Excellence in food safety is paramount to running a successful business that serves food. Each food handler plays a role in reaching that status, making proper food safety training of crucial importance. Extending that training to employees throughout the establishment helps ensure that each meal is served safely.
The National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe has long been the gold-standard for food protection manager training, as the nation’s most widely accepted such training and certification program. Now, staff and crew can access ServSafe Food Handler training tailored specifically to foodservice food handlers.
The ServSafe Food Handler program’s flexible, budget-friendly options streamline the food safety training process, saving operators both time and money. The course is offered online, in classrooms and as a book to study on your own or with fellow employees. The training provides a career-building professional development opportunity for food handlers.
Taking the ServSafe Food Handler online course and assessment is easy and costs only $15. The first step is to log on to http://www.foodhandlerusa.com/ and enter your zip code. You’ll then see options available in your location, including requirements specific to city, county and state when it comes to food safety training and regulations. You’ll also see options to take the course in English or Spanish.
After signing up, you’re guided through an interactive course that takes about an hour and a half. The course lets you go at your own pace, however, including stopping and resuming later if you get pulled away.
It is divided into “chapters” that include the basics of food safety, such as how food can become contaminated, personal hygiene, time and temperature control, cross-contamination (including how to accommodate guests with food allergies), and cleaning and sanitation. There are also chapters on job-specific guidelines, including receiving food deliveries, using a three-compartment sink and operating a dishwasher, and food preparation.
Once the course is completed, you’re ready to take the assessment. When finished, you can view your results online right away and print your certificate of completion.