Finding the Food Safety Training Program that is Right for You
In my final blog last month, I promised I would provide more information about food safety training programs offered for foodservice professionals. There are a few different options available to you.
Just last week, I was asked about the difference between all of them. For example, ServSafe has ServSafe Food Handler and ServSafe Manager. The Food Handler program is designed for employee-level positions and includes an assessment, but the assessment itself is not proctored. Whereas the ServSafe Manager program includes a proctored exam that must be passed at a predetermined level to be certified. The question I received was which one would suffice for the food code requirement for knowledge, to which I responded the ServSafe Manager program. Of course, the next question was why the Food Handler program would not suffice, after all it is cheaper to complete and does not require the need to find a proctor. The easy answer is because it does not have a proctored exam; however, to fully understand this, we really need to start with the food code.
Knowledge and certification requirements are spelled out in the FDA Model Food Code and are addressed in two ways. First, 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. However, Section 2-102.11 goes on to require that for most foodservice operations, the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager who has passed an accredited test. Section 2-102.20 then goes on to state the way a food handler can satisfy the requirements spelled out in section 2–102.11 and 2-102.12 is to pass a certified food protection manager certification, which conforms to the Conference for Food Protection standards. Of course, each jurisdiction can have different standards, so it is imperative that you check your local requirements. Alaska, for example, not only requires the person in charge to be knowledgeable, but each food handler is expected to have a food worker card within 30 days of employment, which involves a food safety-focused training course, followed by passing an assessment exam.
Whichever you decide, because some jurisdictions have more stringent requirements than the conference for food protection, check with your local health department to make sure they also recognize the exam before you pay for it.
So, who is the Conference for Food Protection? Well, the United States Food and Drug Administration has a memorandum of understanding which recognizes the conference as the organization qualified to develop the standards to promote food safety. The conference is an independent, volunteer-led organization that brings together food industry experts from the government, academics, industry, and consumer organizations to address food safety issues. Several years ago, the conference identified the need to establish a set of uniform national standards to assess food safety certification programs. These standards would provide a basis to assess certification programs and allow jurisdictions (e.g., local health inspectors) to gage the quality of the certification. The conference developed the Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs and maintains and updates these standards, as needed. The conference then contracts the American National Standard Institute to accredit these programs against the standard that the conference has developed.
With these standards in mind, the conference, and more specifically, the American National Standard Institute, works with organizations who would like to offer a food safety certification exam to make sure they meet the standards outlined by the conference. Below are organizations who are currently certified to offer the food safety certification exam and some basic information about the program.
| Name of Organization | Certification Exam | Format | Cost | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360training.com, Inc. | Learn2Serve Food Protection Manager Certification Exam | Training: Online
Exam: Remote proctoring, cost included with both the training and exam package and the exam only option. |
Training & Exam: $99.00
Exam only: $55.00 |
Students allowed two attempts to pass the exam with no additional cost.
Not approved for New York City |
| Above Training / StateFoodSafety.com | Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) Exam | Training: online
Exam: In-person or online, remote proctoring available |
Training & Exam: $78.00[2] + proctor fee (varies, usually around $50)
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. |
| National Registry of Food Safety Professionals | Food Protection Manager Certification Program & International Certified Food Safety Manager | 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: It appears the exams are done online, but only at a Pearson VUE testing center. |
Training & Exam: $70.95
Self-Study Training Materials: $23.00 Exam only: $47.00 |
Examinees may take the exam up to three times without retaking the course. However, examinees MUST retake the training course if failed more than three times. Additional exam vouchers will be necessary for repeated attempts.Of accredited programs, this was the most complicated of the websites to navigate. |
| National Restaurant Association | ServSafe Manager | Training: In-person or online
Exam: In-person or online, remote proctoring available. |
Training & Exam: In-person costs will vary; online $152.92 plus proctor fee, $179 with testing center access. Convert to online proctoring for an additional $63.00.
Exam only: $36.00 |
If you fail the exam, you must repurchase a new exam, however the course remains free. |
| Prometric Inc. | Food Protection Manager Certification Program | Training: Designed for in-person but can be completed via self-study.
Exam: In-person or online, proctor required. |
Training & Exam: Vary by training program
Exam only: $28.00 – $48.00 |
Exam must be taken at a Prometric testing center. |
| The Always Food Safe Company, LLC | Food Manager Certification | 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. |
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. Certainly, there are a few programs which are designed for the employee who wants to take the class and exam from their home, but not all of us are interested in this. Look into each and use your best judgement. Whichever you decide, because some jurisdictions have more stringent requirements than the conference, 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 10/4/2021
[2] Fee is specific to the state and, in some cases, the county. It appears that most are $78.00.
Developing Good Food Safety Habits
Good habits and habit development are something that has fascinated me for several years. If you’ve attended any the training programs or presentations that my colleagues and I have conducted through our Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, you’ve likely heard me opine about the importance of habits and how habits are created. Many times, in foodservice operations we wonder why our staff don’t follow the food safety practices we have established in our operation. Perhaps they don’t wash their hands when they are required, perhaps they just don’t use the proper method of handwashing, or perhaps we find that they don’t complete our HACCP logs as often as our program dictates should occur. And while we can stomp our feet and say “it is their job, they should just do it”, it really isn’t that simple. We can’t order people to change, although if we could, business and human resources would be so much simpler.
Getting Your Playbook for Food Safety Organized
As anyone who has ever worked in a foodservice operation knows, from the time food is received in your establishment to the time it is served to your customers, following proper food safety practices is crucial. What many don’t often think about is this time really should extend from the time the manager places their orders with their suppliers (including which purveyors you utilize), through the time the food is consumed – even if that consumption occurs off your premises and days after the original order was picked up by the guest. This is something that has certainly been highlighted by the pandemic as customers across the nation are utilizing take-out, curbside to go, and third-party delivery options more so now than ever before.
Getting Started with Building the Infrastructure
Hopefully in our first January blog, we convinced you of the importance of establishing an infrastructure within your operation to support a safe food culture. So, how does one go about doing this? Well, like any major project, break it into small bites. In our opinion, having a written guide for employees that documents expectations related to food safety basics of employee health and hygiene, temperature controls, and cleaning and sanitizing is the first step. Having this documentation serves as a reference for training and helps fulfill the mission of most foodservice operators which is to serve safe, quality food.
Food Safety Resolutions for the New Year
Finally, 2020 is in our rearview mirror and we can all turn the page to 2021! Resolutions for the new year might be more of the same from prior years (lose weight, exercise more, less screen time, etc.) OR you may have identified new practices to implement in your operation. If the latter, likely goals included some practices related to food safety – especially given the turmoil of 2020 and heightened concern by customers. It is our philosophy that attention to safe food handling practices is a win-win for any operation because of the direct relationship between food safety and food quality, which in turn leads to customer satisfaction. This past year has also demonstrated that attention to safety can affect the bottom line. Thus, the topic of our first SafeBites webinar for 2021 is on the topic of the return on investment of food safety, it is scheduled for January 20, so register now and please plan to attend.
