Who needs to be a Certified Food Manager?

Any person in charge of service of food (like at a restaurant, grocery store deli counter, gas station take out, assisted living facility, school, etc.) The person in charge must be able to demonstrate knowledge and perform specific duties as described by food code.

Per FDA Food Code:

2-102.12 Certified Food Protection Manager (A) The PERSON IN CHARGE shall be a certified FOOD protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an ACCREDITED PROGRAM.

Does an Assisted Living Facility need a Certified Food Manager?

Assisted Living Facility regulations, Florida Administrative Code is 64E-12, states sites with eleven (11) or more residents are "Tier III" and must follow Florida Administrative Code 64E-11 regarding food hygiene requirements in addition to FDA Food Code and must obtain a food hygiene permit through the Department of Health. Therefore, a Certified Food Manager is required.

The code allows for 30 days after hire for the certification to be obtained.

Since residential facilities are 24/7 operations, the important question is how many Certified Food Managers do you need to ensure "at least one certified manager is present at all times when 3 or more employees are engaged in the storage/preparation/display/service of food"?

64E-11.012 Manager Certification.

(1) All managers who are responsible for the storage, preparation, display, and serving of foods to the public must have passed a written certification test which complies with section 509.039, Florida Statutes, within 30 days after the effective date of employment. Those managers who successfully pass the certification examination will be issued a certificate which is valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance.

(2) All establishments must designate in writing the food service manager or managers for each location. Establishments that serve highly susceptible populations, or have three or more employees at one time engaged in the storage, preparation, display, or serving of food must have at least one certified manager present at all times when said activities are taking place. All other establishments must have a certified manager or managers responsible for all periods of operation, but said manager or managers need not be present at all times.

Can I take the ServSafe Food Manager Certification Examination
by myself without a proctor or proctor the exam to myself? 

No. The ServSafe Manager Certification must be provided to you under the supervision of a registered ServSafe Proctor. If you are a registered ServSafe Proctor, ordering and proctoring your own exam is a security violation and inherent conflict of interest.  

What is the difference between “online” and “virtual”?  

Any proctor can provide an online exam, but they must be present during the examination, which is referred to as a “proctored” exam. 

Many websites mislead consumers suggesting the ServSafe Food Manager Certification exam can be taken without the presence of a proctor by stating “virtually” or “remotely”. 

Sustainability Management Services provides ServSafe Food Manager Certification online exams at your location or ours located in Orlando, but can also facilitate testing at public library locations throughout Florida for your convenience and safety.  Purchase an Online Food Manager Certification Proctored Exam here.  

*Please do not contact a library for information.  Sustainability Management Services is not affiliated in any way with the Florida library system. 

Can a Registered ServSafe Proctor administer the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Examination to examinees from a remote location using a web application (i.e. Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc.)? 

No, Registered Proctors are not authorized to administer exams remotely using web applications and must be physically present during the whole exam administration.  Exams taken in this manner are not valid.

Proctor U is the only web-based exam provider that has been approved by ServSafe and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 

What if I fail the Food Manager exam?

While it is unlikely that you will not successfully pass the exam on your first attempt, your retest is FREE! You pay only for your exam code ($42) and nothing more if you reschedule within 30 days. You can attend the next group class at no additional charge and then retest. This price will be available for 1 year from the date of your first exam.

Per ServSafe, a waiting period of 60 days is required should a second retake be necessary. No more than 4 attempts are permitted within a 12-month period.

Does the State of Florida require Alcohol Certifications?

Responsible alcohol training is not mandated by the State of Florida, however, many Florida Insurance companies now require mandatory training in order to provide liquor liability insurance. In the event of a liquor license violation, The State of Florida offers mitigating benefits to those who have participated in a Responsible Alcohol Training program. Participating in such training may protect your alcohol license from suspension and revocation. 

Can I administer a Responsible Alcohol Assessment to myself? 

Yes and No.  

Yes, the ONLINE ServSafe Primary Alcohol assessment does not require a proctor to be present, so you can do the training and take the exam by yourself virtually at a time and place of your convenience.  Please purchase the online version here.  

No, the classroom/print version of the ServSafe Primary Alcohol assessment requires ServSafe Proctor to administer the assessment in person. 

Who needs Food Handler Training?

Every Florida food service employee.

Department of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR) licensed food service establishments that receive prepare, store, or serves food, or handles food contact surfaces, must complete employee food handler training related to their specific job duties. See Florida Statutes Chapter 509.049.  Additionally, for Food Handler training in the State of Florida for a food service establishment licensed by DBPR (e.g. a general public restaurant), the training must be recorded in the DBPR Online Food Handler Database.

Does ServSafe Food Handler training meet the requirement for DBPR and
Florida Department of Health licensed food service establishments? 

Florida can be tricky - 6 agencies regulate food service in this state: Department of Health (DOH), Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) are the main three, but Department of Children and Families (DCF - child care facilities, child caring agencies, etc.), Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA - hospitals and nursing homes), Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD - group homes that support and provide services for persons with disabilities) also regulate food in facilities they license.

Yes, if your business serves a highly susceptible population (HSP or high risk population, like schools or residential care), ServSafe Food Handler training is approved for businesses licensed by the Department of Health. Per Florida Department of Health Florida Administrative Code 64E-11:

The food service employee training must inform the employee regarding basic public health food protection practices, as specified in this chapter and which relates to their assigned duties.

• Employees who prepare foods must be knowledgeable about safe methods of thawing, cooking, cooling, handling, holding, and storing foods.

• Service personnel must be knowledgeable about safe methods of food service.

• Employees who clean equipment and facilities must be knowledgeable about proper cleaning and sanitization methods.

• Employees responsible for maintaining the premises must be knowledgeable about proper insect and vermin control methods.

Managers must obtain and maintain an attendance roster of all employees present during training. Both the training curriculum and attendance roster must be maintained for three years and available upon request by the department.  

*ServSafe Food Handler Certificate is valid for 3 years.

*Yes and No: If your business is licensed by DBPR, ServSafe Food Handler ONLINE training is approved, but the training books are not any longer.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe™ Foodhandler is not on the DBPR list of approved Florida Foodhandler Programs. When visiting ServSafe please make sure you are selecting the SafeStaff Online Foodhandler Course. If you purchased the NRA ServSafe™ Foodhandler books online, please contact NRA ServSafe™at 800-765-2122 within 30 days to discuss their return policy. You should know that the NRA ServSafe™ Food Manager program is approved in Florida. I know the names are tricky! The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) SafeStaff® is approved for Foodhandler training in Florida. Learn more at the FRLA website.  

Can I administer a Food Handler Assessment to myself? 

Yes and No.  

Yes, the ONLINE ServSafe Food Handler assessment does not require a proctor to be present, so you can take the exam by yourself virtually.  Please purchase the online version here.  

No, the training/print version of the SafeStaff Food Handler assessment must be conducted by a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM).

Why choose ServSafe food safety training?

ServSafe is provided by the National Restaurant Association and is one of only five approved vendors in the State of Florida by the Department of Health. 

“The ServSafe Food Safety Training program leads the way in providing current and comprehensive educational materials to the restaurant industry.  More than 4 million foodservice professionals have been certified through the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Exam, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Conference for Food Protection (CFP).  ServSafe training and certification is recognized by more federal, state, and local jurisdictions than any other food safety certification.”

*ServSafe Food Manager Certification is valid for 5 years.