EXT XAF.0173 - 2026 Monthly Food Safety Training Program for Food Handlers
Description
The Monthly Food Safety Training for Food Handlers program is developed to provide you, the person in charge, with education materials and strategies that can be used to improve your food establishment's current food handler training program.
Literature reviews and analysis of foodborne illness outbreak and food recall trends tell us that one of the most frequent root causes of these issues is a lack of or an inadequate food handler training program. Research also tells us that food handler training programs tend to occur at the time of hire and after a problem occurs. This is inadequate to ensure safe practices are maintained and risky behaviors do not creep into the food establishment. A well designed food handler training program keeps food safety practices front-of-mind, and enables you and your team to be proactive - preventing mistakes instead of reacting to them.
The Monthly Food Safety Training for Food Handlers program will provide you with the tools to improve your current approach to training. Each month, log into the program and to access education materials about a specific food safety topic and training recommendations to use in your food establishment. Education materials may be downloaded, printed, and posted for employees to review. Select written materials are available in English, Spanish, and Somali. Additionally, you will be able to download and customize a Shift Meeting Calendar that includes daily food safety highlights to guide your conversations. When you use the variety training tools and strategies in this program, food handlers will have increased confidence and compliance with food safety practices.
The 2026 monthly topics are:
- March: Food safety actions to use during emergency situations.
- April: Washing and preparing fresh produce.
- May: Minimizing the risk of food allergens cross-contact.
- June: Preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food.
- July: Food safety actions to use when receiving food deliveries.
- August: Properly used dish machines and three-compartment sinks.
- September: How to cool food safely.
- October: Using proper handwashing practices.
- November: Preventing the spread of employee illness.
- December: Using proper labeling and datemarking practices.
Course Access
To access this course after enrolling, be sure to log in at canvas.umn.edu using the email address and password you provided during registration.
Get help with online registration at learning at https://z.umn.edu/onlinelearninghelp
Course instructor
Extension food safety team, exfdsafe@umn.edu
Registration questions
Extension Learning Technologies, ext-reg@umn.edu
User name and password help
University of Minnesota Tech Help, help@umn.edu or 612-301-4357