Preparing Food  Safely in Retail Food Operations
( 0901)

PURPOSE: This 4-hour course (and text) trains new and current employees in hazard identification and control.
     It is written for companies and food regulators to use for employee training and can be used in a class situation or as part of an employee self-instruction program. The course informs employees about hazards in food preparation and explains critically correct food preparation procedures and standards that must be followed to make sure that hazards are controlled and customers are never made ill.
     The foodservice employee doing food preparation tasks is the critical control point for ensuring safe food. Only the employee, after obtaining and using correct food handling knowledge, can ensure that foodborne illness hazards have been avoided. Managers are legally responsible for their employee training and safety development programs in order to guarantee that the food served to customers is always safe. Yet, current training materials do not reflect adequate approaches to safe food preparation. Additionally, government inspection is neither prevention nor education. The only strategy for prevention is employee HACCP-based safety education as part of the standard operations training.

ABOUT THE COURSE FORMAT: The 75-page text is illustrated to correspond with PowerPoint slides that aid in teaching the course. It is divided into one-page modules. 

WHO CAN TEACH THIS COURSE: Managers who want to teach safe food preparation practices and principles to employees and who have attended HITM's two-day manager course, 1901: Developing and Implementing HACCP-based Retail Food Operations,, are qualified to teach this course to their employees. Contact the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management if you would like begin a food safety employee training using this course.
     It is also possible to arrange for the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management to teach this course. Contact HITM to discuss this possibility.

MANAGER COMMITMENT: Managers who use this text for employee food safety training need to commit to making sure that every new employee reads the text and can apply the information to his or her food handling tasks. The manager simply must show how the principles apply in his or her specific operation and certify that the employee can demonstrate correct, safe procedures. Note that follow-through and positive reinforcement of correct employee behaviors are critical to maintaining a viable food safety program.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE COURSE: Minnesota food managers who need recertification and retail food establishment employees who handle and serve food.

TOPICS:
 
• Recognizing foodborne illness hazards
• Illness-causing microorganisms (i.e., bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds)
• Safe hand washing
• Adequate personal hygiene
• Safety-assured food times and temperatures		 • How to cool food to 41F in less than 6 hours
• Safe food preparation and hot holding
• Proper thermometer care, calibration, and use
• Cleaning and sanitizing techniques
• Correct storage techniques.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Employees will be able to maintain personal hygiene and perform food handling and serving tasks in ways that will prevent / reduce the possibility of foodborne-illness-causing microorganisms, chemicals, and hard foreign objects contaminating the food that is purchased and consumed by customers.

COURSE LOCATION: You can arrange to have HITM teach this course to your employees.  Please contact HITM to discuss time, location, and cost to you.

COURSE HOURS:   Offers 4 CEUs or 4 contact hours.

COST OF COURSE AND MATERIALS:  $75 per person; $500 group training
Training materials (PowerPower CD) also available, $50; free with purchase of 25 or more texts.  .

COST OF TEXT ONLY:  $14.00 each / 25 or more $12.00

COURSE AUTHOR: O. Peter Snyder, Jr., Ph.D., President: Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management (HITM); 670 Transfer Road, Suite 21A; St. Paul, MN 55114; TEL 651 646 7077; FAX 651 646 5984; e-mail: osnyder@hi-tm.com.

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