National Food Safety Month Provides Education to All Levels of Operations

September is National Food Safety Education Month (NFSM) and the ServSafe training experts are working overtime to provide restaurants with materials to ensure food handling and preparation practices are up to standards.

NFSM was created in 1994 by ServSafe and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) to heighten awareness about the importance of education to ensure food is safely delivered to customers. This year, ServSafe marks 33 years as the leader of foodservice education training and certification, having issued more than 20 million credentials during that time.

So how much overtime is ServSafe putting in during in NFSM to deliver food safety education to restaurants? To put their efforts into perspective: ServSafe distributed approximately 5.6 million emails containing food safety education materials to restaurants from January to August of 2021. In September of last year alone, that number ballooned to 12.4 million emails sent to educate restaurants about food safety.

The curriculum for this year’s NFSM will focus on guidelines and safety standards for all levels of restaurant operation, from food handlers up to executive teams. Focus will also go beyond just standard food temperature and cooking times, as allergens and responsible alcohol service are addressed as well.

ServSafe developed the instruction this year to go beyond just one-page guides and printable checklists. While those tools are still utilized in this year’s education, a more comprehensive and deeper dive into food safety at every level was envisioned. The “big idea” is everyone who works in a restaurant has a role to play in keeping customers safe. In order accomplish this, there are practices workers at every level must follow.

ServSafe training will produce educational materials for owners and operators, restaurant employees, and the industry at large about the importance of food safety, focusing on the best tips, tricks, advice, and lessons learned in the last 30+ years. Look for the five themes to be explored with blog posts, social media, posters, activity sheets, whitepapers and eBooks related to each.