PWDU-FSP Update March 26, 2016

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Partnership and Workforce Development – Food Safety Partnership Update

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March 27, 2019

FSP Meeting Summary

More than 190 retail food regulators, food safety instructors and food establishment operators from across Minnesota and around the country came together in person and online for the March 13 meeting of the Food Safety Partnership of Minnesota.

Agenda highlights

After several announcements from the membership and a recap of Minnesota food code adoption, we had three content segments which touched on epidemiology, the FDA risk factor study, and interpretations of new requirements in Minnesota food code. The meeting wrapped up with a look at the road forward toward the next rule revision.

Epi Update

Steph Meyer, an epidemiologist with MDH, discussed multiple outbreak scenarios highlighting key benefits of partnership between epidemiology and environmental health.

FDA Risk Factor Study

Participants learned from Greg Abel (FDA) about the positive impact of food safety training, manager certification and active managerial control on reducing key foodborne illness risk factors in retail food settings. Greg reported that state and local agency sanitarians accompanied him on 100 percent of data collections he conducted in Minnesota. This study examined the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors in both fast food and full-service restaurants in 2013 and 2014.

Greg presented results showing that food safety management systems play a major role in compliance. Three key components of food safety management systems are:

  • Procedures
  • Training
  • Monitoring

Restaurants with well-developed food safety management systems had less than half as many risk factors and food safety practices that were out of compliance than restaurants with non-existent food safety management systems.

Fast Food Restaurants

Average # of out of compliance items at fast food restaurants with non-existent FSMS and well-developed FSMS. Source: FDA Fact Sheet (https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodborneIllnessRiskFactorReduction/UCM625242.pdf)

Full-Service Restaurants

Average # of out of compliance items at full-service restaurants with non-existent FSMS and well-developed FSMS. Source: FDA Fact Sheet (https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodborneIllnessRiskFactorReduction/UCM625242.pdf)

FDA’s Report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Fast Food and Full-Service Restaurants 2012-2014 was published in November 2018.

More Major Changes of Concern to Minnesota Food Code

Food safety experts Nicole Baysal (MDA) and Jim Topie (MDH) answered questions about recent updates to the Minnesota food code. Nicole and Jim are both standardized food safety inspection officers who work to advance local, state and national uniformity. Questions they covered touched on duties of the person in charge, employee health, date marking and “use-by” dates, salad bar monitoring, wild mushrooms, juice, highly susceptible populations, time/temperature control for safety food (TCS), noncontinuous cooking, time as public health control (TPHC) and equipment.

Look for more Rules in Brief articles here in the PWDU-FSP Update in the coming months. We will select hot topics from this presentation and delve deeper into:

  • What is required?
  • How does the rule protect public health?
  • How can retail food establishment operators meet the requirements?

In-person and WebEx attendance

FSP Participation March 13, 2019

Participants for the FSP meeting numbered 191 food safety enthusiasts, including both in-person attendees (53 percent) and WebEx participants (47 percent).

There were 28 attendees at the host site in St. Paul. Total attendance was 57at MDH district offices (Bemidji, Duluth, Fergus Falls, Mankato, Marshall, and Rochester). Sites in Anoka, Hennepin, Kandiyohi and Washington Counties added 16 more attendees total.

Continuing education for REHS/RS and CFPM

If you registered for the March 13 FSP using your MN.TRAIN account and selected a credit type, you can now download and print your certificate. Seventeen participants received Minnesota CFPM credit, and 125 received REHS/RS credit.

FSP Continuing Ed March 13, 2019

Chefs, Cooks, and Caterers: Cook Chicken Liver Like It's Chicken (It Is)

In recent years, numerous outbreaks of illness associated with chicken liver have been reported in the United States. Most of these outbreaks were caused by the bacteria Campylobacter and Salmonella and were linked to chicken liver dishes that were:

  • Pâté or a similar blended dish (e.g. mousse, spread, or butter)
  • Inadequately cooked
  • Prepared in a restaurant or other foodservice setting

USDA has a new website with information about outbreaks associated with chicken liver, guidance for the food industry, consumer education and research related to preventing illness from chicken livers.


RFP for Halal and Kosher Meat Market Assessment

The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture propose a study to better understand the market for Halal and Kosher meat products recognizing there is growing demand for such products in the region and that this could translate to a new opportunity for the state’s meat stakeholders.

The key deliverable is a market assessment study that will provide information on all aspects of Halal and Kosher meats in Minnesota (and the greater regions including Grand Forks, Fargo/Moorhead, Sioux Falls, La Crosse, Duluth/Superior).

  1. An analysis and evaluation of the existing and potential consumers, markets, retail, brokers, suppliers and processors
  2. An assessment of the current Halal meat market; including barriers, infrastructure gaps and opportunities
  3. Direction on how to overcome barriers and identify areas of opportunity and/or resources for Halal meat production and processing

Proposals must be submitted by March 31 to AURI via mail or email.

For questions, please contact Ashley Harguth at 218-281-7600, ext. 127 or aharguth@auri.org.


2019 State of Public Health Forum

Strengthening the Public Health Foundation Together

Join your public health colleagues around the state for the seventh annual State of Public Health Forum. We’ll discuss what makes a strong public health system and how we work together to help Minnesotans live healthier lives.

This event is free. Visit State of Public Health Forum Registration to sign up.

The forum takes place annually the first week of April in conjunction with National Public Health Week.

Date: Monday, April 1

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Location: Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN 55104