JERSEY COUNTY - Anna Yates, Director of Environmental Health for Jersey County, has secured a grant that will make a significant difference for those in pursuit of a Food Safety Manager’s Certificate.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration group offers 100 individuals a free class with lunch to get Food Safety Manager’s Certificate. Linda Petterson, owner and founder of Safe Food Specialist, has been contracted to do all 100 certifications. The next two classes will be at 9 a.m. on both February 15 and February 16 at the Jersey County Health Department. Yates said the upcoming Jersey Health Department classes have been broken over two days for COVID-19 safety.
Yates said another class will be offered in mid-February and hopefully another in March. She said the first class in Jerseyville had strong participation with 25-30 participants.
“When we saw the grant was available we thought it was a good idea to try to get it,” Yates, a strong grant writer, said. “It is a five-year certificate and good at anywhere throughout the United States.”
Petterson said: “Anna Yates wrote an excellent 30-page paper to apply for the grant for Jersey County. Other counties could and should do the same thing.”
Petterson said the first Food Safety Manager’s Certificate class was extremely safe in the one session with COVID-19 precautions and organized.
“There was arranged seating and people were spaced apart,” Petterson said. “Temperature checks were taken at the door. The class is 8 hours and there is an exam at the end of class.”
Petterson is a Certified Food Safety Instructor/Proctor with ServSafe of the National Restaurant Association and with Always Food Safe. She teaches custom Food Safety Manager’s classes throughout the state of Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana for her company Safe Food Specialist.
Yates said the goal is to have the Food Safety Manager’s Certificate food safety class month to month until the funding runs out.
Petterson said the course is extremely helpful during COVID-19 with the abundance of cleaning and sanitizing and safety precautions going on. The class is for anyone who touches food from restaurant workers, daycare centers, adult assisted living centers, butchers, etc.
Yates said to bring the following for the class:
Please bring a PHOTO ID.
Masks are required.
Assigned seats & social distancing will be required.
Temperatures will be taken at the door.
Lunch & snacks will be provided.
To register, call Anna Yates at 618-498-9565, extension 321, or e-mail:
For more information about Safe Food Specialist and the Food Safety Manager Certification visit SafeFoodSpecialist.com
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