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ServSafe Training Improves Food Safety Practices For Restaurant Employees
| Name | Karen Leigh Leggett | | Situation | Food-borne illness, which results from consuming unsafe food, victimizes from 3.3 to 12.3 million victims per year in America. It kills approximately 3,900 people each year, resulting in close to $35 billion in medical costs, as well as a major loss of work production. Research in 1995 revealed that Americans spent 25% of the total food budget on food eaten away from their residence. A 1999 study indicated an increase to 51% of the total food budget having been spent in food establishments. Based on these figures, consumers must rely on food service workers in eating establishments to properly handle food to keep it safe which will reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
| | Response | In July 2003, a County Extension agent conducted a ServSafeŽ Employee
Training for employees from a national steakhouse chain. Eighteen (18) employees from three different counties across South Carolina participated during two training sessions. Collectively,these restaurant employees serve food on a daily basis to an average of 2,125 individuals.
During the training, the participants studied the Serving Safe Food Curriculum which focuses on proper cleaning and sanitizing, safe handling of food, correct temperatures, proper personal hygiene, as well as other aspects of food safety. Further, during this training, the employees
assessed how the ServSafeŽ information would enable them to excel in each and every facet of their job.
| | Impact | Knowledge gained by all participants was demonstrated by their performance on the post-test, administered once the training was completed. On the post-test, 100% of the participants scored higher than they had on the pre-test. This was an indication of knowledge gained. All 18 attendees who took the final examination passed. As a result, all 18 restaurant employees attained ServSafeŽ Employee Certification, a national credential well respected in the food service industry. At a practical and vital level, the management team from one of the restaurants reported that by applying what they learned during the ServSafeŽ training, they were able to improve their health inspection grade from 95 on one day to a perfect score of 100 the following day. As a result of these 18 individuals successfully completing the ServSafeŽ Employee Food Safety Training, they have the potential to ensure the safety of the food they serve to over 2,125 consumers each day. The ServSafeŽ principles and practices that have been learned and adopted better equip these food service employees to consistently provide safer food to their customers. When safer food is served to consumers, there is a reduced incidence of food-borne illness. Further, the decreased risk of food-borne illness reduces the likelihood of medical costs that are incurred from hospital visits due to food-borne illness.
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Last update6/26/2007
This website is maintained by Lisa Terry.
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