What is a Food Handler?

A food handler is someone who works in a facility that produces and packages food and comes into contact with it on a regular basis. This can range from restaurant prep cooks to quality control inspectors on a production line. Some areas require special certifications for food handlers to ensure that they know how to handle food safely and appropriately, and community colleges and technical schools can provide this training. Safety classes may also be offered health departments.

Providing adequate training and tools for food safety to food handlers is an important aspect of protecting public health. When a sick person comes into contact with food, she risks spreading the disease to others. Similarly, if a food handler fails to properly handle foods such as meat and dairy, people may become ill as a result of bacterial or fungal contamination. Personal hygiene, safe cooking and handling temperatures, and how to lay out a food facility to avoid cross-contamination are all topics that food handlers should learn about.

Even if certification is not required, a person with food handler certification may be more employable in the food industry. Even if the health department does not require certification for supervisors, having training can help you advance higher in the company, supervising and training other people who work with food. It may also be possible to bargain for higher pay.

People who work with food in areas where food handler certification is required must be able to show proof of certification, which must be renewed on a regular basis. People who want to be certified must take a class and pass an exam to demonstrate their understanding of the topics covered. Renewals almost always necessitate retaking the exam. People may also be required to complete continuing education requirements, such as a certain number of hours of safety training per year, to ensure that they are up to date on food industry trends and are aware of changes in health and safety recommendations and requirements.

People who work as food handlers may spend a lot of time on their feet in hot, crowded environments. People expect quality and consistency from the food they buy, so the job usually requires good observational skills and attention to detail. Food handlers with special aesthetic or culinary skills may advance to senior positions designing and creating menu items or working directly under a head chef.