Certification of Food Service Managers—Why and How?

Abstract

As an apparent consequence of recent scares concerning botulism and generally increased public concern for environmental quality, there is widespread interest in comprehensive programs of education food service industry management personnel in food protection. Most often these efforts are justified on epidemiologic grounds. Food borne illness experience does not support this position.The program initiated by the Ohio Department of Health in 1972 and funded by the Food and Drug Administration during 1973–1974 is the most prominent example of such a program. Examination of a report submitted at the June 1974 National Environmental Health Association conference reveals that this program is quite costly, excessive in the scope of its curriculum, and most probably places an undue academic burden on food service management people. Apparently heavy emphases are placed on foodborne disease, microbiology of principal foodborne etiologic agents, epidemiology, food service establishment plan and equipment review, exploration of the organization of official health agencies concerned with food protection, and itinerant and temporary food service operations, Most of these are topics the average food service manager has neither the need nor the ability to effectively understand. It is contended that food service manager training in code requirements and interpretation, the concept of self-inspection and regulation, and the rudiments of food protection practice is sufficient.Voluntary participation in a program embodying academic excesses is only wasteful. However, potentially serious problems could result if legal requirement were adopted making satisfactory testing performance in such a program mandatory. A situation could eventuate wherein people lacking academic prowess would be deprived of the opportunity to pursue a vocation they have successfully and safely engaged in for years. Environmentalists are challenged to remember that environmental technology is only a tool and not their master and to serve the public with this view in mind.