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Important Filing Deadlines For Your Food Protection Manager Certificate

Important Filing Deadlines For Your Food Protection Manager Certificate

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We all know that restaurants and other establishments that serve or prepare food are required to have a Minnesota certified food protection manager on staff to ensure that the food they prepare is safe and that sanitation procedures are being properly followed. However, there is often some confusion as to what paperwork needs to be filed with the health department and when you have to document proof of a passed food protection manager exam. In order to clear up some of the confusion, let’s take a closer look at what steps CFPMs must take after gaining their food protection manager certificate.

Important Filing Deadlines For Your Food Protection Manager Certificate
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How to File Your Food Protection Manager Certificate With The State

Every once in a while, we run across students who pass the certified food protection manager exam and are unclear if there’s anything else necessary in order to be properly certified. Simply taking in-person or online food safety management training and gaining your certificate is not enough to completely comply with the Minnesota food code. Candidates who pass their initial exam or complete a renewal course must complete the paperwork with the Minnesota Department of Health, and they have a limited time to do so.

Once you’ve passed the exam, you must fill out an initial CFPM application if this is your first submission or a CFPM renewal application when renewing your certificate. These then must be mailed to the department of health at the address listed on the application form. Included in the application should be a copy of proof of attending at least four hours of food management training or successful completion of the CFPM exam.

The exam certificates have expiration dates that are up to five years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have five years to send a copy of your certificate to the Minnesota Health Department. Most food management exam programs are accepted in multiple states, so the expiration date on your certificate does not give you added time to submit your CFPM application. The state of Minnesota requires the application to be submitted with six months of passing the course.

We’ve been asked if there is anything that can be done if this deadline is missed, and unfortunately, if you forget to apply before the six months is up you must repeat the course and retake the exam. Don’t frame your food protection manager certificate immediately or leave it in a drawer to be forgotten, make sure you file your CFPM application with the state as soon as possible after successful training.

MN Food Code Fact Sheet

A Guide to the Proper Use of MN Food Code Fact Sheets

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The MN Food Code Fact sheets provided by the health department are a free and easy-to-use guide to nearly any food safety issue. The ServSafe Food Manager controls food safety in their establishment, but there are many training tools available to help them educate their staff, monitor procedures and go the extra mile to keep their guests safe.

MN Food Code Fact Sheet
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Using MN Fact Sheets to Promote Food Safety

Fact sheets should be readily accessible to all employees. Our best suggestion is to have them posted visibly in stations where they are relevant. For example, a fact sheet on cooling should be posted near sinks used for ice baths, cooking temperatures should be kept on the line and proper handwashing signage should be posted at all handwashing stations.

There are many different fact sheets, and some of them may be important for your day-to-day operations, but some only need referencing occasionally. For example, a fact sheet on equipment guidelines may be useless posted in your facility, but it’s still valuable information. We recommend keeping an accessible binder with all fact sheets relevant to your operation whether you post them visibly or not. This resource gives ServSafe food managers easy access for training and review of information that isn’t required on a daily basis.

Finally, many of the fact sheets have changed with the recent update of the Minnesota Food Code, we strongly urge you to remove any fact sheets dated before January 1, 2019, and replace them with the most recent updates.

Have you taken the time to review the newest MN food code fact sheets available and print out and post ones that help keep your employees informed on the latest food-safety rules?