Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
3/3/00
Contacts:
Jim Huss, Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management,
(515) 294-3527
Diane Nelson, Extension Communication Systems. (515)
294-3178
Certification Proves Food Safety Knowledge
AMES, Iowa - How often do you check the temperature in your refrigerator or freezer? Or use a meat thermometer to make sure meat and poultry are thoroughly cooked?
Food safety is one of those issues that everyone takes for granted until some event forces the public to pay attention. Keeping negative events out of the news by teaching prevention skills is the goal of several state agencies. One example is the annual summer short courses for school food service managers that Iowa State University Extension has offered since 1948.
Last year's planners went a step beyond what any other state has done by offering a two-day certified sanitation workshop as a distance education opportunity via the Iowa Communication Network (ICN).
"Offering such training near the places where people live is one way of being proactive in providing safe food for consumers," said Jim Huss, ISU Extension specialist in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management. "State law requires commercial food handlers to be knowledgeable, but our course also provided a way for them to prove their knowledge by passing a nationally recognized certification test."
Of the 160 managers who signed up for the 1999 class, 145 passed the test. Even more impressive, as far as Huss is concerned, is that a follow-up survey showed that managers had applied the knowledge and changed their behaviors. For example, before the course only about one-third said they almost always used a meat thermometer. Afterwards, more than three-fourths said they almost always use one. The number who almost always check refrigerator and freezer temperatures jumped from 28 percent to 60 percent. Only 21 percent almost always put food in shallow containers for quick chilling before the program while 78 percent gave that answer four months after the class.
"Those responses mean the participants not only knew the facts well enough to pass a paper and pencil test but also that they understand the importance of using that information to prevent food safety problems," said Huss.
Iowa is one of at least 32 states that recognize the ServSafe® certification program developed by the National Restaurant Association. In order to keep participant costs down and make the program available statewide, ISU Extension cooperates with the Iowa Bureau of Food and Nutrition and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
For more information about the July 24-25, 2000, course for school food service managers, contact Huss at (515) 294-3527, or via e-mail (jhuss@iastate.edu).
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