Impacts of Foodborne Pathogens on Ohio Citizens
Foodborne illnesses adversely affect the health of Ohio citizens and are costly to the State's economy. Health care costs associated with the care of foodborne illnesses are skyrocketing and the impact is being felt in Ohio, as well as the whole country. Mead et al (1999) reports an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the United States each year.
The manner in which people handle and prepare food is a major reason why foodborne illness occurs. People must alter their food handling behavior, but they must first have the knowledge and skills that are known to protect food from contamination with pathogens before they have the capacity to change their behavior. Education provides the knowledge and skills Ohio citizens need to reduce incidence of foodborne illness and to reduce the impact on health care costs.
Ohio State University Extension offers numerous food safety education opportunities to the citizens of Ohio through offerings of the Family and Consumer Sciences Program. Regardless of the reason why an individual handles food, either as part of their employment or at home, there is an education program specific for their interest and need to learn food safety. We have developed a decision tree of available programs to help people identify which program is right for them.
About the ServSafe Program
ServSafe is a nationally recognized food safety training and certification program established by the National Restaurant Association. The ServSafe food safety training and certification program is recognized by more jurisdictions than any other manager food safety program. Ohio State University Extension offers ServSafe trainings across the state that fit every organization's needs, in a variety of training methods. For more information about our trainings click here for future dates and locations or email one of our certified instructors.