Education

The Food Protection Unit is provides individual and/or group training to all food shop operators who request it. The division is certified to administer the ServSafe® course which consists of training food handlers the concept of food safety to prevent the risk of food-borne illness. Food workers who successfully pass the final exam are certified in the food protection trade.

Food program Components:

• Food Service Operations
• Retail Food Establishments
• Mobile Food Service and Retail Operations
• TemporarRy Food Service and Temporary Retail Operations
• Food Service Vending Machine Locations

ServSafe® Essentials Course is the nationally recognized training program developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. This voluntary program is designed to educate foodservice operators in food safety, safe food handling practices, food borne illness prevention, and all related areas to ensure a safe and productive operation. Attendees are “certified in food protection” (by the National Restaurant Association and Ohio Department of Health) after completing 16 contact hours and successfully passing a standardized exam. Participants that pass the exam with a score of 90 or above, may apply to become certified ServSafe® trainers. ServSafe® certification is valid for five years.

ServSafe® Employee Guide Training is designed to provide food employees with basic food safety and food handling information. This course is a more “dilute” version of the certification course. Employee Guide Training provides a framework for additional food safety courses by introducing pertinent information in a basic format. Attendees are able to complete activities and exercises to reiterate course content. This course does not lead to certification in food protection. Attendees receive a certificate of attendance after completing the course (approximately 4 contact hours).

Person-In-Charge Training The P.I.C. class is designed to introduce and prepare all attendees with broad perspective of properly operating a safe and productive operation. The State of Ohio mandates that all retail food service operations and retail food establishments must have a Person-In-Charge (P.I.C.) during all times of operation. The person-in-charge must have a working knowledge of food safety, food borne illness recognition and prevention, employee exclusions and restrictions, as well as accompany public health sanitarians during inspections. Attendees receive a certificate of attendance after completing the course (approximately 2-3 contact hours).

The Cleveland Department of Public Health may also design classes and presentations specific to your operational requirements.  Please see attached link for current classes.