The International HACCP Alliance, which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, offers a list of certified food safety courses at beginner and intermediate levels on its website. HACCP's goal is to ensure uniform food safety through greater access to information regarding bacteria, food safety protocol, chemical contaminants and uniform food handling standards.
ServSafe is another food safety course for food service professionals. Requirements vary per state, with most states requiring at least one employee of managerial level to be ServSafe certified and some requiring one employee per shift to be ServSafe certified in proper food handling.
There are many standards that food safety programs teach to instill critical food knowledge. Temperatures are key, since controlling temperature is the best way to prohibit the growth of bacteria. Students will learn the correct holding temperature for hot, cold and frozen foods. Students will also learn proper food storage including proper defrosting techniques and storage.
The history of the food safety movement originated with the widespread availability of processed foods in the 1880s. Manufacturing conditions were grim and, with no regulations, overseers could add whatever substances they wanted into food, from textile inks for coloring to warehouse dirt adding bulk to spices. While women organized protests around food safety in the 1880s, it wasn't until Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle," an expose of the meatpacking industry, that food safety standards received nationwide attention.
As a result of the protests following The Jungle's publication, Congress created the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. Lacking a regulatory body, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, was created in 1927 to oversee administration of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The FDA today remains a critical part of national food safety.
Those looking for an answer to a particular food safety issue can use Food Safety, a government site, to research best practices. Individuals working in the food industry who are interested in a class by ServSafe or HACCP should ask their manager if paid training is available.
Those desiring an advanced degree in food safety can receive an online Masters of Science in food safety from Michigan State University or from Illinois Institute of Technology. Students enrolled in culinary school will receive some type of program on food safety as part of their education.