The importance of training food handlers is critical to effective food hygiene; however, there have been limited studies on the effectiveness of such training. Food safety training courses are administered worldwide in attempts to reduce outbreaks in food service, retail and temporary food service establishments. However, food handlers often exhibit a poor understanding of microbial or chemical contamination of food and the measures necessary to correct them. Studies suggest that the provision of a hands-on format of training embedded in behavioural sciences would be more beneficial than traditional classroom-based programs. The delivery of such a program will assist in changing ones’ food safety behaviours and aid in the retention of knowledge that are necessary to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.

We will discuss a new innovative approach to food safety training that is hands-on, interactive and heavily rooted in the behavioural sciences. The talk will also cover innovative solutions to increase food safety knowledge retention and behavioral change for foodservice workers including proven scientific methods in learning and development such as the “spacing effect”.