Responsibilities Of A Food Handler!

A Food borne illness is any illness caused by consuming foods or beverages contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms, hazardous chemicals or physical hazards. A food borne disease outbreak is when two or more people have the same illness after eating the same food. The food service industry regularly experiences tremendous financial losses due to food borne illness. Such losses can be significantly reduced, however, through knowledge and education.

Food borne illness and outbreaks are associated with such behaviors as poor personal hygiene, time and temperature abuse and cross contamination. These topics will be discussed in a later section. A food handler must report to their employer if they are diagnosed with,exposed to or exhibiting symptoms from Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

When a food handler becomes ill, proper precautions must be taken. To ensurethe safety of the consumers, the manager of the establishment will either restrict or exclude the ill food handler. Restriction is when a food handler(who does not serve highly susceptible populations) is allowed to work in the food establishment but is not allowed to perform tasks that would cause contamination of food or utensils. Exclusion is when a food handler is not permitted to work in a food establishment until they provide a written release from the proper authority.

The employer shall restrict food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: sore throat with fever, lesions containing pus, an infected wound, or discharges from the eyes, nose and mouth. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.The employer shall exclude food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.

There are additional requirements for contacting ready-to-eat foods with bare hands. Food handlers may contact ready-to-eat food with their bare hands if documentation is kept, that the food handler has signed, stating that they have received training on hand washing and additional control measures and that the establishment requires that employees must utilize two or more safeguards. These safeguards include double hand washing, nail brushes, hand sanitizer (antiseptics) after hand washing, incentive program or other approved control measures. These safeguards, however, are in addition to proper hand washing.

Documentation must be maintained at the food establishment that corrective actions are taken when any of the food borne illness, good hygienic practices or bare hand contact of ready-to-eat rules are not followed. In Texas it is best to be aware of these protocols by obtaining your Texas Food Handlers Certification and Food Handler Permit Texas.

Franchise Business Opportunities And Food In India

Expanding of business at the same time involving interested entrepreneurs in the same has of late gained big momentum. Opening of chain outlets or stores no doubt add to the extensive market presence and an enhanced brand identity. But that involves a good amount of investment besides liability and other factors associated. This is where a franchise business comes into play. Franchising, the practice of using another firm’s successful business model, had been at a nascent stage for quite some time. Today, it is not only in India but also across the world that franchise business is gaining impetus. Offering franchise business opportunities, concerned companies not only see their business expand even beyond geographical boundaries but also get returns. No investment, no maintenance, no liabilities! The franchisor’s success is the success of the franchisees.

Explore the various segments where franchise business opportunities are offered, consider your interests and accordingly choose the right company. If you choose a reputed name, you can look forward towards making some big money in no time. Building a brand rapport takes time and when you get a brand the rapport of which is already built you do experience a win-win situation. You can opt going for a food franchise. Of course, you will have to invest for the set-up, food processing equipments, follow space and food menu conditions followed by the parent group, pay royalty, pay part of income generated and more. Compared to other segments, you need not invest big in a food franchise. You will have to consider the location. The better the location, the more lucrative will be your food franchise chosen.

When we speak of food in India, we cannot think of a counted few items. There are countless food items specific to each region; most of you must have not yet explored the regional food in the towns and villages of each state. Start exploring, especially if you are a travel freak and love exploring cultures. You will be surprised at the countless delicacies with each dish tasting different. Well, food in India commonly offered in the restaurants is same in the menu no matter which part of the country you visit. It can be South Indian food or North Indian food. And again food in India is not only limited to meals; there are sweets, snacks, chaat, namkeen, vegetable snacks, and more.

Those who have tasted South Indian food never let the taste disappear from their palate. Whether it is breakfast or lunch or dinner or supper, they would love to have any of the South Indian food items to appease their appetite. Right from plain dosa, masala dosa, onion rawa masala, rawa plain dosa, rawa masala dosa to plain uttapam, vada sambhar, mixed uttapam, sambhar idli, etc. you have a myriad range of options in the menu to choose from! It is not only in South India but across the country that you will find South Indian food in the restaurants.

One semester of food service program leads to a career in long-term care

Many programs take years to complete, some with no practical experience. One program is changing the way schools work, with one semester consisting of five major components and a 16-week field placement in a healthcare facility. It is the Food Service Worker (1620) program from Centennial College, which provides a high food service degree on nutrition, food quality, and cleanliness.

Under the School of Community and Health Studies, students train based on the food preparation guidelines from the Dietitians of Canada and the Ontario Society of Nutrition Management.The curriculum itself was developed alongside the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The series of courses prepare students to enter the workplace with the skills and ethics of a professional:

Students can appreciate the role of a Food Service Worker by exploring the operations and management of the profession, including quality management, risk management, ethical issues, and laws and regulations.
Workers come into close contact with clients and have to coordinate meal plans and other services with colleagues. Communication and customer service are key to this role and a course has been created to focus on these skills as they are managed in the food service and healthcare sectors.
Another close encounter workers will have is with diseases, so health and safety is a big issue in the workplace. Safety and sanitation is declared an essential skill, which every student is required to understand proper food handling procedures and safe work habits to prevent food contamination and food borne illnesses.
Especially in healthcare, nutrition is vital to menu planning. Students will learn basic food preparation using based on Canada’s Food guide, but will also learn how to accommodate clients with strict diets. Nutrition for therapeutic and texture modificationwill also be explored.
Students will practice their food preparation skills with four hours of kitchen lab sessions per week. They will learn how to handle and maintain kitchen equipment, and how to implement menu planning on a large scale.

