Finding the Food Safety Training Program that is Right for You
… 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. |
[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.
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