The California Conference of Local Health Officers of a 1950 meeting requested the State Health Department to make a study of the effect of food handler training in a restaurant sanitation program. The Conference had previously gone on record as favoring education and inspection as desirable parts of a food sanitation program.
This request, coupled with the questions passed by several sanitation directors of local health departments, “Will food handler training schools substantially improve sanitation in our restaurants?” caused the State Department of Public Health to enter upon these studies.
Previous to the start of these studies, institutes on promoting and conducting food handler training programs had been held throughout the State. Guides which outlined the food handler courses had been distributed and widely accepted by local departments interested in food handler training.
Consultants from the A.P.H.A., U.S.P.H.S., University of California School of Public Health, and Department of Public Health planned the methods, forms, and technique to be used in making this study.
Field surveys of restaurants would be used as a base for measurements, State restaurant inspection personnel were used on the survey team.
Each restaurant is given a numerical grade based on 100: 37 points for physical plant and 63 points for operational items. A rating is given the community using the U.S.P.H.S. method of scoring.
Several types of communities were surveyed: (1) Those not having and not anticipating a food handler training program, (2) those not having, but developing a food handler training program, and (3) those having had a stable program for several years. This is developing a picture of the various types of communities.
It is impossible to draw positive conclusions as to the value of food handler training on the basis of our studies up to the present time. However, it does appear, from the information thus far accumulated in a number of communities in the State of California, that food handler training does pay substantial dividends. These dividends appear to be in improved restaurant sanitation, better working relations between the restaurant industry and the local health department, and an increased public interest in and support for the program.
Much of the criticism thrown at Health Departments regarding Food Sanitation is the lack of uniformity in recommended practices and legal interpretations of laws.
These studies, we believe, in addition to measuring the value of food handler training courses, are also tending to standardize practices and legal interpretations and develop closer relationships between the State and local health departments.
Strengthening the Capacity of Local Health Agencies through Community-Based Assessment and Planning