I am in the process of forming a legal business. I have not taken culinary or food safety couses. I am wondering if taking the servsafe course and exam would be beneficial to me. Any thoughts? thanks
After doing a little research, I am planning to take the course. I think it said after June 2009 it is required that at least one person be certified (and I am the only one!) I think I would probably benefit from just taking the course rather than self study. There was one near here that included the 8 hour course, book and exam for $180. It was cheaper self instructional (but not much, $125) and somewhat cheaper if you didnt keep the book. Does that sound about right?
i did my class online and the exam in person.. Like Debi said its some common sense, but some stuff is really like wow really? I mean I know about washing hands, but u learn alot about temperature/time. ho to store food etc that will be of benefit if u get inspected or whatnot.. i think my class was like 160 with the test or something like that
Is this the same thing as a food handlers permit???
i did my class online and the exam in person.. Like Debi said its some common sense, but some stuff is really like wow really? I mean I know about washing hands, but u learn alot about temperature/time. ho to store food etc that will be of benefit if u get inspected or whatnot.. i think my class was like 160 with the test or something like that
Like I didnt' know there was a certain order that food goes into a refrigerator (meat/eggs on the bottom shelves, veggies on the top .... so any meat blood/juice and any broken eggs won't drip on the lettuce and contaminate it. Common sense ... but nothing I would have actually thought about. They also talk about how to set up a kitchen for proper workflow and how it affects food safety. Again, common sense, but it sure was interesting!
Check with your local community college. In NC all of our community colleges offer the class for $60.00 and I think that includes your test. It is a 16 hour course taught over a weekend. I am getting my Serv Safe certificate through school (I'm in a culinary program). We are required to because we served food to the public. It's a good course, you'll learn a lot!
Leslie
After doing a little research, I am planning to take the course. I think it said after June 2009 it is required that at least one person be certified (and I am the only one!) I think I would probably benefit from just taking the course rather than self study. There was one near here that included the 8 hour course, book and exam for $180. It was cheaper self instructional (but not much, $125) and somewhat cheaper if you didnt keep the book. Does that sound about right?
It is required now.
Thanks for the input everyone! I will look forward to getting another requirement out of the way!
I am actually studying right now for my servsafe exam. I paid 199.00 for the 5th edition book (250 pages). I chose to do that one as opposed to the little book (100 pages).
It is extremely detailed and chapter two (viruses, bacteria, molds etc.) is kicking my butt.
I finally had to move on in the book and will come back to that. lol.
Man do you really need to know every name for the pathogens? Do they really put that on the test?
I feel like I am going to medical school!!
I definitely say get the book, my exam isnt until Oct 23, but if all this stuff is on the test, thank goodness I can study now!!!
Jessica 
For over one month now I have been trying to take the test. I did the sample test online and one that I printed and aced them, so I figured that why not pay for the test ($39 ) and go to a site ($50) and do the test without the class. If I fail, then I'll know what I don't know.
It seems very basic if you have some biology/chemistry background...29 years ago in high school for me.
Next Friday I'll be doing my exam.
Jeannie
For over one month now I have been trying to take the test. I did the sample test online and one that I printed and aced them, so I figured that why not pay for the test ($39 ) and go to a site ($50) and do the test without the class. If I fail, then I'll know what I don't know.
It seems very basic if you have some biology/chemistry background...29 years ago in high school for me.
Next Friday I'll be doing my exam.
Jeannie
You can take the class online in Florida?? I was told by the Dept of Agri. . they do not allow that. You have to attend a certified testing and class. Hmmm. Man if I could have taken the class and test online would have made everything alot simpler. Hmmm, did someone tell you, you can take the test online? Where did you take the practice test? Did you have to pay for it? Geez, who knew!!
Jessica
It's required here... The only questions I missed on the exam were relating to fed regulations on holding live lobster in a tank and fish based food borne illness'... Yea, for some reason I won't be making Lobster flavored wedding cakes anytime soon nor was I ever planning to 
Like others have mentioned it's all "Common sense", but there is no "common" in Common Sense, so either way it's a good thing to take. For me I grew up in the food industry so sorta grew up doing everything a certain way because of what inspectors were expecting and they could stop in at any time. It also helps you get pickier when you go to restaurants yourself to eat!! You'll also be able to tell when the kids/you got sick from something food based or if it really is just a bug... That's probably the most important thing I took from the class..
The funny part was when I scored a 94 out of 98 and my co-irkers at the time thought that their 74-80 out of 98 was good and that I didn't know anything LOL (seriously, I used to be a horrid multiple guess test-taker, so for me to ace it really was saying something)...
For over one month now I have been trying to take the test. I did the sample test online and one that I printed and aced them, so I figured that why not pay for the test ($39 ) and go to a site ($50) and do the test without the class. If I fail, then I'll know what I don't know.
It seems very basic if you have some biology/chemistry background...29 years ago in high school for me.
Next Friday I'll be doing my exam.
