Food handlers must pass test

TERRE HAUTE -- At least one food handler in all Indiana retail restaurants, day cares, schools and nonprofit organizations must pass a test and obtain state certification beginning next year, a health official said.\nState requirements for food handlers first took effect last June, but as of Jan. 1, 2005, the examination will be required, said Scott Gilliam, director of the food protection program for the Indiana Department of Health.\nExceptions are hospitals and long-term health care facilities, which have other requirements.\nMany convenience stores also are exempt if they sell only ready-to-eat hot dogs. Certification is required if chili or hot cheese is put on those hot dogs, Gilliam said.\nThree accredited test programs for the certification are ServSafe, Food Safety Manager Certification Examination and Certified Professional Food Manager.\nCertification is good for five years. Costs for training and the test range from $95 to $120, with an online exam ranging from $125 to $145.\nThe cost of the test alone ranges from $30 to $40, said Debbie Scott, executive vice president of the Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana.\nGerhardt Wigginton, owner of Gerhardt's Bierstube Restaurant in Terre Haute, said the certification is a good idea. Wigginton was certified nearly three years ago and has two other people certified.