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June 7, 2024
In this issue
Minnesota’s busy summer calendar offers opportunities aplenty for food stands at events or other off-premises locations. Licenses are necessary for food service to the public with very few exceptions which are listed on the Hennepin County Environmental Health website. In general, it is always advisable to apply for a license.
Our office and its staff are an eager resource available to everyone. If you ever have a licensing or food safety question never hesitate to contact us.
If you have a food license for a brick-and-mortar location it does not allow for off-site food service. If you want to work an event you need a short-term food license.
Similarly, a food truck license obtained from a separate department does not allow for business to be conducted in Hennepin County jurisdiction. A Minnesota Department of Health food truck license does not automatically include Hennepin County. Food trucks can apply for their own Hennepin County license through a reciprocity application. Otherwise, a short-term food license can also be a path to serving the public in our area of jurisdiction.
These short-term food licenses can be obtained easily with good planning and timely submissions.
Short-term food licenses can be used at a single location for up to 10 separate days. The application deadline is two and half days before the event and fees increase 10 days before the event. Applications must be sent to our general office email at epi-envhlth@hennepin.us
More information can be found at the following links:
Licensing Decision Guide for Events
Hennepin County Jurisdiction Map
Food Safety for Food Stands
Application for Short Term Food License
Application for a Low Risk Short Term Food License
Fascinating results from the survey of 1,659 Minnesota food workers was shared in the newest edition of the Journal of Environmental Health published by the National Environmental Health Association. This feature offers rare insights to the thoughts of employees and operations of the food industry which Minnesotans treasure.
The article titled “Information Sharing Preferences, Inspection Perceptions, and Employee Illness Behavior: A Survey of More Than 1,500 Minnesota Food Workers” was created to improve understanding of the needs and practices of Minnesota food industry professionals.
Primary insights gained was that non-CFPM staff prefer to get food safety information from their supervisors and that improvements can be made in excluding sick employees.
Regarding improving illness reporting Hedeen says in the article, "Having a written employee illness plan, training workers on what is required of them regarding illness reporting and staying home while sick, offering paid sick leave, letting staff makeup shifts and cross-training staff could alleviate social and economic pressures associated with calling out sick."
The article with a full breakdown and analysis of the results by the author Nicole Hedeen is available at this link.
   Source for all graphics: NEHA Journal of Environmental Health June 2024
Excluding ill employees from all food preparation and handling activities is critical to preventing the spread of foodborne illness. Staff need to be comfortable talking with management and must know the importance of reporting symptoms such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
According to the CDC Norovirus Factsheet, approximately 58% of foodborne illnesses are caused by Norovirus – a pathogen passed on by sick people handling food.
These illnesses lead to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, even deaths, and up to 21 million illnesses domestically. Each year, there are approximately 2,500 outbreaks of Norovirus and these outbreaks often include passing the virus between fellow staff members.
Conversations regarding these sensitive topics can often be difficult. Find a way to incorporate discussion of illness reporting into your routine standard operating procedures to normalize the matter. Framing the subject around protecting your customers and fellow employees while providing a safe space for disclosure can put employees at ease to disclose their status.
Managers should know the Food Code encourages conversations between managers and employees about foodborne illness. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) does not prevent restaurant managers from asking employees about illness symptoms and diagnoses.
Anytime an illness symptom is discussed the person-in-charge should always document it in an employee illness log. If a customer ever calls to report an illness management must notify their Health Department.
If an employee or customer is ever diagnosed with one of the Big 5 (Norovirus, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella or Hepatitis A) the Health Department must be notified immediately.
More information and resources can be found at the following links:
Can Restaurant Managers Talk with Sick Workers?
Employee Illness Log
- General environmental health
- Basic food safety classes
- Temporary food stand licensing
- Food license information, categories, and fee schedule
- New construction or remodeling application
Radon information and test kits
hennepin.us/radon
Septic system requirements and procedures
hennepin.us/septic
Body art licensing information (tattooing and piercing)
hennepin.us/bodyart
Beaches in Hennepin County
hennepin.us/beaches
Public swimming pool regulations
hennepin.us/pools
About us
Food Digest is a quarterly newsletter written by inspectors from Hennepin
County Public Health Department, and designed to support and educate Hennepin County food facility owners and operators. Articles focus on food
safety and requirements from the Minnesota Food Code and Hennepin County food ordinance.
Location
479 Prairie Center Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
612-543-5200
hennepin.us/envhealth
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