COLLEGE STATION – The Texas Department of State Health Services accredited food handlers program has been translated into Mandarin Chinese and is now available online, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
“This class is recommended for all food service employees to help promote the service of safe food,” said Dr. Jenna Anding, AgriLife Extension program leader for nutrition and food sciences, College Station. “The class provides an overview of food safety principles and practices necessary to ensure people serve safe food at their establishment.”
The program was translated into Mandarin due to the increasing Asian population in Texas and particularly the increasing number of Mandarin-speaking people in the restaurant and food service industry.
The food handlers program is also available online in English and Spanish at http://foodsafetyonline.tamu.edu.
The course contents address potentially hazardous foods, employee illness, preventing foodborne illness, proper food handling, cleaning and sanitizing, safe food storage, cooking and handling hot foods, and more.
The online course cost is $15 per person, but discounted group rates are available, she said.
“One of the main benefits of this online course is that you can take it anywhere there’s Internet access and at any time,” said Rebecca Dittmar, AgriLife Extension program specialist in Kerr County. “It’s interactive, with participant activities and handouts, plus participants can take it in a language that’s more comfortable and understandable for them.”
Upon completion of the Texas Food Handlers Course, participants will be able to print a food handler’s card, Dittmar said. The card will be valid for two years and can be verified online. However, the cost of the course does not cover any fees associated with the person’s local health department.
For more information, contact Dittmar at 830-896-9037, rsdittmar@ag.tamu.edu.
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