Food Safety Handling Course

Today, you must realize just how important it is to know how to handle food products so your family or your restaurant patrons do not become ill from contaminated meals. The easiest way to ensure this is by taking a food safety handling course.

Requirements for a food safety handling course

In some states, the health department is now requiring all individuals working in the food industry to complete a food safety handling course. Even if your state does not have any requirements, your city or county may have requirements or even your employer may require some type of certification to ensure you know how to handle and prepare food properly.

Examples of Requirements for a food safety handling course

Texas - One certified manager is required per facility
California - one certified owner or employee is required per facility
Washington DC - must have a certified food protection manager at the facility at all times of operation
Indiana - One certified employee is required per facility

These are just examples; you will need to learn the requirements required by your home state in order to learn if you need a food safety handling course in order to obtain employment in the food industry.

Food Safety Handling Course Verification

In most cases, you can receive a food safety card after the completion of a food safety handling course according to the type of course you take. Some schools provide a certificate while others provide a card that can be carried on your person.

Do I need a food safety handling course?

If you are considered a food handler then you may need the course. By law, the definition of a food handler is anyone that prepares, stores, or serves food if a facility.

Online food safety handling course

A good example of an online food safety handling course is the one offered by the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe.

The course will cover such topics as:

Personal Hygene
Basic Food Safety
Cross contamination
Allergens
Temperature
Time
Cleaning
Sanitation

Upon completion of the food safety handling course there will an assessment. The assessment is a 40 question test. In order to receive a passing grade the student must achieve a score of at least 75 percent. Students have the opportunity to take the exam over until the exam can be passed as long as the exam is completed and passed prior to the expiration of the course. Upon passing the exam, the student will receive a food handling certificate.

The one thing that all students must remember is that each state has different requirements for the course. To ensure you find an online course that meets the requirements of your state, it would be in your best interest to contact you local health department. Some states require a copy of the certificate to be presented to the local health department while others are not as strict.