USPCA National Director Reviews Safe Food Handling Examination Standards

Oct. 16, 2009 - PRLog -- Chef Vince Likar, National Director of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) was recently selected to participate on a panel for the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP) to develop and review safe food handling examinations and course content with 23 other experts in the areas of food safety, the FDA food code and food product management.  The panel convened October 6-8 in Orlando, FL to begin the task of reviewing national examination standards.  

In addition to duties as USPCA National Director, Chef Likar instructs the Personal Chef Undergraduate Course for the Culinary Business Academy at the New Mexico headquarters campus, and has been involved with culinary career development since 1994. “Logic says that safe food handling practices would be pretty well set in stone, but in reality all testing and training materials need to be reviewed to apply to the standard of practices and the FDA food code properly” stated Likar.

The Culinary Business Academy is the educational division of the USPCA and is proud to have instructors of the highest caliber, and who remain at the forefront of the industry. The Culinary Business Academy is also the only provider of professional Personal Chef business training to be licensed by a Private Post-Secondary Commission On Higher Education. Instructors, syllabus, curriculum, materials and all aspects of the training process conducted by the Culinary Business Academy are reviewed on a regular basis.

There are 5,000+ working personal chefs with the overwhelming majority associated with the USPCA. Personal chefs prepare custom delicious, nutritious meals daily for a wide range of clients in all 50 states and throughout Canada.  Clients using this special service represent active households, affluent seniors and individuals with restrictive dietary needs.  Unlike a private chef who works for one household in an employer-employee relationship, personal chefs own and operate their own independent business and will service 12-20 unique clients each month.  The direct tangible benefits to each client will be the time saved in the actual meal preparation and the associated shopping, while still enjoying exactly what they’ve requested at a cost no greater than a comparable restaurant.

All USPCA personal chefs are required to possess a standard level of proficiency and complete a testing series.  Only the USPCA requires testing of each member, and each USPCA personal chef is provided with general liability insurance.

The USPCA also monitors and administers the only federally recognized certification program for personal chefs.  Through demonstrated abilities and the acquisition of industry related education and business development courses, the designation of Certified Personal Chef (CPC) is bestowed.  Continued efforts and ongoing educational advancement are requirements to maintain this designation.  

“For a service concept that is almost 20 years old, the industry has just begun to emerge.  Busy active households and the demand for quality nutritional meals will certainly help shape the landscape of this industry for years to come” state Phil Ellison, Executive Director of the USPCA.  

For a no-obligation consultation to determine if a personal chef fills your ‘What’s for Dinner’ dilemma, contact a personal chef at www.hireachef.com


For further information:
www.uspca.com
www.culinarybusiness.com
Contact: Phil Ellison, Executive Director, USPCA
610 Quantum Road NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
505-994-6392

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The United States Personal Chef Association is the oldest and largest personal chef association. It provides training and support for the majority of the over 5, 000 personal chefs currently working throughout the United States and Canada.