AMARILLO — Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents around the Panhandle will be offering a professional food manager certification training course called “Food Safety: It’s Our Business” in three locations during March and May.
The program is designed to help food establishments meet Texas Department of State Health Services requirements, said Sandra Duke, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent for Hutchinson County.
The program will be offered at the following locations:
- Gray County, March 22-23 at the Gray County Annex, 12125 E. Frederic Ave., Pampa.
- Moore and Hutchinson counties, March 23-24, to be taught in Spanish only, at the Frank Phillips College Center for Access and Innovation, Room 102, 901 Opal, Borger.
- Armstrong County, May 19-20 at the Armstrong County Activity Building, 901 S. Hurley, State Hwy. 207, Claude.
The trainings are open to anyone from the Panhandle region. A $115 fee will be charged at each location, which will cover training, materials and the state food manager certification examination, according to Joan Gray-Soria, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent for Gray County.
Under the Texas Department of State Health Services jurisdiction, each food establishment is required to have one certified food manager on site, Gray-Soria said. Food manager certificates will be valid for five years.
This program is designed to help prepare food-service managers to pass the certification examination, as well as provide valuable education regarding the safe handling of food, said Leicia Redwine, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent for Armstrong County.
Redwine said some of the known 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.
Sue Owens, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent for Moore County, said individuals attending the course will learn to: identify potentially hazardous foods and common errors in food handling; prevent contamination and cross-contamination of food; teach and encourage personal hygiene for employees; comply with government regulations; maintain clean utensils, equipment and surroundings; and control pests.
For more information about the Professional Food Manager Certification Training course of AgriLife Extension call Duke at 806-878-4026, Gray-Soria at 806-669-8033, Redwine at 806-226-3021 or Owens at 806-935-2594.
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