Food Manager Requirements Vary
Please check the Law pages of your State for more details.
Who is a Food Manager?
A Food Manager is a person responsible for the food establishment during the storage, preparation, display, or service of food.
What Establishments are required to have Certified Food Managers?
Food service establishments as defined in section 381.0072 of the Florida Statutes are required to meet manager certification requirements, unless otherwise exempted. All establishments required to have a certified food manager shall designate in writing the food service manager or managers for each location.
The establishments include, but are not limited to:
- Civic or fraternal organizations
- Churches that are required to maintain a Department of Health food certificate
- Mobile Food Units and Caterers that are required to maintain a Department of Health food certificate
- Detention facilities
- Residential Facilities required to maintain a Department of Health food certificate, such as, but not limited to:
- Assisted Living Facilities
- Hospices
- Adult Day Cares
- Drug and alcohol treatment centers
- Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally disabled (ICFDD)
Certified Food Manager responsibilities
It shall be the responsibility of the certified manager or managers to inform all employees under their supervision and control who engage in the storage, preparation, or serving of food, to do so in accordance with acceptable sanitary practices as described in the Food Hygiene Rule, Chapter 64E-11, Florida Administrative Code.
Establishments that serve highly susceptible populations (a group of persons who are more likely than other populations to experience foodborne disease because they are immunocompromised or older adults institutionalized or preschool age children in custodial care), or that have three or more employees at one time engaged in the storage, preparation or service of food must have at least one certified manager present at all times when these activities are taking place.
All other establishments (general populations or two or less employees) must have a certified manager or managers responsible for all periods of operation but the manager or managers need not be present at all times.
Become a Certified Food Manager
To become a Certified Food Manager in compliance with Department of Health requirements, you must successfully pass a certification examination administered by a approved Manager Certification Test Provider. Education Programs is an approved administrator for the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals exam.
The Department of Health does not require individuals attend an examination preparation or training course; however, preparation courses, study guides, and other helpful materials may improve your chance of passing the exam at the first sitting. Please contact Education Programs as an approved test provider for times, dates, and cost of training with the examination as well as ordering materials. The Food Manager Certification Certificate is valid for five years from the date of issuance.