June 26, 2007

CDHD Launches Idaho Food Safety Video and Web Site

Today the Central District Health Department is making history by introducing the first Idaho Food Safety instructional video. For years the health district has offered a two-hour introductory class based on the Idaho Food Code, the set of rules and regulations that all Idaho food establishments must follow in order to insure the safe handling of food that is served to the public. The video will replace the two-hour class and open up learning opportunities to a much wider audience through a specially designed website that will allow food establishment owners to download the video and use it in training their employees. What's good for the people working in restaurants is also good for the general public, who will have equal access to the food safety video by visiting the CDHD website at cdhd.idaho.gov.

"Our job in public health is to protect the communities we serve," said Russ Duke, Director of the Central District Health Department. "By making the principles of food safety available to everyone, we hope to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness, whether in a restaurant or in your kitchen at home."

Foodborne illness in the United States is thought to be responsible for approximately 76 million illnesses, 235,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths each year. By some estimates the cost of these illnesses could be as high as $83 billion annually. No restaurant wants to have to deal with the loss of business, lawsuits and increased insurance premiums that often follow a foodborne illness outbreak. The best protection is the proper training of all food service employees. The Idaho Food Safety video is an effort to achieve that goal.

"My business depends on having well-trained employees," said David Knickrehm, Executive Chef at the Blue Ribbon Artisans in Meridian, who's kitchen is featured in the video. "My customers expect their food to be fresh and properly prepared in a clean kitchen. I can't imagine offering them anything less."

The video covers the main food safety principles that will prevent foodborne illness. It focuses primarily on bacteria, which can grow on food and surfaces touched by food, if proper cooking, cooling, reheating, storage and cleaning procedures are not followed. The video clearly demonstrates good techniques and repeats key points.

"Our team of environmental health specialists are out every day inspecting food establishments," said Tom Schmalz, Environmental Health Program Manager for Food Safety. "The problems they see are usually pretty easy to fix, but could be avoided with a little more attention to the basics. This video will provide managers and their employees ready access to review the basic principles of food safety."

The Idaho Food Safety video is divided into six sections, each 5 - 6 minutes in length, with the final section being a review of the previous five. This was done to make downloading the video easier. The video is available in a variety of formats from the website and can be downloaded directly onto a computer's hard drive or onto an iPod or similar device.

"Our approach to the design of this project was to make it as portable as possible," Said Kevin Ryan of CorpCasting, the company that produced the food safety video. "We want a restaurant owner to be able to download these videos onto his laptop and present them to his employees in a setting that's convenient for them."

The video will also be available in standard format DVD and VHS tape formats for a nominal charge.

The Central District Health Department also offers a pair of food safety classes that offer certification in food safety.