Finding the Food Safety Training Program that is Right for You
Back in October of 2021, I highlighted the different food safety training programs available for you to use to train employees. I thought it might be pertinent to refresh this list again during National Food Safety Education month.
One of the first questions I always get about the training requirement in the food code is, “do I have to pass a certified exam”? The answer is no, you don’t. To be more specific, knowledge and certification requirements are spelled out in the 2022 FDA Model Food Code. Section 2-102.11 mandates the knowledge requirement for the person in charge, which can be satisfied by one of three different methods: having no priority violations during the current inspection; being a certified food protection manager, having passed a test as part of an accredited program; or responding to the inspector’s questions about a variety of identified food safety topics.
… if my business were ever the source of a foodborne illness outbreak, I would certainly want to know that I had done everything in my power to protect my guests and having trained my employees who work on the front lines with the food I serve in my business would be the very least that I could do.
However, I don’t know about you, but if my business were ever the source of a foodborne illness outbreak, I would certainly want to know that I had done everything in my power to protect my guests and having trained my employees who work on the front lines with the food I serve in my business would be the very least that I could do.
Thus, below is a list of all organizations who are currently certified to offer the food safety certification exam and some basic information about the program.
Accredited Food Manager Examinations[1]
| Name of Organization | Website | Format | Cost | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA Food Safety | https://aaafoodhandler.com/food-manager-certification | Training: Online
Exam: Remote proctoring |
Training & Exam: $99.95
Exam only: $69.95 Training Only: $49.95 |
The $99.95 rate only provides one attempt to pass the exam. There is a “Diamond Package” available for $119.95 that provides one free retreat. |
| WFSO Academy | https://academy.worldfoodsafety.org/#/fpm | Training: Online
Exam: Remote or in-person at test site |
Exam, remote proctoring: $95.00
Exam, in-person at test site: $125.00 Training: $12 – $95.00 |
Study courses are priced individually but can also be purchased in a comprehensive bundle.
Access to the course is available for one year. |
| Certus / StateFoodSafety.com | https://www.statefoodsafety.com/ | Training: online
Exam: In-person or online, remote proctoring available |
Training & Exam: $78.00[2] + proctor fee (varies, usually around $50)
Training only: $65.00 Exam only: $28.00 plus proctor fee (varies, usually around $50) |
If you fail the exam, you must repurchase a new exam, however the course remains free. Examinee must repurchase the exam and register for an exam session for each attempted retake. |
| 360training.com, Inc. | https://www.360training.com/learn2serve | Training: Online
Exam: Remote proctoring, cost included with both the training and exam package and the exam only option. |
Training & Exam: $121.00
Exam only: $69.99 |
Students allowed two attempts to pass the exam with no additional cost.
Not approved for New York City |
| My Food Service License | https://myfoodservicelicense.com/ | Training: Online
Exam: Remote proctoring. |
Training & Exam: $199.00
Exam only: $100.00 Training only: $161.00 |
Normal prices are reported. At the time of the audit, the training and exam were “on sale” for $169.00 and the training only was $115.00. |
| National Registry of Food Safety Professionals | https://www.nrfsp.com/ | Training: It appears this is designed for in-person training, but self-study options are allowed. There is an affiliate network that provides online training for an additional cost.
Exam: Online or in-person |
Training & Exam: $70.95
Self-Study Training Materials: $23.00-$103.95 Exam only: $80.00 |
Of accredited programs, this was the most complicated of the websites to navigate in order to determine what you needed to purchase to obtain the certification. |
| National Restaurant Association | https://www.servsafe.com/ | Training: In-person or online
Exam: In-person or online, remote proctoring available. |
Training & Exam: In-person costs will vary; online $179.00
Exam only with online proctoring: $99.00 Online Exam Voucher only: $36.00 |
If you fail the exam, you must repurchase a new exam, however the course remains free. |
| Trust20 | https://trust20.co/ | Training: Online, remote proctored.
Exam: Online |
Training: $90.00
Exam only: $90.00 |
If you fail the exam, you must repurchase a new exam. The training is available, but only results in a “certificate”, not certification. There does not appear to be a combined training/exam package with a reduced rate. |
| Responsible Training | https://www.responsibletraining.com/ | Training: Online, remote proctored by Examity.
Exam: Online |
Training & Exam: $119.99
Exam only: $64.99 |
Students allowed two attempts to pass the exam with no additional cost. |
| The Always Food Safe Company, LLC | https://alwaysfoodsafe.com/en/ | Training: Online
Exam: Remote proctoring, cost included with both the training and exam package and the exam only option. |
Training & Exam: $78.00 + Remote Proctor Fee of $48.00
Exam only: $28.00 + Remote Proctor Fee of $48.00 |
Students allowed two attempts to pass the exam with no additional cost. |
As I noted last time I posted this list, I am sure there are several of you out there who would like me to tell you which program is the best for you, but it all depends on how you learn, how you’d like to take the exam, and your budget. Look into each and use your best judgement. I am not endorsing any of the programs, only noting that they are approved for your use. Whichever you decide, be sure to check with your local health department to make sure they also recognize the exam before you pay for it.
Have you had good or bad experiences with either of these training and exams that you’d like to share? If so, drop me a note. I’d love to hear about your experiences and may be able to use this in a future blog. Risk Nothing.
[1] Information is current as of 9/26/2023
[2] Fee is specific to the state and, in some cases, the county. It appears that most are $78.00.
Evaluating Food Safety
One of the suggestions I made in the last blog was to assess the food safety culture in your organization by observing the food handling techniques of workers. Let’s explore that some more. You can do an overall assessment or you can hone in on specific areas of the operation, such as production or cleaning practices. Remember, when the environmental health inspector visits your operation, he/she just gets a snapshot of what is going on in your operation on that particular day at that specific time. You are there nearly every day, so you have a much better understanding on what really happens in your operation.
September is National Food Safety Month: The Future of Food Safety
Each September we recognize the importance of food safety every day in our operations by celebrating National Food Safety Month. This year’s theme, The Future of Food Safety, emphasizes the changing environment in which foodservice operates. Each week of September has a unique focus:
September is Food Safety Education Month: The Culture of Food Safety
Developing a culture of food safety is important for any foodservice operation. You may be wondering--just what is a culture of food safety? Let’s start talking about it by first defining what is meant by culture. When you look culture up in the dictionary, you will see terms such as shared knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, and meanings; a way of life; patterns of behavior; learned behavior of a group of people; and transmitted from generation to generation. I think these descriptors provide good insight into the meaning of a culture of food safety. You can also think about where you grew up, and a vision of culture comes. For example, I grew up in rural Oklahoma, graduating in the 1970’s with a class of 24 students. My culture instilled in me an appreciation for rural life, hard work, and independence. As I grow older, I realize I haven’t changed very much from my early years, even though I have completed a PhD, lived a lot of places, and traveled throughout the world!
Produce Safety: Special Considerations
In our last blog, I talked about general produce safety. Today, I want to talk about some special products—melons, tomatoes, leafy greens, and sprouts. These are all foods that have a history of bacterial contamination leading to foodborne illness. I also want to discuss salad bars because they have some special risks.
