Food Handlers Certificate – What It Is And Its Purpose!

When you are running a hotel or work in the hospitality industry, you are responsible for the health and well-being of the patrons who visit your place to satisfy their taste buds. When the food is not handled properly, there are more chances for food contamination, which is why it is mandatory for every individual responsible for handling and cooking food to get the food handlers certificate.

What is Food Handlers Certificate?

A food handlers certificate, also known as a food handlers license is a document that certifies that the person carrying the document has received a specific food handling course in the area and has passed the examination. In simple words, this is a certificate for everyone who is responsible for working with unpackaged food, food equipment, or a food-contact surface.

Once the food handler certificate is obtained, the individual is entitled to handle food safely both for himself and for the persons who will be consuming the food. So, we can say that the sole purpose of the food handlers certificate is to ensure the safety of the people eating as well as making the food. A food safety course ensures you are equipped with the knowledge and everything else required to work as a professional food handler.

What is the purpose of the food handlers certificate?

It is a fact that not every individual working as a food handler is having a food handler certificate across the country, but the fact is that this is one of the most important thing that every food handler must have it to work in the industry. The reason here is that food is susceptible to contamination in the handling process.  There are chances of food contamination at every stage of the food processing, ranging from the production of raw materials such as meat, vegetables, fruits, and others to their processing, packaging, transport, cooking, etc. This is why it becomes important to ensure having a food handlers certificate after a thorough food handling course so as to stay compliant with the local laws about food safety.

So we can say the prime goal of having a food handlers certificate is to reduce the risk of direct, indirect, and cross contamination during the process of cooking food. Remember there are various types of bacteria, pathogenic microorganisms that can be fatal sometimes. In order to avoid contamination or diseases, it is recommended to get a food handlers certificate to ensure the safety of the people eating at your place.

The food industry is going broad these days and at the same time, there are more food-borne diseases emerging every day. More important is to ensure taking care of the food processing and cooking process so as to avoid any kind of contamination or the spread of deadly bacteria. It becomes even more important to stay safe when working with meat products as they are more likely to have harmful bacteria.

See the infographic below for more information on safe food preparation!

Infographic provided by Sunline Supply, a PPE supply company