Jeannie
You can take the class online in Florida?? I was told by the Dept of Agri. . they do not allow that. You have to attend a certified testing and class. Hmmm. Man if I could have taken the class and test online would have made everything alot simpler. Hmmm, did someone tell you, you can take the test online? Where did you take the practice test? Did you have to pay for it? Geez, who knew!!
Jessica
You can do the class online, and take the test online, however, at an approved site (the $50 cost - one place was charging me $149 just to proctor my exam at their site). Some sites have practice test you can take online or print about 15 questions with the answers. I am register with ServSafe. I do not have the link on the computer I'm on. I'll PM you with the information.
Jeannie
Luckily I got mine in school as part of the standard curriculum, but one thing to bear in mind: Check with your local government to make sure ServSafe is the accepted certification. In New York City (just the city, not NY state) ServSafe is useless, as the NYC has their own food handlers certification.
Luckily I got mine in school as part of the standard curriculum, but one thing to bear in mind: Check with your local government to make sure ServSafe is the accepted certification. In New York City (just the city, not NY state) ServSafe is useless, as the NYC has their own food handlers certification.
They were on the list of site of one of the recommended site the State approved. I will check with my proctor just to make sure. Thanks for the heads-up! 
I just emailed the inspector at the dept of agriculture. She said if I was just going to run a bakery then I am not required to have the certification. She said that if I were to expand into catering, then she would advise that I get it. She said next year all food service managers would be required to have it. I am still considering taking it because I feel like I need some education.
It also helps you get pickier when you go to restaurants yourself to eat!!
Boy, I'll say! Since taking this course, my family is no longer allowed to buy at bake sales, flea markets or farmer's markets ... and no fresh baked/cooked anything at Amish stores.
I am still considering taking it because I feel like I need some education.
Even if it's not required for bakeries, you will learn a LOT about not just sanitation, but kitchen workflow and how to set up a kitchen ... and you'll be a step ahead of everyone else.
I am actually studying right now for my servsafe exam. I paid 199.00 for the 5th edition book (250 pages). I chose to do that one as opposed to the little book (100 pages).
It is extremely detailed and chapter two (viruses, bacteria, molds etc.) is kicking my butt.
I finally had to move on in the book and will come back to that. lol.
Man do you really need to know every name for the pathogens? Do they really put that on the test?
I feel like I am going to medical school!!
I definitely say get the book, my exam isnt until Oct 23, but if all this stuff is on the test, thank goodness I can study now!!!
Jessica
Jessica,
Email me if you want some quick tips on it. When I took the course, my prof went through and told us the ones he'd seen on the test before and the ones he'd never seen in giving the test over the last 15 years. I starred them in my book so I can pull the list together for you of ones to concentrate on.
When I took the test there were almost NO bacteria/viruses/etc on it - which is probably why I got a 93! But there are a bunch of different versions of the test - they change it around constantly, so you never know.
The biggest problem is trying to remember all the symptoms that go along with them, since some are very generic. The best advice I can give you is to make index cards, and try to pull out something unique about each pathogen to remember it by. It's not easy - it's pure memorization.
Sue Thank you soooo MUCH!!!! I really need some tips. I feel so stupid not being able to remember all of that section. Everything else is okay, just that section is fustrating me, UGHHHHH!!! Ohhhh your a BRAIN SAVER!!!!!!! I'm emailing you right now!!!!
Jessica 
Everything she said is true about the pathogens, we've spent 3 weeks on it in school. I managed to get an A on my quiz for that part of the book. Our instructor has told us that they have many versions of the test. Last year we got plumbing. NC has a lot of different rules in addition to the Federal rules so we have to know those as well. Index cards are great to study the pathogens-its all memorization.
Good luck!
Leslie
Everything she said is true about the pathogens, we've spent 3 weeks on it in school. I managed to get an A on my quiz for that part of the book. Our instructor has told us that they have many versions of the test. Last year we got plumbing. NC has a lot of different rules in addition to the Federal rules so we have to know those as well. Index cards are great to study the pathogens-its all memorization.
Good luck!
Leslie
That's mostly what I printed from online and other information I found because it seem very important to know. It's the best insurance than insurance itself, that's knowledge.
Jeannie
I signed up for the class in Feb...trying to change to a licensed kitchen from a cottage foods type for next year.
It's a 2 day class...the book is HUGE. Can anyone give me an idea what to expect? Can they really cover that huge amount of material in 2 classes? Do they give the test at the end of the 2nd day? Can't reach the guy in charge, he's on vacay for a few days.
It's downtown...
Check this out...
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/health/pages/-10168-/
When I took it, we got the books ahead of time and basically if you read the book and take the quizes at the end of the chapters, you'll be fine. (the name of all of the deadly diseases about killed me, too!)
I say that like it's a no-big-deal, but I know that I'm a speed reader and I pretty much read it in one night. When I finished the test and walked out of the room to turn in the test paper, he looke up and said, "Question?" I said, "Nope! Done!" His mouth dropped open and I kinda laughed as I told him, "Happens all the time. I'm always the first one done on a test."
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