Press Room >> 2010 Press Releases

For Immediate Release
October 29, 2010

Ohio and Columbus Groups Team Up to Create Food Safety Video
Multilingual training video helps Ohio restaurants, food establishments meet safety guidelines

Columbus – In an effort to provide on-site, multilingual training for Ohio food processing establishments and restaurants, the Ohio Department of Development, the City of Columbus Public Health Department and the Ohio Chinese Restaurant and Business Association have collaborated to create a food safety DVD.

The instructional DVD, titled "Food… Handle with Care," provides valuable food-handling information in English, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. The contents of the new resource are based on standards outlined in Chapter 3717-1 of the State Administrative Code, which is also known as the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code.

"The food service industry is significant to Ohio's economy, specifically to tourism and entertainment," said Iris Cooper, Director of the Ohio Department of Development's Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division. "We want to provide this industry with every possible tool to survive and thrive, and this DVD provides timely training at the fingertips of restaurant owners.

" Danny Chung, President of the Ohio Chinese Restaurant and Business Association, added: "This new food safety training DVD in three languages – English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese – will enable Oriental restaurants in Ohio to provide immediate, initial and continuous training for their new employees and to help other food handling workers retain and reinforce their knowledge on fulfilling critical and safe food processing requirements."

According to the National Restaurant Association, every dollar spent in Ohio's restaurants generates an additional $1.14 for the state's economy, and every $1 million spent generates an additional 32 jobs.

With $17 billion in projected 2010 sales, the state's 21,535 eating and drinking establishments employ nearly 532,000 people, representing 10% of overall employment in Ohio.

The food-handling DVD made its debut at the "Grow It, Make It, Sell It, Ohio Micro Business Exchange" earlier this year. Food processing establishments and restaurants interested in receiving a free DVD can contact the City of Columbus Health Department's Environmental Health Division at 614-645-7005.

To view the video, please visit: http://development.ohio.gov/Entrepreneurship/

The Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division's mission is to provide innovative programs and services to Ohio entrepreneurs and small business owners, through effective communication, collaboration, creativity, and technology support to encourage sustainable growth.

Working with partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the nonprofit sector, the Ohio Department of Development works to attract, create, grow, and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. Engaged every day in marketing, innovating, investing, and collaborating, the Ohio Department of Development works at the speed of business to accelerate and support the teamwork that is necessary for success by providing financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio's future.

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