Employee Food Safety: A Self-instruction Text 
( 0905)

PURPOSE: This text provides managers with an employee self-education tool to teach safe food preparation fundamentals. Managers can use this text as part of an employee certification program and for new employees before they are asked to perform any food handling tasks. When management does not have the time or resources to arrange for class instruction, this text provides a simple, cost-effective alternative.
     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 TEXT FORMAT: This 37-page text is highly illustrated and is divided into several learning modules, each of which is followed by a food safety question. There is a final exam at the end of the text. It is designed so that employees can work at their own pace.

WHO SHOULD USE THIS TEXT: Managers who want an alternative method for teaching safe food preparation fundamentals to employees. Contact the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management if you would like begin a food safety employee training using a self-instruction text that allows employees to work at their own pace.

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 BE TRAINED WITH THIS TEXT: 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 who use this text 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.

COST OF TEXT:  $7.50 each.

TEXT 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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