Berkshire AHEC Selected for Allergen Awareness Training
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Area Health Education Center, a SOMWBA-certified organization, was competitively selected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as an allergen awareness training verification program to provide video training online and in classrooms across the commonwealth, and provide a certificates for food establishment workers. A certificate will be issued upon viewing a training video about serving customers with food allergies and with celiac disease-related food intolerance.
The soon-to-be-released video provides current information about food allergies and celiac disease-related food intolerance, including but not limited to the major food allergens; celiac disease and the food intolerances that it produces; symptoms of allergic reactions and celiac disease-related reactions to food; and procedures that restaurants should follow in educating customers about food allergies and celiac disease and steps that restaurants should take if a customer has an allergic or celiac disease-related reaction to food.
“We are pleased to have been selected as the only non-Boston based organization to provide this training and certification. With over thirty years experience training health care professionals, this food allergen training continues our growth in promoting community health,” said Berkshire AHEC Executive Director Timothy Diehl.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health / Bureau of Environmental Health/Food Protection Program developed a regulatory program to implement M.G.L. c. 140, section 6B, “Food allergy awareness,” in all food establishments in the Commonwealth that are licensed common victuallers or inn holders serving food. As part of this program, Department regulation Section 105 CMR 590.009(H)(3)(a) of the new regulation reads, “By February 1, 2011, such food establishments shall have on staff a certified food protection manager who has been issued a Massachusetts certificate of allergen awareness training by an allergen awareness training verification program recognized by the Department. The certificate will be valid for 5 years.”
This training will become available at www.mafoodallergytraining.org upon DPH’s release of the video. There is a $10 charge per person for this training. All major credit cards and checks are accepted. Berkshire AHEC is also working with certified ServSafe Trainers to provide classroom-based trainings.
