A licensed assisted living facility in Minnesota is required to comply with the Minnesota Food Code and have a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM).

About the requirements

The requirement is found in the AL Statute 144G.41, Subd. 1, (13):

(13) offer to provide or make available at least the following services to residents:

(i) at least three nutritious meals daily with snacks available seven days per week, according to the recommended dietary allowances in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines, including seasonal fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. The following apply:

(A) menus must be prepared at least one week in advance and made available to all residents. The facility must encourage residents' involvement in menu planning. Meal substitutions must be of similar nutritional value if a resident refuses a food that is served. Residents must be informed in advance of menu changes;

(B) food must be prepared and served according to the Minnesota Food Code, Minnesota Rules, chapter 4626

Required: A Certified Food Protection Manager

The Rule calls for CFPM and a designated and knowledgeable Person in Charge (PIC) when the CFPM is not on-site during all hours of operation for food preparation and service.

With some assisted living organizations contracting in food service or accessing food from a related nursing home or hospital, the requirements for a CFPM in these circumstances were recently revisited with the Environmental Health and Health Regulation Divisions of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Interpreting and complying with the current guidance

Current guidance is:

• If there is a contracted food service, the contracted food service is required to provide the CFPM so the AL does not need to provide one, and
• An AL does not need a CFPM if they are getting their food already prepared from a nursing home or hospital and just serving it to the residents.

Training as a CFPM is essential to ensure safe food handling and is easily accessible online or in person. Additional helpful resources are available from MDH Environmental Health, including Food Business Fact Sheets on proper cooking, cooling, date marking, hygiene, sanitizing, catering, and more, and food safety information. While helpful to operations, other staff are not required to be certified or to pass specialized training courses.