Why there is need of FOODSAFE in Mississauga? Foodborne illness is typically a self-limiting disease that resolves in a few days, but more severe conditions can manifest symptoms for longer – or the symptoms themselves become more severe. Foodborne illness is not just one condition, it is a category for all diseases that are acquired by ingesting contaminated food and manifest any (if not all) of the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain/cramps
- Upset stomach
- Appetite loss
- Fever
Food becomes contaminated because of unsafe food practices – such as food handlers not practicing hand washing and hand hygiene. This is where food safety training steps in. In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long Term drafted a bylaw that requires food facilities that are medium and high-risk to have a certified food handler present at all times in the facility. This food handler has to have trained and be certified by a training provider that is approved by Mississauga’s local health authorities. This means that not all members of the staff need to be certified, just select members. Sign up for FOODSAFE in Mississauga.
FOODSAFE Courses in Mississauga
We offer students a chance to choose the kind of training experience they want to have. Classroom-based training is a typical program that is based inside lecture halls and laboratories. Self-study is a different approach, allowing students to study alone, at their own pace and time, with our workbooks. The latter is very popular among students who are already working or are still studying in school. Students who sign up for classroom-based training no longer have to schedule a certification exam separately; students who self-study do.
Food safety training encompasses all needed knowledge and skills in handling food safely. Our basic course that runs for eight hours covers topics such as introduction to microbiology, pathogenesis of foodborne illness, personal health/hygiene, and workplace sanitation. Advanced training takes 16 hours to complete and covers skill and knowledge needed by supervisory staff members and food business owners.
Your training certificate
Students who pass the certification exam are awarded a training certificate, valid for five years before it needs to be renewed. In order to renew your credential, you have to take a refresher class – which is basically a basic training class that includes updates made to food safety in the past five years. After taking the refresher class, you have to sign up for another certification exam. Your renewed certificate is valid for another five years.
Getting started: If you have been infected with a foodborne illness
If you start experiencing the symptoms mentioned above within 30 minutes to 6 hours of ingesting food, you might be infected with a foodborne illness. If this is the case, monitor yourself for the first two to three days. If your symptoms are mild, just remember to keep hydrated (at least eight glasses of 240 ml a day) to replace the lost fluid and electrolytes from vomiting and diarrhea. If you start to manifest symptoms and signs of dehydration, it is best to seek medical help. You might need intravenous fluid replacement.