Importance of Ongoing Food Safety Training for Food Handlers

By Aniket Choudhuri, Food Safety Specialist, Meat & Poultry Ontario

It is a well-known fact that food can become contaminated by improper storage, cross-contamination, undercooking and person-to-person contact. Food safety training ensures that your staff is aware of ways to prevent these things from happening. Research of foodborne diseases around the world have indicated that most of these diseases result from poor handling during food manufacture. Therefore, training and education in food handling for all employees, including proper personal hygiene, is a food safety requirement.

Ongoing Food Safety Training Benefits Your Business Ongoing food safety training for all employees handling food in the processing industry helps reduce the risk of improper food handling and preventing cross-contamination. Providing food safety training to employees consistently and at set frequencies is also a brand statement that builds your reputation as an organization that cares for customers and end consumers’ well being and health. Ongoing training is especially required for workers in the food manufacturing and food retail sectors when new food safety updates or requirements are identified.

Providing ongoing training to workers in food businesses increases their knowledge and understanding of food safety, therefore reducing food safety risks. An effective food safety program will enable food handlers to apply hygiene training, storage and cleaning techniques to everyday working operations and effectively uphold food safety norms.

Food Safety Training Protects Your Customers From Health Risks Adequate and relevant food safety training is essential to protecting your customers from food poisoning, allergic reactions and other health risks that could occur from eating contaminated food. Health Canada reports that every year, 4 million Canadians get sick from food-borne illness, over 11,000 Canadians are hospitalized and more than 200 people succumb to these illnesses. To prevent food-borne illness, everyone who works with food must: • Understand how food can become contaminated through improper handling • Know about potentially hazardous foods, also called high-risk foods • Understand the causes of food-borne illness (biological, physical, and chemical contaminants) • Know how to safely store, thaw, prepare, cook, and package foods • Know how to effectively clean and sanitize surfaces, equipment, and utensils • Understand the importance of personal hygiene and good manufacturing practices

This is where food safety training plays a vital role. When your employees complete a Food Handlers certificate course, you know they have acquired the skills and knowledge required to handle food safely and uphold high standards of personal hygiene and cleanliness. Trained and certified food handlers, coupled with a robust food safety plan, are the keys to ensuring food safety in your business.

Monitoring and Mentoring to Make Food Safety Training Effective Once a business has trained their employees thoroughly, training becomes more beneficial when there is an effective follow-up where monitoring and mentoring is required. This is where a trained supervisor comes into the picture to ensure that food handlers are applying their knowledge to good practices. Training coupled with mentoring prepares food handlers to follow food safety behaviour. Theoretical knowledge alone is not enough for them to continue with the behavioural change and good practices.

Training on good food safety practices provides the knowledge food handlers need to make safe and informed decisions about their own food handling practices. When staff are properly trained, less food is wasted, contaminated, or lost due to poor handling. Refresher courses serve as a reminder that they must continue with good food safety practices. Training courses

provide direction and knowledge for them to follow food safety norms. In addition, they acquire the latest information on food handling and understand what food inspectors will look for during their audits.

Food Safety Training is a Legal Requirement Food safety training is critical to the success of a food business, whether it’s a restaurant, a cafe, a catering business, or a corner store. It’s also a legal requirement. If you serve food to the public, you’re a food business under law, and you must comply with the food safety laws and regulations in your province or territory. It is a provincial regulation to ensure there is always at least one supervisor on shift who has received the Food Handler Training from a certified organization.

By investing time and resources into food safety training and making sure employees hold a valid Food Handlers certificate, you can: • Protect your brand and reputation • Prevent negative online reviews, customer complaints or media scandals • Reduce operational costs related to food waste, meal comps or pest eradication • Avoid expensive fines or business closure A bonus to putting everyone in the business through food safety training is knowing that when you have competent and knowledgeable staff, you can take a step back from the day-to-day operations and focus on long-term strategies to grow the business.

It’s important to practice safe food handling if you want your food business to succeed. Whether you’re the owner, the manager, supervisor or worker, your livelihood depends on the success of the business. The goal of any training and development program is to create a workforce that will “Stay, Start and Contribute”. Invest in your workforce – get started today!.

The Right ERP For The Food Industry

Manage all aspects of your business in a single solution Connects data, processes and departments.

www.csb.com