your Kitchen

CFPM Kitchen
Clean commercial kitchen for CFPM.
Don’t let these hidden threats put your business in jeopardy.

Physical hazards are often the most overlooked threat to food safety. This guide outlines five actionable strategies—from strict uniform policies to equipment maintenance—to help every food manager prevent physical contamination in the kitchen.

In the high-pressure environment of a commercial kitchen, the focus is often on invisible threats such as Salmonella or E. coli. However, a CFPM (Certified Food Protection Manager) knows that physical hazards—shards of glass, metal shavings, or even a lost bandage—pose an immediate and terrifying risk to customers. Unlike bacteria, which are destroyed by heat, physical contaminants survive the cooking process, making prevention your only line of defense.

Safe Food Training emphasizes that physical contamination often stems from negligence or wear and tear. By implementing these five targeted strategies, you protect your diners from injury and shield your business from liability and reputational damage arising from a “foreign object” complaint.

1. Fortifying the Front Line: Employee Hygiene and Habits

blue bandage protocols in CFPM kitchens.
Do you have a bandage color in place in your kitchen?

Your staff is your first line of defense, but contamination can also occur if they do not follow strict protocols. A proactive CFPM must enforce rigid standards regarding what employees wear and bring into the prep area.

  • Strategy #1: The “No Jewelry” Mandate: It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about safety. Rings (other than a plain band), earrings, and bracelets can easily fall into food or catch on equipment. Enforce a zero-tolerance policy on jewelry in food-prep areas to eliminate the risk of stones or metal clasps entering a customer’s meal.

     

  • Strategy #2: High-Visibility Bandage Protocols: Cuts happen, but a lost bandage in a salad is a nightmare. Implement a policy requiring brightly colored (typically blue) bandages that are easily spotted if they fall off. Furthermore, protect the bandage with a finger cot or a single-use glove to provide a second layer of protection against contamination in your kitchen.

2. Engineering Out the Risk: Equipment and Facility Maintenance

Invisible threats in the kitchen.
Is your kitchen safe for your staff and food prep?

Equipment degradation is a silent threat. As machines age, they can shed materials that are nearly impossible to detect in a finished dish. Routine maintenance is not just for longevity; it is a critical safety control.

 

  • Strategy #3: The Can Opener Crusade: Industrial can openers are a common source of metal shavings in food. Over time, the blade dulls and chips, depositing tiny metal slivers into cans of tomato sauce or fruit. A CFPM should schedule weekly inspections of the blade and replace it immediately at the first sign of wear.

     

  • Strategy #4: Shatter-Proofing the Environment: Glass has no place near open food, yet light bulbs and fixtures are everywhere. Make sure to shield all lighting fixtures or use shatter-resistant bulbs in walk-ins and prep areas. If a glass item breaks, establish a strict “discard everything” perimeter policy to ensure no microscopic shards remain.

3. The Gatekeeper Protocol: Ingredient Inspection

Sometimes the threat comes from outside your walls. Suppliers process food on an industrial scale, and bones, pits, or staples can slip through their quality control.

  • Strategy #5: Rigorous Receiving and Prep Inspections: Do not assume “boneless” means bone-free. Train your prep staff to inspect fish fillets and chicken breasts for bone fragments by touch. Additionally, opening boxes requires care; instruct staff to remove staples entirely rather than ripping the box open, which can send staples flying into nearby ingredients.

Strengthening Your Defense with Expert Training

Preventing contamination in your kitchen requires a culture of awareness that starts at the top. As a CFPM, your ability to spot these hazards before they reach the table separates a safe kitchen from a risky one.

Is your certification up to date?

In Minnesota, you must renew your CFPM credential every three years to stay current on these critical safety strategies. At Safe Food Training, we offer engaging, instructor-led courses online and in-person to help you and your team master the details of food safety. Register today to keep your kitchen compliant and your customers safe.