Factors that affect Food Safety
Why there is a need for Food Safety Training in Windsor? A concern of any establishment that handles food in anyway is food safety. There are very strict laws that govern food facilities because the products they sent out into the market have to be safe for public consumption. If food is not prepared correctly or of the facility does not follow the safety and sanitation regulations, it is highly likely that it is contaminated with dangerous microorganisms and/or chemicals.
Contaminated food that is consumed can cause the person to get foodborne illness. Its symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the consumed microorganism and the amount of food actually eaten. If you have ingested improperly handled food, you can expect to experience any, if not all, of the following signs and symptoms:
- Appetite loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal cramps
Dehydration: The danger of foodborne illness
The biggest complication of foodborne illnesses is dehydration. When a victim constantly loses fluids and electrolytes through vomiting and diarrhea, he or she is at great risk for getting severe dehydration. Without enough fluid circulating in the body, the body’s organs receive less oxygen needed to function adequately. This can end in multiple-organ dysfunction and even failure.
For mild cases, home management is enough, especially if the person has no problem drinking fluids orally. More severe cases need to be managed in a health care environment, such as a hospital or clinical. People who experience severe symptoms (and are at risk for dehydration) will usually need intravenous fluid replacement.
Food Safety Training in Windsor
Windsor First Aid has two levels of food safety and sanitation training offered to students. The basic course (the first level) is the minimum training needed by food service workers, according to the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The advanced course is available for students with level one training credentials, but the course itself is targeted towards staff members with supervisory capacity.
Note: As of 2014, all medium-risk and high-risk food facilities are required to have certified food service workers present during all operating hours.
- Basic course (level 1) – An eight-hour program that introduces students to microbiology, foodborne illness, personal health and hygiene, cooking/packaging and general sanitation of the workplace.
- Advanced course (level 2) – This advanced program tackled management supervisory concepts and skills needed by management staff and owners of food facilities. It runs for 16 hours over two days, much longer than the basic course.
- Refresher – Refresher classes are short, basic courses that update students who have previously taken training before and simply want an update to are preparing to take the certification exam again.
Certification / Training credentials
Windsor First Aid offers all students who complete their enrolled class and pass the certification exam a training credential valid for five years. It has to be renewed by taking a refresher class another certification exam after the five year period has lapsed. Any certificate you receive from us is valid all over the city and the province of Ontario.