You are what you eat
– keeping the food safe at BYU-Idaho
- posted: 13 Mar 2007
- scrollcampus@byui.edu
With all the recent headlines in the news about E. coli in spinach, green onions and, now, peanut butter, students at BYU‑Idaho might find themselves wondering about the safety of the food served on campus. But a recent survey conducted by Scroll reveals that food safety at BYU‑I is a high priority.
We try to stay above the curve,
said Chris Mann, operations manager for Food Services.
BYU‑I Food Services adheres to the policies of the Eastern Idaho Public Health Department. According to ID Code 39-1604, No person, firm or corporation shall operate a food establishment without a license approved by the Department of Health and Welfare or his designee.
To comply with this standard, BYU‑I purchases a license to operate each year, at a cost of $65. Greg Carson, director of Food Services, said this allows them to operate cafés
on campus such as The Galley, The Nordic, Tomassito’s, Jolynn’s Bakery and vending/concessions such as Café Kimball and even IBC groups.
To ensure further safety, Carson requires managers to participate in serve-safe
training, a full-day course that is followed by a two-hour test. Carson said it is a very detailed program that covers training on safety such as food temperature.
The EIPHD. also inspects BYU‑I Food Services once a year for compliance. The EIPHD inspects by taking and testing food samples, checking temperature codes and ensuring the upkeep of equipment such as making sure the dishwasher is running efficiently, Carson said.
The last inspections at BYU‑I occurred three of four months ago, Mann said.
When the health inspector comes, we always do well,
Mann said.
Student employees also share in the responsibility of keeping the food safe. They learn to do this by taking a food-handler’s test.
Not all employees have to have a food-handler’s permit, but we do require all our full-time, part-time, and student employees to study and complete a food-handler’s test which qualifies them for the permit,
Carson said.
If students personally wish to acquire this permit, they can obtain it for $10. Because of the high turnover rate of student employees, BYU‑I Food Services opted not to buy these permits, Carson said.
The food-handler’s test seeks to mirror the requirements of Idaho’s Food Handling Laws. When the EIPHD updates its laws, the new revisions are sent to BYU‑I.
The food-handler’s test quizzes students on food safety in eight areas including microbiology, food-borne disease outbreaks, hygiene, receiving and storage, food preparation, cooking and reheating, equipment and utensil cleaning and premise cleaning and maintenance.
When the outbreaks of E. coli occurred in spinach and onions, BYU‑I immediately took these products off the shelf even before the restrictions came.
Carson encourages employees to wear gloves and follow other sanitary practices to prevent such outbreaks from occurring. 
