Minnesota Food Code

Outline:
Gain a better understanding of the Minnesota Food Code, with an emphasis on how it is applied in assisted living facilities. Presenters will highlight and explain some of the major components of the Food Code and provide resources to help providers meet food code requirements. A review of equipment requirements and foodborne illness outbreak detection and response will also be shared.

Jim Topie is a Planner Principal. He has 38 years of food safety regulatory experience with PWDU and Minnesota Department of Agriculture. His primary career focus includes coordinating MDH’s food safety training program. Jim is the MDH HACCP Plan Review Coordinator, identifying where a food safety hazard may occur and be controlled. He has a BA in Environmental Studies from UMN.

Michelle Messer is a Planner Principal with PWDU. As Standardization Coordinator, her duties focus on conducting evaluations of state and local inspection staff and agency leaders, to ensure they are uniform in their food safety inspection techniques and technical knowledge of the food code. While doing so she utilizes her 23 years of experience with MDH. Her B.S degree was awarded at St. Cloud State University. She holds a Registered Sanitarian (RS) credential from the MDH and is an FDA Standardized Food Safety Inspection Officer.

Nicole Hedeen is a Senior Epidemiologist that is the go-between the MDH Infectious Disease Division and the Food, Pools and Lodging Services Section. She has worked at MDH for 12 years and has a Master of Environmental Health degree from UMN. Nicole is very busy partnering with the CDC on the Environmental Health Specialist Network, working towards identifying foodborne illness risk factors to improve your food safety programs.