[MR] Atlantia Digest, Vol 90, Issue 33

[Stella Brindle]

Unless the rules in Virginia have changed in the last 5 years or so,
It is a requirement when cooking for the "public" or a group of over
10 people (I think it was 10, might have been 12), that the cook in
charge is to have a food handler's card. (Private dinner parties are
exempt)

This card can be obtained in any city health department. You sit
through a one hour class and take a 20 question test and I think it
costs 10.00 or might be more now. Last time I got one it was a good 6
or 7 years ago.

A lot of the sites don't enforce it and some of the sites will have
their own certified food handler and will cover you. But the
requirement is state wide. Or it used to be anyway. Sorry, I have been
rather out of the feast cooking business for the last several years.

Brandy

>   2. Re: cheap/free food handling certification site

>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:29:46 -0400
> From: Karen Summerfelt-Hume <chagankhulan at gmail.com>
> To: logan <logan at ebonwoulfe.com>
> Cc: sca atlantia <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Subject: Re: [MR] cheap/free food handling certification site
> Message-ID:
>        <AANLkTinvul2MwlLnhYJlCi_hM6wR1bPi57vay34L4eKC at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Based on the various events I've organized in Maryland the whole aspect of
> permits, certification and such seem to fall primarily - though not
> completely - in the realm of the site and/ or the county the site is in.  In
> most of the cases where some sort of permit is required, we've had to send
> someone to the county office to sit through a class - what they call the
> "George the Germ" movie and talk.  In other counties we've only needed to
> get a "temporary food permit" for a one day event.  No test, no fee, no
> certificate.  Only once have we actually had an inspector come and go
> through the kitchen while we were cooking.  We passed with flying colors.
> So the best bet is to ask the site what they require - it's usually in the
> contract anyway - and follow whatever proceedure is needed.  It's generally
> pretty simple and basic common sense.  The folks who really have to jump
> through hoops are the licensed caterers and restaurants and we don't fall
> into that category.  I do vaguely recall that one site in Virginia did
> require a certified food handler to be on site and in the kitchen -
> Virginia, I think - and we had such a person so the issue was moot.  In that
> case the food handler had to have State certification which is a whole
> different level of tests, education and such.  That lady works at a federal
> food facility, thus she's gathered as many state certifications as possible.
>
> This will make you roll your eyes - Cecil County Maryland's number one
> concern for one day food permits.....You may not serve Road Kill!  It is
> actually specified in their rules. They actually had a major case against a
> vendor years ago.  His burgers were made of    "assorted, uncertified or
> inspected meats that could not be identified as what was advertised."
> Somebody ratted on him - he was collecting road kill and processing it into
> hamburger.
>
> Safe food handling isn't all that difficult.  There are lots of good
> guidelines available.  The trick is to actually follow them!
>
>
> Chagan
>
>