Open for enrollment twice a year, students attend the Morningside campus alongside other healthcare students, where they can connect with their peers and gain industry connections early on in their careers. Although this full-time program is offered within 15 weeks, students have the option to enroll through the School of Continuing Education for part-time, distance learning, accelerated, and fast-track program options.

-You will be able to apply at long-term care facilities, working within the dietary department, as well as acute care, which (includes) any hospitals or any community services that have healthcare components in the food service industry,- says Professor Karen Barnes.

Centennial graduates are living healthy careers in long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and hospitals. The Food Service Worker program equips students with the knowledge of kitchen tools and the care for nutrition and safety of food preparation sought out by many healthcare organizations. Graduates receive the Ontario College Certificate as well as a food handler’s certification called the TrainCanBasics.fst Food Safety Certificate. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Smart, Stylish Pet-food Storage Solutions

If pets had their way, they’d raid the bags containing their kibble and help themselves to an all-day feast, every day. This is hardly a desirable scenario, as it leads to obesity and digestive upset, so take care to store food where pets can’t get at it while you’re not looking.

Dogs, by the way, are not the only ones guilty of raiding bags of kibble; hungry cats have also been known to apply their claws and teeth to almost-full bags – even those heavy-duty foil models! – and help themselves to heaps of between-meal snacks.

Most pet-food storage containers are made of plastic, which is porous (so their contents are not safe from bacteria) and easily gnawed open by a large, determined dog.

Pet-supply stores sell large clips to “reseal” opened bags of kibble – but these do nothing to prevent the contents from growing stale, or permitting the entry of hungry insects.

Happily, there are much better, more sanitary ways to store large bags of opened kibble.
If there’s room in your refrigerator, stick the opened bag of kibble in there. Or, decant the contents of the bag into glass food-storage jars. These are widely available at kitchen-supply stores and online, and they come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from round to square. Some have threaded metal lids, others close with a rubber washer that securely closes with a metal clamp.

If you’d like double protection – refrigeration plus a glass jar – investigate refrigerator glassware, widely available in nesting sets, complete with convenient plastic lids. Just don’t subject glass that isn’t made for refrigerator storage to your fridge’s chilly atmosphere, or it will crack and break, and you’ll have wasted all that kibble.

In the fridge or out, glass jars keep pets and bugs away from the food, and they look quite decorative just sitting there on your kitchen counter or shelf. The good habit of transferring kibble from the bag to the jar could even inspire you to be better about putting away flour, sugar, and other bagged food items!

Why Food Hygiene Courses Are Important For The Modern Workforce

The demand for food hygiene courses have risen continuously over the years. Businesses involved in food manufacturing, catering and retailing are required by the laws to undertake health and safety certificate courses to stay complaint with the industry regulations. Food safety is therefore an important issue within the modern workforce.

You now can’t open any food outlet if you don’t comply with the food safety guidelines. Hence, catering and restaurants have made it mandatory for their employees to undertake safety training course to ensure proper food handling.

Food related illnesses are a common phenomenon but when you are running a restaurant or catering business you can’t afford the diners to fall ill because of your food. This would not only be detrimental for your image but in the worst case scenario you can even get sued or have your licensed revoked. Food hygiene training courses are, hence, essential for your business.

The members within the food industry are, therefore, required to train their workforce about proper handling of food items, whether raw or cooked. They must also ensure that all workers stay up-to-date with the changing requirements of food safety.

Why is it Important to Train Employees?

A question may, however, arise why it is so important to have employees trained in food safety for the catering or restaurant industry.

Well, to run a catering business efficiently you probably would require workers to carry out different jobs. You need to set up a supply chain, maintain cash flow and also serve great food at the same time. Hence, it becomes important that you have a competent team of workers to assist you in running the business. Food hygiene courses have been designed to help you identify areas of how you can manage your workforce better.

Further, you also need to ensure that the food served from your kitchen comply the health and safety standards. If your customers suffer illness after consuming food in your restaurant, you are likely to receive negative publicity. This can be exceedingly strenuous for you as owner of the business.

The food hygiene training also deals with training employees with proper waste management, which is another important factor for food manufacturing and restaurant businesses.

How to Find Food Safety Courses?

You are therefore required to find a comprehensive food safety course for your workers. There are now suppliers offering both offline and online food safety courses. An online food safety course is designed to cater to the needs of busy professionals where the professional can receive the required training without compromising with his earning opportunities.

An online food hygiene course is precise and hence doesnt take as much time to complete. Therefore, professionals are not required to deal with large volume of course materials. Also these are quick and you can take the examination immediately after completing the course.

It is also important to consider the accreditation and credibility of the online food hygiene course provider to avoid being scammed. If you are not careful at selecting the right food hygiene course online you may run into a great risk of getting your licensed revoked and losing your business.