Do You Know How to ServSafe? Let the Co-op Show You How
added 08/27/08
In 2006, a group of 20 volunteers in a Minnesota church worked together in the organization’s kitchen to provide the food for a church social. They created a smorgasbord that included meatballs made from ground beef purchased at a local grocery store and cooked by the volunteers the day before the event.
The ground beef they purchased turned out to contain a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria. As a result of eating at the church social, an elderly woman died and 17 other people were hospitalized.
The family of the deceased and one of the hospitalized victims sued the grocery store, the wholesale distributor, and Nebraska Beef, where the ground beef originated. Now Nebraska Beef is suing the church, saying that if the church cooks had handled the beef properly, no one would have become ill.
According to a report from the Minnesota Department of Health, the church cooks made several food safety mistakes. Through poor food handling practices, they created conditions that possibly spread E. coli from the beef to several other foods. They also failed to take the internal temperature of the finished meatballs to ensure that the meat had been cooked sufficiently to kill any bacteria present. Yet, as the church’s attorney stated, “These women have been cooking years and years and years without incident. They have collectively, oh, 500 years of cooking experience between them.” (New York Times, June 8, 2008)
Keeping Our Community Safe
What happened at the church supper in Minnesota could happen right here in the Upper Valley. Whether it’s E. coli, Salmonella, or another bacteria contaminating meat, produce, or other items, recent events have shown that today’s cooks need to know how to protect the people they feed. This includes having a thorough knowledge of proper preparation, cooking, cooling, and holding of food.
For the past year and a half, the Co-op has been offering ServSafe® certification—a nationally recognized food safety program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)—to its employees through an in-house training program. Four Co-op employees are certified ServSafe instructors, and over 40 employees are ServSafe Certified Food Protection Managers.
We are now ready to offer ServSafe® food safety certification classes to outside organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Sign up for a Course!
Our next official 16-hour course and certification examination will take place on Thursday and Friday, October 16 and 17.
Those who pass the exam will be ServSafe certified for five years. The cost of the course is $150 per person, which includes the course book and NRAEF exam fee plus a light breakfast and catered lunch on both days. Non-profit organizations may apply to receive a reduced rate. Class location will be in the Lebanon, New Hampshire, area, with details to be announced at a later date.
Pre-registration is required, with payment due no later than October 1.
For more information, or to pre-register, call Education Director Rosemary Fifield at (603) 640-6507 or send her an email.
ServSafe® is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
What Do You Think?
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