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Partnership and Workforce Development – Food Safety Partnership Update

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June 29, 2020

Somali and Spanish Translations of Minnesota Retail Food Safety Resources

More than 100 translated documents available online

Retail food establishment owners and operators can now find more than 100 translated versions of food code fact sheets, forms, manuals, and guidance documents online at Food Business Safety (state.mn.us) and Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheets | Minnesota Department of Agriculture (state.mn.us).

Each document includes important food code requirements and restrictions in two languages. The translated text, either Somali or Spanish, is on the left side of the page and the English text is on the right. Providing the translated text alongside the source text enables better understanding for users with varying levels of literacy in Somali, Spanish and/or English.

These side-by-side translations can help reduce communication barriers for:

  • Owners and operators of restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, bars, delis, mobile food units, special event food stands, and other retail food establishments
  • Certified Food Protection Managers (CFPM) and persons in charge (PIC)
  • Front-line food workers
  • Regulatory agency staff, including inspectors
  • Instructors of CFPM courses

Top 10 food code fact sheet links

Here are links to the translated versions of the top 10 most popular Minnesota food code fact sheets.

Minnesota Certified Food Protection Manager

Somali | English: Maareeyaha Sharciyaysan ee Fayo-qabka (PDF)

Spanish | English: Gerente Certificado de Protección de Alimentos (PDF)

Special Event Food Stand

Somali | English: Miiska Cuntada ee Munaasabada Qaaska ah (PDF)

Spanish | English: Puestos de Comida para Eventos Especiales (PDF)

Handwashing for Employees

Somali | English: Farxalka shaqaalaha (PDF)

Spanish | English: Lavado de las Manos para los Empleados (PDF)

Mobile Food Unit

Somali | English: Gaariga Cuntada wareegta (PDF)

Spanish | English: Unidad Móvil de Comida (PDF)

Cleaning and Sanitizing

Somali | English: Nadiifinta iyo Jeermis-dilidda (PDF)

Spanish | English: Limpieza y Sanitización (PDF)

Temperature and Time Requirements for Food

Somali | English: Shuruudaha Cuntada ee Waqtiga iyo Heerkulka (PDF)

Spanish | English: Requerimientos de Temperatura y Tiempo para (PDF)

Cooling Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS)

Somali | English: Ilaalinta Waqtiga/Heerkulka Qaboojinta si loo (PDF)

Spanish | English: Control de Tiempo y Temperatura de (PDF)

Special Event Food Stand Checklist

Somali | English: Liistada hubinta Miiska Cuntada ee (PDF)

Spanish | English: Lista de Verificación de Puestos de Comida para (PDF)

Catering

Somali | English: Cunto bixin (PDF)

Spanish | English: Servicio de Comida (PDF)

Employee Personal Hygiene

Somali | English: Nadaafada shaqsiga ee Shaqaalaha (PDF)

Spanish | English: Higiene Personal del Empleado (PDF)

Spanish | English CFPM applications

All three CFPM applications are also now available in Spanish | English side-by-side format. This format allows applicants to choose which side they prefer to fill out: Spanish translation on the left or English on the right.

Download and print PDF copies of the applications:

Hmong Translations in Progress

Staff at MDH and the MDA continue to work on Hmong | English versions. As these versions are published, we will post them at Food Business Safety (state.mn.us) and Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheets | Minnesota Department of Agriculture (state.mn.us).

Project Background

In late 2019, the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture (MDH and the MDA) received grant funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) via the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) to translate food code documents. The original project timeline called for completion by December 2020. However, COVID-19 activities prevented us from meeting that goal, and the project is now slated for completion in June 2022.

The grant funding enabled the agencies to:

  • Create food code resources that focus on foodborne illness risk factors for Hmong, Somali, and Spanish speaking food workers.
  • Post translated documents online for easy accessibility.
  • Inform and train regulatory staff of translated materials once available for use.

Translations will improve food safety in Minnesota

Many front-line food employees speak a language other than English as their first language. By having food code fact sheets and other documents available in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish, we hope to:

  • Reduce the occurrence foodborne illness risk factors and promote long-term control of foodborne illness risk factor violations.
  • Help to better serve our Hmong, Somali, and Spanish speaking communities.
  • Provide additional outreach and education for Minnesota’s retail food industry.
  • Continue to work towards uniform retail food inspections.