City looks at mandatory food handling training

29.jan.07
Hamilton Spectator (Ontario)
Joanna Frketich

The city is, according to this story, considering forcing key restaurant staff, particularly managers, to take a training course and pass a test to help avoid outbreaks of food poisoning like two last fall that left hundreds of people sick.
Bob Hart, environmental health manager, was quoted as saying, "The root cause of outbreaks often comes down to people not understanding a key (food preparation) step. It's why we think it's important to have people on hand who are trained."
The story says that only Toronto, Brantford and Brant County have mandatory food handler certification. It's voluntary everywhere else in Ontario, including Hamilton.
Jeff Koval, manager of environmental health and inspections at the Brant County Health Unit, was quoted as saying, "It has definitely benefitted the community."
Koval was cited as estimating that over 3,500 restaurant staff have been trained since Brantford and Brant County were the first to make it mandatory in 2002. They have not seen a drop in food poisoning, but have seen an increase in proper food handling.
The story says that restaurant owners worry about the cost of training staff who tend to have high turnover rates.
The course costs $35 to take in a classroom or online.
It's $25 to do it at home. Hart acknowledged the price may go up if the program becomes mandatory. Certification lasts five years.
Michael Veri, owner of Maccheroni Cucina Al Fresco on Main Street West, was quoted as saying, "It would cost a fortune. You pay for all that and then they up and leave or the (trained) person scheduled phones in sick. It sounds good on paper, but it would be an expensive, time-consuming schedule problem."
He said public health should focus on restaurants with bad records and leave establishments such as his that already have six staff trained and no history of problems.