Learning food safety is an important aspect in owning a food business. FOODSAFE establishments in Red Deer, Alberta are required by a public health act to have its employees trained in food safety and sanitation. Not all employees are required to get trained, but a few of them have to in accordance with the law. The public health act on Food Regulation specifies that (1) a trained supervisor must be present in the establishment when staff count is more than five and (2) a trained non-supervisory staff member must be present in the establishment when staff count is less than six.
Interested food service workers can sign up for food safety and sanitation training at our provider, Red Deer First Aid. We have a variety of options available for students who plan on enrolling; the most popular method is the online form on the Red Deer First Aid website. Students can also enroll via e-mail, telephone call, or personal visits.
A safe food handling process with FOODSAFE in Red Deer
In order for a food establishment to continue business, it should practice safe food handling to receive a health permit. Safe food handling means that all steps in preparing food should be “safe”, keeping the food free from contaminants that can cause illness in consumers. Food handling starts from acquisition of raw products to the service and storage of food.
A case followed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the US involved a contaminated product that spread foodborne illness in different states, affecting nearly a hundred people. Because this product was manufactured improperly, it was contaminated by the Salmonella bacterium, which was then ingested by the people who bought the product.
Signs and symptoms of foodborne illness are usually the same among different conditions: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and cramps, and diarrhea. This makes is quite difficult to diagnose a condition based on clinical symptoms alone; blood tests are usually done in order to make a conclusive diagnosis.
Training certificate
Certificates for food safety and sanitation do not expire in Alberta. On the other hand, food service workers with credentials are expected to sign up for refresher training every five years (or sooner), to keep their skills updated. Refresher courses are typically short, single-session classes that focus on the essentials of food safety and the newer concepts and skills within the last five years since your original training program.
Note: A food service worker doesn’t have to wait five years for a refresher. He/she can sign up for one sooner if he/she feels the need to.
Getting started: The trouble with pesticide
Pesticides are used in large crops of produce to prevent insects and vermin from eating them. Especially for crops that grow above ground, pesticide is important to keep the plants healthy enough during harvest time. Produce that has been eaten by pests cannot be sold, since they can cause disease (vermin and insects can also carry disease-causing microorganisms). However, pesticides can be dangerous to humans when ingested, especially when food products aren’t cleaned properly. Cleaning raw produce is important in the food handling process to prevent this.