Penn State Extension offers food safety training in September

CHAMBERSBURG – The ServSafe Food Safety Manager course, an essential tool for everyone in the food preparation industry, will be held in person in mid-September.

The course is administered by Penn State Extension and will be held at the Penn State Extension Franklin County office, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. The course will be held on September 10th from 9am to 4pm and on September 17th from 9am to 1pm. The exam will be given on the day of the second class period at 11am.

These in-person training sessions are conducted by certified ServSafe instructors and teach participants how to prevent food contamination through proper food receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, refrigeration and serving, as well as proper methods for sanitizing food service establishments.

Upon completion of the course and passing the multiple-choice exam with a score of 70 percent or higher, participants will receive a ServSafe Food Protection Manager certificate. This certification is valid for five years.

The recently reduced course fee of $165 covers the cost of the latest edition of the ServSafe Manager book, exam, answer sheet and study materials. Registration closes September 2.

The Food Safety Manager online certification course helps food managers, chefs, caterers, cooks, health officials and inspectors prepare for a Food Protection Manager exam such as ServSafe that meets the regulatory guidelines for a certified Food Protection Manager. The online portion can be taken at any time, but the exam is in person and proctored at a designated location.

After completing the online course and passing the proctored multiple-choice exam with a score of 70 percent or higher, participants will receive a Food Protection Manager certificate, which meets the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s requirements for food safety certification. This certificate is valid for five years. If you are unsure if you need certification, you can contact your regional Department of Agriculture.

The online course is self-paced, can be started at any time during the year, and must be completed within 180 days of enrollment. The course fee is $145.

Penn State Extension will follow applicable state and local restrictions as well as Penn State’s COVID-19 guidelines in effect at the time of the event regarding mask requirements, social distancing, and facility capacity limits.

To register for one of these courses or to learn more, visit extension.psu.edu/food-safety-2024 or call 1-877-345-0691.