Minnesota Stay Safe guidelines and stages

• Guidelines by industry 
• Stages of the Stay Safe Plan 

Cleaning and disinfectants

• CDC cleaning and disinfecting your facility
• Cleaning and disinfection for human-touch surfaces
• EPA list of approved COVID-19 disinfectants
• Reopening guidance for cleaning and disinfecting (CDC)

Employee illness during COVID-19

• COVID-19 and when to return to work (MDH)
• Employee illness and exclusion (PDF)
• Employee illness screening form (PDF)
• Recommendation for workers exposed to a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (MDH) (PDF)

Food establishments

• Impacts on certified food protection manager credential renewal (MDH)
• National Restaurant Associate coronavirus information and resources
• When to call your health inspector (PDF)

Food safety

• Food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic (MDH)
• COVID-19 and food and agriculture (MDA)
• Food Safety and COVID-19 (e.g. food supply, disinfecting, precautions, workers testing positive) (FDA)
• Best practices for retail food stores, restaurants, and food pick-up/delivery during COVID-19 pandemic (FDA)
• Food safety for delivery and pick-up services (PDF)

Farmer's Markets

• Farmer’s Market Safe Operations (NEHA)
• Guidance for farmer’s markets and vendors (MDA)

Reducing food waste

• Reducing Food Waste through Donation (MDH) (PDF)
• Options for reducing perishable food waste (PDF) 

Lodging establishments

• Ensuring water quality in building premise plumbing (MDH) (PDF)
• How to prevent legionnaires’ disease (CDC)
• Legionnaires' Disease prevention in hotels (PDF)
• Lodging establishment cleaning guidance (PDF)
• Operational considerations in the accommodation sector (WHO) (PDF)
• Water quality in low occupancy and shutdown buildings (Purdue University)

MN Department of Economic and Employment Development

• MN DEED: A Guide for Minnesota Small Businesses Who Need Help
  • MN small business emergency loan program
  • MN small business loan guarantee program
  • Pandemic unemployment assistance program
  • SBA economic injury disaster loan
  • SBA paycheck protection program
  • Unemployment insurance shared work program

Re-opening guidance

• Minnesota's Stay Safe plan
• Frequently asked questions about the executive orders related to the hospitality industry (MDH) (PDF)
• Best practices for re-opening retail food establishments – FDA (PDF)
• Guidance for cities on expanding outdoor service at bars and restaurants (LMC)
• Industry guidance for safely re-opening: restaurants and bars (MN DEED) (PDF)
• COVID-19 preparedness plan template and instructions (MN DLI)
• Re-opening after COVID-19 (PDF)
• Re-opening decision tree for workplaces during COVID-19 pandemic (CDC) (PDF)
• Re-opening guidance for pools 

Water systems guidance after prolonged shutdown

• Guidance for Building Water Systems after a prolonged shutdown (CDC)
• Ensuring water quality: Actions for water utilities during and after COVID-19 (MDH) (PDF)

For the most up to date, accurate, information on COVID-19, visit these websites:

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Minnesota Department of Health
• Coronavirus Disease in Minnesota

The Minnesota Food Code has recently been revised and updated. View the updated Minnesota Food Code (PDF).

Our customers with questions about the new code will benefit from reading the documents below 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)

The Food Safety Partnership (FSP) of Minnesota posted a food code training video from the most recent FSP meeting. It highlights the 20 major changes to the food code.

• View the FSP video (YouTube)

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

General information

Effective June 1, 2019 Hennepin County will be offering reciprocity licenses for Mobile Food Units that are currently licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health or in the cities of Bloomington/Richfield, Brooklyn Park, Edina, Minneapolis, or Minnetonka/Wayzata.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture licensed mobile food units do not require additional licensing in our jurisdiction. 

2020-2021 Mobile food unit reciprocity licensing application (PDF)
Valid July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021

Employee illness

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

Daily logs and checklists

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

Hennepin County Environmental Health jurisdiction map (PDF)

Change of ownership

When an existing establishment changes owners, the license is not transferable. Use the form below to begin the change of ownership process.

Change of ownership form

Vending machine license

To obtain licenses for vending machines, complete the application form and mail in payment.

Vending application and fees 2020 (PDF)

Please direct phone calls to 612-543-5200.

Anytime changes are made to a current, proposed or previously licensed establishment a plan review is required. Please direct phone calls to 612-543-5200.

Plan review fees and application 2020 (PDF)

Construction guide (PDF)

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan

Based on Minnesota Rule 4626, as adopted by Hennepin County Ordinances No. 3, a HACCP plan is required if the following operations are performed:

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

HACCP plan approval required

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.

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.

Submit a HACCP plan for approval

• 2020 HACCP Non-ROP plan application (PDF)
• 2020 HACCP ROP plan application (PDF)
• HACCP request for variance (PDF)

Time as a public health control application

Time as a public health control is using only time rather than time and temperature 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.

When time is closely monitored, food may be kept under no temperature control for four hours or less. Within four hours, there will be limited bacterial growth or toxins produced. Once time is used as a control, food may not be placed back under mechanical temperature control to be saved and used later.

If your establishment would like to use time as a control, the application below must be submitted and approved prior to use in the establishment.

Time as a public health control application (PDF)

Special notice

Proposed 2020 Hennepin County mobile food and short term licensing fee increases (PDF)

Short-term food event licensing (itinerant)

Hennepin County has 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.

• 2020 regular short-term (itinerant) food license application (PDF)
• 2020 low risk short-term (itinerant) food license application (PDF)
  See page 2 for list of foods that qualify as low risk.

Additional helpful documents

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

Please direct phone calls to 612-543-5200.

Legislative update

New State Legislature has passed that affects itinerant food licensing. These changes are effective August 1, 2011.

For more details, please contact Hennepin County Environmental Health Department, 612-543-5200, and ask to speak with an inspector or supervisor.

Legislative bill, S.F. No. 477

Faith-based organizations

Faith-based organizations serving food in their building (church, synagogue, other houses of worship) or on their property for fund-raisers or community events are exempt from licensing. However, they must provide a certified food manager or volunteer trained in a food safety course.

NOTE: This exemption does not apply to faith-based organizations at the state agriculture society or county fairs, or to faith-based organizations that choose to apply for a license.

Faith-based exemptions (PDF)

Tax-exempt fraternal, sportsman or patriotic organizations

These organizations holding food events in their building(s) or on their property at which home-prepared food is donated by organization members for sale at the events, are exempt from licensing, provided:

• 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

NOTE: These exemptions do not apply if the event is held at a location other than their own property.

Other exemptions (PDF)

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

Subscribe to receive the quarterly Food Digest e-newsletter

2020

• 6/15/20 special issue – COVID-19
• 5/27/20 special issue — COVID-19
• 3/19/20 special issue — COVID-19

2019

• December
• Special issue: 2020 proposed license fee increases
• September
• June
• February – updated

2018

• Special issue: U.S. E coli outbreak alert
• November
• August
• May
• Special issue: SCAM ALERT
• February

2017

• November
• August
• May
• February