AMMAN - One by one, the Kingdom's food handlers and restaurateurs are learning how to better prepare and serve dishes in a safe and sanitary manner.
As part of a step to protect public health and improve food handling, chefs and hospitality workers from across the country have been training in proper food handling methods at workshops hosted by the USAID-Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTDP) and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) in cooperation with the Jordan Restaurant Association (JRA).
For the past six months, the campaign has targeted chefs and hospitality workers from Irbid, Jerash, Amman, Madaba, Wadi Musa and Aqaba in order to upgrade their skills and enhance visitor experience.
Food handlers ranging from concession stand workers at Petra and Wadi Rum camp guides to 5-star hotel chefs, have been engaged in the workshops, which cover basic food preparation and health tips.
Topics covered during the training sessions include food contamination, poisoning and preservation methods, as well as sanitising and integrated pest management, according to organisers.
"Through cooperation, we have targeted industry workers in addition to inspectors, as we want complementary action and food-handling training," JFDA official Amjad Rashaydeh told The Jordan Times.
The training sessions also cover personal hygiene and best practices to prevent bacteria growth and poisoning, with participants taught how to safely produce food and properly handle potentially hazardous items such as mayonnaise and other cooked and uncooked foods, according to Rashaydeh.
In addition to food, the training focuses on the storage of ice and water, as well as cleanliness of utensils and glassware.
"The recent expansion in the restaurant industry is astonishing, and it is important to ensure safe food management in order for the sector to preserve a good image," USAID-JTDP human resource manager Joseph Ruddy told The Jordan Times.
According to Ruddy, more than 11,000 workers are employed in tourist restaurants alone. Another estimated 10,000 work in coffee shops and shawerma outlets, while tourist campsites and hotels employ some 14,000 workers involved in food preparation.
More than 80 chefs and head chefs from four- and five-star hotels and restaurants in Jordan have also taken part in workshops on safe food handling and hygiene over the past two months.
JRA CEO Amr Qubaa told The Jordan Times that the workshops are vital for the Kingdom's growing hospitality sector.
"The association fully backs the campaign, which will help preserve our establishments' reputations as clean and safe dining environments," Qubaa said.
Grand Hyatt Sous Chef Bassam Siyaj said he benefited from the workshops.
"The training has been excellent and serves to strengthen some of our existing knowledge as well as introducing us to new aspects of food safety and hygiene and highlighting ways to deal with problem areas," he noted.
In Amman, the workshops have attracted employees from the InterContinental, Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons, Kempinski, Le Royal, Le Meridien, Holiday Inn, Regency, Alia Hotel, Belle Vue and Century Park hotels.
Trainers from hospitality education establishments such as the Jordan Applied University, Jordan Hotel School and the hospitality and tourism Vocational Training Centres, also are taking part in the workshops, which will continue throughout the year.
By Taylor Luck
© Jordan Times 2008
