Basics of Food Handler Training: What Every Food Handler Should Know Food Handler training is an essential part of keeping food safe and ensuring that customers are served only the highest-quality food. But what exactly is Food Handler training, and what should every Food Handler know? In this blog post, we'll explore the basics of Food Handler training and the most important food safety and hygiene practices every Food Handler should know. Overview of Food Handler Training in Canada Food Handler training is an important part of ensuring safe food consumption, and Food Handler Certification i ..read more

Did You Know These 7 Foods Contain Eggs? Food allergies affect an estimated 10% of the world’s population, and incidence continues to rise year after year. Anyone who owns or works in a food business must take care to avoid serving food containing common allergens to customers with allergies. Eggs are one of the most common allergens around the world, and are considered one of 11 priority allergens by Health Canada. Like so many allergens, they can often go by other names or be found in foods considered unlikely to contain them. Egg yolks and whites are both considered allergens, and bot ..read more

What to do if a Customer has an Allergic Reaction Food allergies are one of the leading causes of anaphylaxis — the most serious and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction — and an important public health concern in Canada. Over 2.6 million Canadians, including 500,000 children, live with food allergies that must be managed on a daily basis. Business owners, managers and workers in food businesses are all responsible for providing safe, allergen-free meals once they have been informed of a food allergy by customers. If a food business cannot guarantee an allergen-free meal, the custo ..read more

The Difference between Food Allergies and Intolerances Both food allergies and food intolerances can share similar symptoms, but they are very different conditions. Food Handlers should take both very seriously to ensure the safe preparation and service of food. Food Allergies  A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a particular food as an invader and triggers an allergic reaction. When this occurs, the immune system fights the “invader” by releasing chemicals like histamine into the body. It is estimated that food allergies affect as many as 6% of young children and 3 ..read more

The Most Common Food Allergens in Canada Food allergies are a serious and prevalent health risk. According to Food Allergy Canada, more than 3 million Canadians self-report having at least one food allergy. Many children grow out of their food allergies; however, allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish or seeds are more often lifelong conditions. It is also possible to develop an allergy – or a food intolerance – as an adult. A food allergy is different from a food intolerance in that an allergy affects the sufferer’s immune system, whereas an intolerance is a chemical reaction to a partic ..read more

Training Manager’s Guide to Food Safety Training Food safety training is one of the most important components of any food or hospitality business, as these industries are heavily skill-based and compliance-driven. As many sectors are also customer-facing, it is that much more important to ensure businesses have solid training plans and staff. In this guide, CIFS examines some of the best tips for training managers, to help make their jobs a little easier. The role of a training manager A training manager’s responsibilities are varied and demanding, and they often involve a lot more than just ..read more

How to Get Employees Excited About Training (And Keep Them Motivated) One of the biggest challenges a training manager faces each day is how to get employees excited about training. Training is an essential part of any food service or hospitality role, and for many, it is also required for employment.  So, how does one get employees excited about training? And what, if anything, can training managers do to ensure that employee motivation stays high during the training process and after it is completed?  Here are some of the top ways to get employees excited about training: 1. Explai ..read more

New Employee Training: 10 Tips for Success The holiday season, along with summer and Easter often lead to hiring blitzes in the food and hospitality industries. For training managers or business owners, onboarding and effectively training new employees should be top-of-mind to ensure the efficiency and success of the business, happiness of the new staff, and continued engagement of existing staff. But what makes employee training effective? How can an organization ensure its employees will engage in and value the training? Furthermore, how can an organization ensure that the training is thoro ..read more

Food Safety and the Types of Food Contamination Whether you own, manage or work at a food business – or if you’re preparing and serving food at home – it's important to understand what the potential food safety hazards and risks are. Food contamination is one such risk. In this resource, we discuss what food contamination is, the different types and sources of contamination, and preventative steps to take to ensure food safety.  What is food contamination?  Food contamination refers to when something gets into food that shouldn't be there, thereby making the food unsafe to eat. Food ..read more

Preventing Food Contamination in the Fridge In the next installment in a series on food contamination, we’re examining an often overlooked area of risk: the refrigerator. As a Food Handler or Food Supervisor, you may not think of the fridge as a likely source of food contamination, especially since there are multiple shelves and the food is all kept at a cold, food-safe temperature. But if safe food storage procedures aren’t followed, it’s just as easy for contamination to occur in the refrigerator as with any other spot in the kitchen. What is Food Contamination? In order to understand how c ..read more