ServSafe Food Handler – required for home based vendors and more!

Are you currently operating as a home-based vendor, working in food service, or volunteering around food? Indiana passed a new law (HB 1149) which includes changes for home-based vendors in Indiana. One of the major changes in this law is that all home-based vendors must “obtain a food handler certificate from a certificate issuer that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute.” ServSafe Food Handler training fulfills this requirement. This certification is valid for three years.

To fulfil this requirement, you must take a food safety training and exam. There will be an in-person ServSafe Food Handler course offered June 27th at the Ivy Tech Greencastle campus. The course will be from 1:00-5:00pm. One must register at this link, https://cvent.me/qd97XM, or by calling 765-494-6794 by June 20th (mention Putnam County ServSafe Food Handler when calling). The cost for this training is $40.

This program focuses on key aspects including basic food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination and allergens, time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitation. After passing the assessment, your Food Handler Certificate of Achievement will be documented with the National Restaurant Association so that you have easy access at any time to look up and prove your training. Please note, this training is NOT the Food Protection Manager course.

If you have any questions about the training, please contact Abbi Smith at 765-653-8411 or asmith22@purdue.edu.

You must provide a copy of the certificate to the local health department in the county where the home-based vendors residence is located.  If you’re a home-based vendor in Putnam County, you can email your food handler certificate Allison McCarty (allison.mccarty@co.putnam.in.us) or Michelle Martin (michelle.martin@co.putnam.in.us) with the Putnam County Health Department.

For additional information regarding the home-based vendor rule and the additional requirements it entails, please visit https://www.in.gov/health/food-protection/guidance-documents/. To learn about what has changed under the new law, please visit this webpage: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/foodsci/home-based-vendors.html.

If you have additional questions, you can contact an Environmental Health Specialist with the Putnam County Health Department at 765-301-7660 or Abbi Smith with the Purdue Extension Office at 765-653-8411.

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Upcoming Events:

June 1 – Last Day to sign up for 4-H Roundup

June 19 – Extension Office Closed for Juneteenth Holiday

June 27 – ServSafe Food Handler Course and Exam, 1-5pm, register at https://cvent.me/qd97XM

June 28 – “Men’s Health Month” Bite by Bite podcast episode airs, listen at https://anchor.fm/bitebybite

July 1 – Last day to sign up for state fair livestock exhibition at least entry cost

July 12 – Canning Workshop, Putnam Co. Fairgrounds, 11am-4pm, registration required at 765-653-8411