Recent updates

Executive Order updates

Executive Order 21-11 took effect Monday, March 15, 2021, at 12 p.m. (noon) and does not have an end date. Effective March 31, 2021, at 11:59 p.m., larger venues, restaurants, gyms, and pools are able to expand their occupancy per the Stay Safe Industry Guidance. Effective April 14, 2021, at 11:59 p.m., the requirement to work from home shifts to a strong recommendation.

Read more about Minnesota’s preparedness plan for bars and restaurants: Executive Order 21-11

Virtual events

The county hosts virtual educational events for food businesses to help navigate the COVID-19 related requirements.

January 2021 event: COVID-19 in-service training

• Session recording (YouTube)
• Q-and-A from the session (PDF)
• Resources mentioned during the session (PDF)

December 2020 event: COVID-19 executive order conversation

• Session recording (YouTube)
• Q-and-A from the session (PDF)
• Resources for food businesses mentioned during the session (PDF)

October 2020 event: COVID-19 in-service training

• Session recording (YouTube)
• Q-and-A from both sessions of the training (PDF)
• COVID-19 resources for food businesses (PDF)

What businesses need to do

1. Prepare a plan

• Create or update your COVID-19 preparedness plan

2. Follow guidance and requirements

• Industry guidance
• Executive Order requirements
• Minnesota Department of Health frequently asked questions for bars, restaurants, and other places of public accommodation (PDF)
• Guidance for cities expanding outdoor service

3. Develop an illness screening and contact tracing plan

• Employee illness screening protocols (PDF)
• Employee illness screening form (PDF)
• Workplace contact tracing and quarantine protocols
• Updated quarantine guidance (PDF)

4. Enhance cleaning and disinfecting

• Cleaning and disinfecting protocols (PDF)

5. Follow re-opening guidance

• Follow re-opening guidance (PDF)
• Reopening after COVID-19 closure (PDF)
• Minnesota Department of Health ensuring water quality in building premise plumbing: actions for water utilities during and after COVID-19 (PDF)

6. Ensure food safety

• Safe food and food service guidelines

Additional resources

• Supporting mental well-being during COVID-19
• StaySafeMN 
• Minnesota Department of Health guidance library
• Hennepin County Economic Development
• Minnesota Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
• National Restaurant Association
• Resources for food sector employers

Eligibility requirements

• Be 18 and over
• Work in the food service or food retail industry
• If you are 16-17 years old, contact your health care provider to schedule your vaccination. If you do not have a health care provider, email us at hsph.emergency.preparedness@hennepin.us. In your email, include the employee's full first and last name, email, phone number, company/organization, and job title.

General information

• The vaccine is free
• Your employer does not have to be licensed by the county
• You don't have to be a county resident
• You do not need health insurance
• You won't be asked about your legal status
• The vaccine is not required, but for your health and safety it is recommended
• Vaccines are offered at our community-based vaccine clinics, not on-site at your employer

For questions contact us at hsph.emergency.preparedness@hennepin.us. Help is available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. 

Register for the vaccine

Vaccine clinics are by appointment only. No walk-ins accepted. Register for the vaccine

This process registers you in our system. It does not give you a vaccine appointment. We will contact you by email when an appointment becomes available.

Hennepin County COVID-19 navigation line

For questions or for help registering, call 612-348-8900. The line accepts calls in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.

Other vaccine options

• Where, when and how to get a vaccine. Sign up for alerts and appointment options: Minnesota Vaccine Connector Tool.
• Find and connect with local vaccine providers in your area: Vaccine Locator Tool.
• Your primary care provider.

Employee resources

• Hennepin County vaccine FAQ in English
• Hennepin County vaccine FAQ in other languages
• Minnesota Department of Health vaccine FAQ
• Centers for Disease Control vaccine FAQ

Employer toolkit

• FAQ for employers (DOC)
• Mailer for employees (PDF)
• Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine employer toolkit

Letter template from employers to employees

• English (DOCX)
• Spanish (DOCX)
• Somali (DOCX)
• Hmong (DOCX)
• Mandarin Chinese (DOCX)

Mailer for employees (PDF)

Posters

8.5 x 11

8.5x11 poster – Butcher (PDF)

8.5x11 poster – Grocer (PDF)

8.5x11 poster – Restaurant worker (PDF)

8.5x11 poster – Waitress (PDF)

11x17 posters

11x17 poster – Butcher (PDF)

11x17 poster – Restaurant worker (PDF)

Social media

Sample text for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (DOC)

Instagram graphics

Instagram – Butcher (JPG)

Instagram – Grocer (JPG)

Instagram – Restaurant worker (JPG)

Instagram – Waitress (JPG)

Facebook/Twitter graphics

Facebook/Twitter – Butcher (JPG)

Facebook/Twitter – Grocer (JPG)

Facebook/Twitter – Restaurant Worker (JPG)

Facebook/Twitter – Waitress (JPG)

Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine employer toolkit

Hennepin County Environmental Health jurisdiction map (PDF)

For information or assistance, call each city's inspection office.

Bloomington
952-563-8934

Brooklyn Park
763-493-8070

Edina
952-826-0370

Minneapolis
612-673-3000

Minnetonka
952-939-8200

Richfield
612-861-9870

Wayzata
952-404-5300

Calling your inspector

• When to call your inspector (PDF)

Daily logs and checklists

• Management checklist (PDF)
• Daily temperature log (PDF)
• Food service daily checklist (PDF)

Employee illness

• Employee illness log (PDF)
• Vomit clean-up procedures (PDF)
• Can managers talk with sick workers? (PDF)

Minnesota food code

See the recently revised and updated Minnesota Food Code (PDF).

