(Washington, DC) – The National Restaurant Association announced today that it has entered into a sole distributor partnership with Ecolab Inc., which has been granted the exclusive rights to offer the Association’s ServSafe Food Safety Program to the restaurant and hospitality industries outside North America. ServSafe is a food safety training and certification program recognized by more federal, state and local jurisdictions than any other program of its kind in the United States, and is now positioned to become an international leader.
“We are extremely pleased to be expanding and strengthening our relationship with Ecolab under this new agreement,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Restaurant Association. “With Ecolab’s international business network and our ability to provide the highest-quality food safety training, this partnership will help operators across the globe practice food safety at the highest level. The National Restaurant Association is proud to be able to expand our educational and food safety best practices and enhance the restaurant industry’s service to the public worldwide.”
Created by the industry for the industry, the ServSafe Food Safety Program is administered by the National Restaurant Association and includes training and assessment materials that deliver consistent food safety training to managers and employees in five key areas: Basic Food Safety, Personal Hygiene, Cross-contamination & Allergens, Time & Temperature, and Cleaning & Sanitation.
“With the growing globalization of the world’s food supply, it’s more important than ever that restaurants everywhere employ food safety best practices throughout their operations,” said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ecolab. “With sales-and-service specialists working all across the globe, we are uniquely positioned to offer this training. By obtaining the exclusive rights to market the ServSafe® program internationally, Ecolab is again taking a leadership position in offering the best food safety training available to the restaurant industry and continuing our commitment to helping create a cleaner, safer, healthier world.”
Since the program’s inception in 1974, more than 3.5 million ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certifications have been awarded.
With sales of $6 billion and more than 26,000 associates, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.
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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.
