It is a treat to eat out at a favorite restaurant or community event. Consumers expect the food to be safe. It is up to the food handlers to provide the safest meal possible.

Preparing food for the public, whether at a volunteer group fund-raiser or at a restaurant, often means dealing with larger quantities of food than those used at home. With larger amounts of food, different food practices and special attention to detail become critical.

A Servsafe food handler short course for food service employees and volunteer groups will be held on Tuesday, April 11, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes the Servsafe Food Handler Guide, a nationally-recognized food safety training resource, plus training materials and refreshments. Linda Beech, County Extension Agent and trained Servsafe instructor, will be the presenter.

Register and pay fees soon to reserve your seat at the training.

The class covers basic food safety principles, personal hygiene, preventing cross-contamination, food allergens, time and temperature controls, cleaning and sanitation. This course would be appropriate for commercial food service employees, dietary staff at nursing homes, hospitals and schools, and volunteer groups who serve concession stands, church dinners, community meals or fund-raisers. The class does not include an exam and does not provide national certification, however, a certificate of attendance will be provided to each participant.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year one in six Americans gets sick from a foodborne illness. On average, 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3000 people die from something they eat every year. Foodborne illness is highly under-reported, and outbreaks do happen in Kansas.

The economic impact of foodborne illness is staggering. The CDC estimates that foodborne illness costs $15.5 billion annually, which includes factors such as direct medical costs, lost wages, time lost, and pain and suffering. That makes the average cost of one foodborne illness incident about $77,000. Proper food safety is important to reduce illness, but also to protect the reputation and reduce costs and legal repercussions for those who serve food to the public.

Plan now to attend the upcoming Servsafe food handler training. Register and pay fees at the Ellis County Extension Office to ensure adequate training materials and class supplies. Drop-ins cannot be accommodated for this class. Enrollment is considered complete when fees are paid. A minimum attendance is required to hold this class.

Obtain a registration form at www.ellis.ksu.edu/health-nutrition in the right box under “Upcoming Events.” For more information, call the Ellis County Extension Office, 785-628-9430.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.