MAYVILLE - Chautauqua County is taking proactive steps to curb foodborne illnesses.
Unveiled Thursday by County Executive Greg Edwards, a new training program will educate restaurant workers about proper food handling techniques and procedures.
A new addition to the county's sanitary code, all food service establishments in the county will now be required to have at least one employee take the three-hour course.
"We're giving restaurants and food service establishments until January 2011 to come into compliance with this new regulation," said Christine Schuyler, county public health director.
Calling the training course "good for everyone," Schuyler explained how the new requirement will have a threefold effect.
"This program will not only improve the conditions in the restaurants and the conditions of the food itself, but also I hope that it will help to boost the confidence of the public in the wonderful restaurants that we have in this county," Schuyler said. "We have a lot of small businesses and people who work very, very hard at what they do and we want to give them the tools to make their restaurants more marketable and more pleasant. We want people to go out to eat and we want them to feel safe.
"When you walk into a restaurant and you see on the wall a permit from this department," Schuyler continued, "the public assumes that that place is safe to eat in."
Already, the first workshop, set for March 16 in Fredonia, has been filled to capacity. A second workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 27, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the South County Office Building on East Fourth Street in Jamestown. Additional workshops will be announced as they are scheduled.
According to Edwards, a total of 167 people were already enrolled in the workshops as of Thursday.
"When we first rolled this out, we took a look at the cost to the county to deliver this valuable resource to people," Edwards said. "In doing so, initially, we presented the cost per individual to be $75 to receive this training. ... However I met with Christine Schuyler and her team at the health department and really reviewed the benefit the county's going to receive and reasonably can expect to receive from this training ... and reduced the costs associated with this program as best we could."
Tuition for the course is now $25 for the first employee of a restaurant and $15 for each additional employee. Additionally, Not-for-Profit establishments will only pay $10 for the first attendee and $5 for each additional person after that. The course is also open to individuals not currently employed in the food industry at a cost of $10.
For more information on the Certified Professional Food Handler training program, including a registration form, please visit the County Health Department's Website at www.co.chautauqua.ny.us or call 753-4481.
