The research-based educational efforts of the Alabama Extension Food Safety and Quality team help communities, cities, businesses, and agricultural producers increase their economic well-being and improve their lives.

Title: Food Safety Training for Food Service Workers–ServSafe

Project Leaders: Rebecca Catalena, Janet Johnson

Institutional Lead: 1862 Extension – AU

Co-Leaders/Collaborators: Susan Hill, Dani Reams, Bridgette Brannon, Angela Treadaway, Christy Mendoza, Alice Moore, Juani Christian, Janice Hall, Sharon Haynes, Lori Wheeler

Background/Situation/Issue: Foodborne illness is a food safety issue that can be reduced by training food service workers. Permitted food service establishments in Alabama are required to have at least one food service worker who has completed a Food Protection Manager Certification and is on-site during all hours of operation.

Outputs:

• 122 two-day ServSafe trainings offered face-to-face
• 760 direct contacts

Audience Diversity: 79% female, 21% male; 98% adult, 2% youth; 95% rural, 5% urban; 1% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 37% Black, 53% White, 0.3% more than one race, 7% other races; 8% Hispanic

Evaluation Techniques: Individuals must take an accredited exam; 72% passed exam with a score of 75% or better.

Value Statement/Synopsis:

• Food Protection Manager Certification Course, a requirement by the Alabama Department of Public Health for retail food permit holders.

Revenue Generation: $143,778

Social Media Channels

https://www.facebook.com/acesfoodsafety/

Key Web Page

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/servsafe/servsafe/

Title: Food Safety in Selling Cottage Foods

Project Leaders: Dani Reams, Janet Johnson

Institutional Lead: 1862 Extension – AU

Co-Leaders/Collaborators: Susan Hill, Rebecca Catalena, Bridgette Brannon, Angela Treadaway, Christy Mendoza, Alice Moore

Background/Situation/Issue: With the passage of the Alabama Cottage Food Law in 2014, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), as regulatory, required a food safety certification. Approved certifications did not address the law, so in conjunction with ADPH, Alabama Extension developed a food safety certification specifically geared for the Cottage Food Law.

Outputs: 751 indirect contacts as individuals watched 4 videos online, then registered by county so regional Extension agents could send testing information.

Audience Diversity: 90% female, 10% male, 98% adult, 2% youth; 97% rural, 3% urban; 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 29% Black, 68% White, 1% more than one race, 0.3% other race; 1% Hispanic

Evaluation Techniques: Individuals must take an exam; 100% passed the exam with a score of 75% or better.

Value Statement/Synopsis: Required certification by the Alabama Department of Public Health for individuals wanting to prepare certain nonhazardous foods in their home.

Revenue Generation: $21,650

Social Media Channel

https://www.facebook.com/acesfoodsafety/

Key Web Page

https://www.aces.edu/blog/tag/food-safety/?c=cottage-food-law&orderby=title

Title: Food Preservation in the Home

Project Leaders: Angela Treadaway, Janet Johnson

Institutional Lead: 1862 Extension – AU

Co-Leaders/Collaborators: Susan Hill, Rebecca Catalena, Dani Reams, Bridgette Brannon, Christy Mendoza, Alice Moore

Background/Situation/Issue: Food preservation is one of the backbone programs of Extension. Teaching current research-based recommendations for methods of home food preservation is critical to ensuring that consumers incorporate food safety practices in every method used.

Outputs: 839 direct contacts via virtual workshops on various topics (524 in-state with demographic information, 294 in-state without demographic information, 21 out-of-state without demographic information)

Audience Diversity: 77% female, 23% male; 84% adult, 16% youth; 95% rural, 5% urban; 16% Black, 75% White, 3% more than one race, 6% other race, 6 % Hispanic

Revenue Generation: $1,000.00

Social Media Channel

https://www.facebook.com/acesfoodsafety/

Key Web Page

https://www.aces.edu/blog/tag/food-safety/?c=home-food-preservation&orderby=title

New January 2023, Food Safety & Quality Team Outcomes & Impacts Report 2021, ANR-2949