Food Safety Issues - Essay Example

The government at all levels has a role to oversee the enforcement of laws and regulations which are created for food safety. Although there are various agencies that take note of the health and safety of the public especially when it comes to the food they take, the presence of enforcement programs at the local health department is necessary. It can be more far-reaching since it would be very well supervising whether everyone concerned adheres with it and violators can be easily identified. However, even with the presence of these enforcement programs, there are still many cases of food-borne diseases.

This turns the focus to food handling practices. Food handling practices may be the main cause of persistent cases of foodborne illness. In many food establishments in the country, food handling training with particular mention of sanitation procedures has been inadequate because it is usually done quickly. This results in dangerous food handling practices related to temperature control, personal hygiene, and the prevention of cross-contamination. This makes effective training programs very important.

The FDA Food Code recommends the certification of food safety managers as a way of demonstrating food safety knowledge. Studies have shown that sanitation in food service establishments is greatly affected by food safety training and certification (Almanza et al., 2004). In addition, the behavior of food handlers also determines food safety. If they are careless in preparing the food, it can result in contamination. Many food handling practices and sanitation procedures, however, can be learned through food safety training.

This highlights the significance of food safety training as a very effective approach to food safety. Thus everyone working in food establishments should undergo adequate food safety training and must be certified before they are allowed to work with food.