Don't Gamble on Food Safety

To maximize valuable training time for food service workers, the health department has developed an adult learning tool, "DON'T GAMBLE ON FOOD SAFETY," that is truly an "out of the box" approach for most trainers. Rather than lecture, this concept is inclusive, fast-paced, and requires the participants to demonstrate their own food safety knowledge. It has a pre-arranged (allowing for maximum staff participation) Family Feud game show format, but with several twists. Teams of food service workers compete against one another for prestige, points, and prizes. A few "casino" props can elevate the theme. Acting as host, the health department staff guides the participants through team selection, competition, and conclusion, where concepts are tied to the main objective--understanding the critical issues in their specific, menu-related food service program.

The goal of this program is to provide more dynamic and effective food safety training programs in order to engage food service workers and get them to adopt healthier food handling practices. In turn, this will reduce the number of food borne disease outbreaks and improve public health.

The "Don't Gamble on Food Safety" concept has been in use for about three years. Manager and staff feedback suggests this training has heightened general food safety awareness and accentuated the key role each individual plays in a good food service program.