Food industry worker training reduces foodborne illness and enhances workforce development

Nutrition and Health, Summary 2025, Delaware, Economic Development, Extension, Food Safety, Food Systems, Human Nutrition/Health/Wellness, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State University, North Central, Northeast, Pennsylvania, Research, Southern, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Delaware, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Workforce Development and Readiness

Foodborne illnesses are a common and costly, yet preventable, public health issue. Training workers in the food industry on food safety issues is critical to public health as well as workforce development. Land-grant universities across the country continue to find innovative and effective methods to train workers on foodborne illness, how to prevent it and how to train other employees about the latest food safety issues.

Here are a few examples of that work:

ServSafe is a national certification program that teaches people about the latest food safety issues and ways to avoid foodborne illnesses. Extension professionals in Michigan held 142 ServSafe classes in 2022, training the state’s next generation of food workers with the food safety knowledge they need to run and work in successful businesses.
Michigan State University Extension; Smith-Lever. See full statement.
Delaware Extension professionals teach ServSafe along with Dinesafe for churches and other entities that prepare food for the public, and Food Safety for Entrepreneurs, which includes canning courses. Recent surveys have shown large increases in understanding and adapting food safety measures, including 93% of ServSafe and Dinesafe participants who will improve handwashing, and 80% who will calibrate thermometers regularly.
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension; USDA Capacity –Extension, State Appropriations. See full statement.
Pennsylvania Extension professionals developed and piloted a three-hour, in-person food safety training program for farmers market vendors after finding discrepancies among food safety behaviors via a long-term survey. The pilot test showed an average increase of 20% in participants’ knowledge scores. After the success of the pilot, a four-hour, online version of the training was developed.
Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station; Smith-Lever. See full statement.
In Virginia, Extension professionals are focused on making local foods safer from farm to table. Programs are increasing compliance with food regulations, leading to fewer recalls and fewer recalls linked to foodborne illnesses. In a survey of ServSafe participants, 100% of respondents reported they adopted at least one new practice as a result of the training.
Virginia Cooperative Extension. See full statement.
Illinois Extension educators created the online Cottage Food Operator Training course to help participants comply with food safety regulations, understand the complexities of the law and learn business practices. Since launching, surveys showed that 92% of course participants increased their knowledge of the topics taught. Most respondents’ next course of action was to start a cottage food business, which supported overall goals of enhancing business readiness among local farmers and food entrepreneurs.
University of Illinois Extension; Smith-Lever. See full statement.