A message from The National Restaurant Association. Congratulations! By opening this book, you are joining millions of foodservice professionals in taking the first step in a commitment to food safety. ServSafe training helps you understand all of the food safety risks faced by your operation. Once you're aware of these risks, you can find ways to reduce them. This will help you keep your operation, your staff, and your customers safe. Created by foodservice industry leaders you can be confident knowing the ServSafe program was created by leaders in the foodservice industry. The topics you will learn in this book were determined by those who deal with the same food safety issues you face every day. From the basics of handwashing, to more complex topics such as foodborne pathogens, your industry peers have provided you with the building blocks to keep food safe through your operation. Performed and reinforced by you food safety doesn't stop once you've completed your training and certification. It is now your responsibility to take the knowledge you learned and share it with your staff. When you return to your operation, start by answering the following questions to assess your food handler training: Do you have food safety training programs for both new and current staff? ; Do you have assessment tools to identify staff's food safety knowledge?; Do you keep records documenting that staff have completed training? ---p. iii.