Front line employees voiced similar opinions about the necessity and the importance of safe food handling relevant to their clientele. "It is important to serve people safe food because of the potential to poison them and make them sick". They also see the relationship between good, safe food and managing a reputable food service business. They told us about protecting their reputation and being responsible for the welfare of other people. "I take pride in my work and don't want to make people sick".

Employees foresee food safe handling practices becoming more of a burning issue in the future. They believe that "health and safety issues will be stricter" in the future. They predict that "people are going to need certified training" in order to be employed in the industry because of the "trend to more safety standards". Some employees went so far as to say that "the industry will get more particular with regulations and requiring tickets". Employees seem willing to learn about food handling techniques but they feel that industry needs to draw up guidelines and standards about food safety.

While many frontline employees may not have gone through food safety training or have the necessary essential skills to complete the formal certification process, they are cognizant of their changing role and responsibility in safeguarding public health and assuring food safety in the face of regulatory requirements. They demonstrate that they have a working knowledge and awareness of issues related to the dangers of food poisoning and the proper handling of potentially hazardous foods. They see food safe certification as a "good thing".

Training in the Food Services Industry

It was essential to get a pulse of interviewees' knowledge and experience with training for food safe handling when it was provided. All managers, except for two, had acquired their knowledge by taking food safety training. They demonstrated their commitment to learning by doing constant refreshers or taking formal courses two to three times over. However, one of the managers, who said he had not taken any training, commented that "training is common sense".

Most of the interviewed supervisors have a food safety certificate, while many front-line employees have not participated in training and the certification process. Nonetheless, the employees are aware of the essential procedures in food safe handling. When asked what important and critical things they do to handle food safely, they revealed, in their descriptions, their knowledge and awareness of the critical components of food safety.