NEW JERSEY RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OFFERS MANDATORY FOOD SAFETY TRAINING The New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) is offering state-mandated training classes for the hospitality industry, free to current and new restaurant members until April 2009. The ServSafe training being offered by the NJRA fulfills state requirements of mandatory food safety training for each establishment. The training seminars, made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor Office of Customized Training, are held at a variety of NJRA member establishments. All restaurants are mandated to have at least one staff member trained in food safety training, according to NJRA president Deborah Dowdell, who also suggests each establishment have more than one trained staff member due to employee turnover and higher professional standards. Mandatory food safety training covers key principals such as cleanliness, hand-washing, cross contamination, temperature and holding controls protecting against food-borne illnesses and allergic reactions. This training, recognized by the N.J. Department of Health, will help to reduce liability and minimize insurance costs. Through the end of the year, the NJRA is offering ServSafe food safety training seminars in Monmouth, Morris, Essex, Ocean, Mercer and Camden counties. The dates and locations of training seminars, which are updated daily, are available at www.njra.org. The NJRA represents owners and operators of full-service restaurants, catering facilities, taverns & pubs, brew pubs, diner restaurants, hotel restaurants, coffee shops, limited & quick service restaurants, institutional feeders, delis pizzerias, country clubs, culinary students and schools. Today, the New Jersey restaurant and hospitality industry includes 23,000 eating and drinking establishments generating $12 billion in annual sales and employing 311,000 people. Visit www.njra.org.