Documents outlining the 20 major changes to the Minnesota Food Code:

• 20 Questions: The Major Changes of Concern to the Minnesota Food Code (PDF)
• 20 food code changes for businesses (PDF)
• 20 food code changes for businesses (Spanish) (PDF)
• 20 food code changes for businesses (Hmong) (PDF)
• 20 food code changes for businesses (Chinese) (PDF)

See a food code training video highlighting the 20 major changes to the food code from The Food Safety Partnership (FSP) of Minnesota.

• View the FSP video (YouTube)

Time as a public health control application

This method only uses time to control the growth of bacteria and keep food safe. Food is generally held under mechanical temperature control (hot holding units and refrigerators) to ensure safe product and to control bacterial growth in potentially hazardous foods. Once time only is used as a control, food may not be placed back under mechanical temperature control to be saved and used later.

When time is closely monitored, food may be kept under no temperature control for four to six hours. Limited bacterial growth or toxin production will happen during this time.

A written plan is required to be on-site when using this method. To help develop your plan, use this time as a public health control application (PDF).

Plan review

Changes made to a current, proposed or previously licensed establishment require a plan review.

• Plan review fees and application 2021 (PDF)
• Construction guide (PDF)
• Request for variance — Micro markets (PDF)
• Request for variance — other types (PDF)

Change of ownership

A  license is not transferable from one owner to the next. Begin the change of ownership process by completing the change of ownership form.

Mobile food units (MFU) reciprocity license

Minnesota Department of Agriculture licensed mobile food units do not require additional licensing in our jurisdiction. We offer reciprocity licenses for Mobile Food Units that are currently licensed by:

• The Minnesota Department of Health, or
• The cities of Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Edina, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Richfield or Wayzata.

Applications

• 2020–2021 Mobile food unit reciprocity application (PDF) (valid July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021)
• 2021–2022 Mobile food unit reciprocity application (PDF) (valid July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022)

Short-term food event (ITIN) license

We issue two types of short term food licenses, regular and low risk. Please submit your application with payment at least 10 days prior to the event.

• 2021 regular short-term food license application (PDF)
• 2021 low risk short-term food license application (PDF) — Low risk foods are listed on page 2.

Additional information

• Guidelines for short-term events (PDF)
• Self-inspection checklist for short-term events (PDF)

Exemptions

These exemptions only apply if an event is held in the organization's buildings or on their property.

• Faith-based organizations serving food, holding fund-raisers or community events. A certified food manager or volunteer trained in a food safety course must be there.
  • Faith-based exemptions (PDF)
  • Legislative bill, S.F. No. 477

• Tax-exempt fraternal, sportsman or patriotic organizations holding events at which home-prepared food is donated by organization members and sold.
  • The event is not a circus, carnival or fair
  • The organization controls the admission of persons to the event, the event agenda, or both
  • The organization's licensed kitchen (if they have one) is not used in any manner for the event
• School concession stands; fraternal, sportsman and patriotic organizations; post disaster service events
  • Review the Minnesota Department of Health guidance document (PDF)
• Other exemptions (PDF)

Vending machine license

To get licenses for vending machines, mail payment and completed vending application and fees 2021 form (PDF).

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan

Hennepin County Ordinance 3 requires that the HACCP plan be submitted to and approved by Hennepin County Environmental Health. This approval indicates only that the plan complies with the provisions of Hennepin County County Ordinance 3 and Minnesota 4626. It does not guarantee that all hazards are controlled or guarantee a safe food product.

When required

An HACCP plan is required when:

• A variance has been issued to the required cooking temperatures of raw animal foods
• Curing or additives are being used to preserve food
• Operating molluscan shellfish tanks
• Removing the tags from shellstock
• Using reduced oxygen packaging

Plan submission for approval

• 2021 HACCP Non-ROP plan application (PDF)
• 2021 HACCP ROP plan application (PDF)
• HACCP request for variance (PDF)

HACCP plan audits

Hennepin County Environmental Health will conduct on-site HACCP audits on an annual basis. Additional audits may be required if the plan provisions are not being correctly followed.

This publication is written by Hennepin County Public Health Protection. It is for food service operators, restaurant owners and managers. It provides current food safety information that businesses can use in their food service operations.

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2021

Special issues: COVID-19

• April 16, 2021 – Food worker COVID-19 vaccine registration and employer toolkit
• March 17, 2021 – executive order updates, waste prevention grants, support for businesses, business support survey results
• January 8, 2021 – reopening indoor dining, food business virtual training, small business relief fund

2020

Special issues: COVID-19

• December 31, 2020 – Small business relief fund
• December 17, 2020 – Extension of 4-week pause and survey for food businesses
• December 15, 2020 – No late penalty fees for 2021
• November 24, 2020 – Dialing back, small business relief fund, virtual conversation for food businesses
• November 11, 2020 – Executive Order 20-96 and MN critical infrastructure guidance
• October 16, 2020 – Training opportunity for food businesses
• September 1, 2020 – Food establishment notice: State-wide compliance checks
• May 27, 2020 – Guidance on safely reopening businesses
• March 19, 2020 – Temporary closure of bars, restaurants, and other places of public accommodation