Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Joan Gray-Soria, 806-669-8033, Joan.Gray-Soria@ag.tamu.edu
PAMPA – A food handler training program accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services will be offered Oct. 11 by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Gray County.
Food Safety: It’s In Your Hands will start at 9:30 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office at 12125 E. Frederic Ave., Pampa. The cost is $20 per person and must be paid in full before the course begins. To register for the course, call at 806-669-8033.
The Texas Food Establishment Rules were revised and went into effect Oct. 11, 2015. A major change in the revision now requires all food employees to complete an accredited food handlers training program within 60 days of employment, said Joan Gray-Soria, AgriLife Extension family and community health agent in Gray County.
The two-hour course is now required for all food service employees to help promote the service of safe food, she said. The certificate is good for two years and is valid anywhere in Texas.
“The course is a basic overview of food safety practices necessary to ensure safe food is served at your establishment,” Gray-Soria said. “Practices discussed include good personal hygiene, cross contamination, and time and temperature abuse.”
The class is taught in English, but Spanish handouts are available if requested in advance, she said.
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