Retail Food Handler Certifi cation and Food Handler Training - Retail Food Safety - page 168

Table 10.1 Assessment methods for effectiveness of food handler training
No. Method Limitation

1 Compare the number of foodborne illness

outbreaks before and after mandatory food
handler training has been implemented

Lack of specifi city due to variety
of outbreak causes and variability
in reporting and detection

2 Compare the number of cited critical violations

before and after mandatory food handler training
has been implemented

Data on violations prior to training
unavailable

3 Correlate the number of foodborne illness

outbreaks with the number of trained food
handlers following the implementation of
mandatory training

Lack of consistent training records
throughout a jurisdiction; worker
mobility

4 Compare outbreak contributing factors to

facilities where food handler training is required
vs. facilities where such training is not required

Differences in workforce, types of
food facilities, education
backgrounds, language, foods
served, and preparation procedures

5 Compare foodborne illness outbreak trends

and cases associated with specifi c pathogens
(e.g., E. coli , Salmonella spp.)

Not specifi c enough vis a vis food
handler training; too many
complicating factors

6 Compare rate of employee compliance to

training in food facilities that have outbreaks vs.
facilities that do not

Data may not be easily available

7 a Compare trends in foodborne illness contributing

factors before and after mandatory food handler
training has been implemented in licensed food
establishments in a given jurisdiction

Outbreaks with a variety of causes;
inconsistency in detection and
reporting

a Used by Hammond et al. ( 2005 )

diffi culty, the study recommended that, because of the decline in knowledge, food
handlers receive not only initial food safety training, but also refresher training
periodically.

10.14 Measuring the Food Safety System

Traditional evaluations of a food facility such as regulatory inspections focus on
observing the physical conditions of the facility and environment, taking hot and
cold food temperatures, and observing cleanliness and sanitation, and personnel.
This only reveals the status of the facility at the time of the inspection. Even an
excellent inspection score cannot show if food safety processes are consistently car-
ried out as they should be or if the score was a lucky accident. Measurement—
inspection and testing—of the processes is more likely to detect any food safety
problems. This includes measurement of knowledge of managers and employees as
well as behavior. Krause ( 1997 ) describes a way to analyze the food safety system
in order to improve it through identifi cation and observation of safety behaviors,
providing feedback, and using the observational data for continuous improvement.