BILOXI — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is offering a free updated ServSafe course at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum on July 7 to the first 25 Mississippi residents who register. 

The day will be split into two parts, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be taught by ServSafe instructor and proctor Jessica Ranking. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., participants will take the test to become ServSafe certified. 

“This is a nationwide course, and we’ve hired a certified ServSafe instructor to teach it, so there’s an official certificate through ServSafe that I believe is valid for five years,” Director of the Seafood Technology Bureau for the Marine Fisheries Department of Marine Resources Kristina Broussard said. 

The free ServSafe seafood workshop is funded through the Mississippi Tidelands Trust Fund Program. 

All interested participants will be required to show a valid state-issued ID on the day of the workshop. 

“(Show) Mississippi residence … that has to do with the funding that we have,” Broussard said. “It’s intended to be for Mississippi residents because it’s a Tidelands Trust Fund program, which is geared toward the Mississippi seafood industry.” 

During class time, all test-takers are taught the required safety practices seafood handlers are expected to know in the food handling industry. 

“ServSafe provides food industry members with fundamental food safety training that focuses on preventing foodborne illnesses such as norovirus, food handling, personal hygiene, proper hand-washing techniques, time and temperature controls for food products, freezer and refrigerator controls — what to do when those controls go out of range — and cleaning and sanitizing the environment,” Broussard said. 

Those interested in participating are encouraged to register through the ServSafe training website.