Texas A&M AgriLife offers Professional Food Manager
Certification Training Course
Statistics indicate that foodborne illness remains a significant health issue in the United States. Each year, one in six Americans will become sick, 128,000 will become hospitalized, and 3,000 will die due to a foodborne illness.
Under the Texas Depart- ment of State Health Ser - vices (DSHS) jurisdiction, each food establishment is required, when open, to have one certified food manager on site.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Fayette County, is offering a twoday professional food man- ager certification training course. This program will be offered for $125 on Monday, Oct. 6 and Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Randolph Recreation- al Center in La Grange. Cost includes training, materials, and a national food manag- er certification examination. The food manager's certi - fication will be valid any where in the state of Texas for five years.
This program is designed Each class will include hands-on activities, food tastings and an educational session on the following topics:
•Understanding Carbohydrate Foods;
•Reducing Sodium & Increasing Fiber in Your Meals;
•Making Recipes with Fat Better for You; and
•Celebrating Sensibly.
The cost of the series is $30, and scholarships are available upon request.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Please contact the Fayette County Extension Of- fice at 979-968-5831 regard ing questions or to register for the series.
not only to prepare foodservice managers to pass the certification exam ination; it will also provide valuable education regarding the safe handling of food. Almost 50 cents of every dollar Americans spend on food is spent on meals prepared away from home.
Therefore, careful attention to food safety will help keep customers safe and satisfied.
Foodborne illnesses are estimated to cost thousands of dollars in lost wages, insurance, and medical bills.
With these statistics, knowledge of how to prevent foodborne illness is essential.
The benefits of improved food safety include:
•Increased customer satisfaction;
•Improved relationships with health officials; and
•Prevention of bad publicity and lawsuits due to foodborne illness. By attending the course, food service managers will learn about:
•Identifying potentially hazardous foods and common errors in food handling; •Preventing contaminaton and cross-contamination of food;
•Teaching and encouraging personal hygiene for employees;
•Complying with government regulations;
•Maintaining clean utensils, equipment and surroundings; and
•Controlling pests.
Foodborne illnesses can be prevented by following simple food safety practices.
For more information about the Professional Food Man- ager Certification Train ing course of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, called Food Safety: It's Our Business, call the the exten- sion office at 979-968-5831.
