(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Penn State Extension)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Cranberry Township, PA) According to a release from Penn State Extension, they will be offering the ServSafe Food Safety Manager course from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 15th, and 9 a.m. to 12 noon on May 16th at the Cranberry Township Municipal Building. The exam will be held at 10 a.m. on May 16th. This course is aimed at restaurant and food service managers as well as others who need food safety certification. These in-person trainings are led by certified ServSafe instructors, who will teach participants how to prevent contamination by properly cooking, cooling, preparing, receiving, storing, and serving food and by sanitizing food service facilities. The classes are taught by experts in food safety: extension educators with advanced degrees, extensive food safety training and industry experience. Faculty members in the Department of Food Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences provide training that is ongoing on current industry issues. Strong relationships with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and industry leaders enable instructors to assist course participants in learning the underlying principles of food safety so they can educate their own staff. Extension educators that are based in the communities they serve will remain available as resources after the course to provide science-based support to address complex questions. Organizers expressed that the workshop is moderately and competitively priced at $165. The course fee will cover an all-in-one bundle, including the cost of the most recent edition of the ServSafe Manager book, virtual study materials, handouts, class instruction, review and exam. Participants should register by May 7th to attend this in-person course and exam. A second option that will help caterers, chefs, cooks, food service managers, health officials and inspectors prepare to take a Food Protection Manager certification exam, such as ServSafe, is the TAP Online Food Safety Manager Certification course. The portion online can be taken anytime, but the exam is conducted in person and proctored at a scheduled location that is typically in conjunction with the second day of the in-person ServSafe class. Alternate exam arrangements can be made with the instructor of the course. The online course is self-paced and can be started anytime throughout the year. It must be completed within 180 days of enrollment. The fee of the course is $145. After finishing the in-person or online course and passing the multiple-choice exam with a score of 70% or higher, participants will receive a ServSafe Food Protection Manager certificate. This certification is valid for five years. A third option called “Food Safety Manager Certification Prep Course,” is a live online webinar that is spread over two days and prepares participants for the certification exam. Participants will receive live instruction from experts in food safety without needing to travel. A textbook will also be mailed before the first day’s class. After the course, participants can choose from several certification exam options which are available in multiple languages. The fee for the exam is approximately $100 and it is separate from the course fee of $65. Participants are responsible for paying and registering for their chosen exam. All course and exam options meet the requirements for the Food Employee Certification Act from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. You can visit https://extension.psu.edu/