School food programs
In-person
Start the school year off by including food safety in your annual training meeting for school food service workers.
Commercial kitchens
The food safety team at the University of Minnesota supports food service professionals, food producers and processors, and food business to provide research-based education and training programs and resources to ensure all employees handle food safely.
Our resources and programs will equip you with the knowledge and skills to use practices that minimize food safety risks.
We support food service professionals with
- Answers to food safety questions.
- Recommendations about business food safety plans.
- Help with updating safe food production and handling procedures when transitioning to scratch production of local foods.
- Review of HACCP plans for specialized processes before you submit to your regulatory agency.
- In-person and online food safety courses.
Food safety is at the foundation of every food service establishment and value-added food production business. Your food safety plan is unique to the types of food you are producing, where you are preparing the food and who you are serving.
225
# of food service workers who participated in Back-to-School seminars in 2025
976
# of Serve It Up Safely participants in 2025
10,000+
# of people who accessed Extension's safe food preservation content in 2025
School food service programs
Food safety is at the foundation of every school food service program. The Extension offers education and training for school food programs throughout the year.
We can help
- Review and provide recommendations about your department’s food safety plan.
- Helping you update safe food production and handling procedures when transitioning to scratch production of local foods.
- Answer food safety questions and review drafts of HACCP plans for specialized processes before you submit to your regulatory agency.
- Lead Back-to-School food safety seminars for your food service workers.
Resources
Food safety resources
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Training and courses
Serve it up Safely
Food managers
School food programs
Online
This course meets the State of Minnesota's continuing education requirement to renew your certified food protection manager certifi
Food safety training program
Food handlers
Online
Monthly training offering educational materials and strategies to improve your food establishment's current food handler training program.
Food Shelf Volunteer Food Safety Training
Food shelves
Online
Learn the basics of keeping food safe, such as when to wash your hands, how to store food, and what to look out for when handling items.
Food safety for campus food shelves
Campus food shelves
Online
Designed to help student, staff and volunteers promote safe food practices.
Selling product of the farm
In Minnesota, individuals are allowed to sell their own farm-raised products, referred to as product of the farm, without a food handler’s license or cottage food registration.
Standard operating procedures for foodservice
Food service industry standard operating procedures (SOPs) are written practices and policies that describe how your establishment will produce safe food.
Becoming a licensed acidified food processor
Learn the steps to becoming licensed to start a food processing business.
Upcoming events
Sign up for Food Managers News
Quarterly newsletter for food service managers, supervisors, and operators across restaurants, retail, institutions, and food manufacturing. Get updates on trainings like Serve It Up Safely and other upcoming programs, plus resources to strengthen your food safety knowledge.
Learn more about commercial kitchen food safety
- For general food safety questions with Extension, contact .
- If you believe a food or beverage in Minnesota made you sick, submit a confidential food-borne illness report to the Minnesota Department of Health.
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