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Safe Food Depends on You: A Training Guide for Food Handlers

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This training program is designed to teach entry-level English- and Spanish-speaking workers food handling practices that will minimize the potential for foodborne illness. The program, which includes videos (English and Spanish), a guide, and 9 posters, covers important practices that workers must be aware of, for example, proper handwashing techniques, the wearing of appropriate clothing, avoiding cross-contamination and how to maintain good hygiene. The underlying goal of the training program is to inculcate a system of values and to help the food industry deliver safe food to market and to help it meet food safety regulations which require a formal educational program for all workers. These materials make up the training program:

  • Videos (English and Spanish). Trainees can watch one of the 10-minute video presentations below, which show workers demonstrating proper food handling techniques — each demonstration in the video is highlighted by a color poster hanging on the wall nearby. There are a few minor errors in the video and one of the training exercises is to see how many of them employees can find.
  • Training Guide. This 38-page guide discusses the same techniques shown in the videos and includes activities in Spanish and English to reinforce the topics covered. Download a pdf of the guide below.
  • Posters. The nine posters below that are highlighted in the video can be downloaded below and posted in the workplace to further reinforce training activities.

This training program was created by the University of Delaware in cooperation with Extension Specialists at the Sea Grant colleges of Delaware and Maryland.

 

 

The training guide covers four important areas that are critical for workers to understand in order to follow your company’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for sanitation.
  1. Workers will understand the importance of and adopt good handwashing techniques, wear appropriate attire in the processing plant, and practice proper hygiene.
  2. Workers will understand how proper cooling and storage methods, recommended cooking times and temperatures, and holding methods minimize risk.
  3. Workers will learn how cross-contamination occurs and how to prevent it from happening.
  4. Workers will understand the importance of proper cleaning and sanitizing procedure

The theme of Safe Food Depends on You emphasizes a system of values and sharing of the learning and training process. For many workers, knowledge gained as a result of this training format can be practiced at home and with their co-workers.

You can download pdfs of the guide and the posters that accompany the training program.

 safe food depends on you training guide-cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download guide

poster avoid cross contamination-crabs

Download poster

poster avoid cross contamination-meat

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poster keep area clean

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poster-keep produce moving

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poster-store and use equipment

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poster-use sanitizer

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poster-wash hands

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poster-wear proper attire

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poster-watch what you touch

Download poster

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