King County residents who work in the food industry and need to obtain their required state food worker card will now be able to do so over the Internet at www.foodworkercard.wa.gov. There, students can take both the class and test, which is available in eight different languages. Upon completing the class and passing the test, the student will be able to print out the food worker card for immediate use.

To begin, all that is needed to do is to log in on the Web site and then select “King County.”

According to Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for public health in Seattle & King County, the growing demand for an online option led to its creation. He also stated that those who prefer the in-person class will still be able to attend it.

“The new online training provides the same information as an in-person experience but with the convenience of an online class,” he said  “Most of our customers-food workers in King Count-said they wanted this option so I am very pleased to be providing this enhanced level of customer service.”

The new online food worker class is an addition to the in-person classes that train approximately 55,000 people per year in King County. The online class is being made available to food workers in King County through a partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, which built and maintains the site.

The eight languages available for the online class are English, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and closed caption. The cost of the class and test is $10 and is payable with VISA, MasterCard or Discover card and debit cards with the VISA or MasterCard logo after the test is passed. The course and test usually takes about an hour to complete.

More information about the class and test can be found at www.kingcounty.gov/health/foodsafety.