Florida Food Manager License Online

How do I become a Certified Food Protection Manager in Florida?

If you are looking to get your food manager certification in Florida, you need to study up on food safety with approved training and pass an ANAB-accredited exam. Learn2Serve® by 360training can help! We're an ANAB-CFP-accredited provider and our course and exam meet Florida food safety requirements. Get started now and get certified!

What are the Florida food safety regulations?

Under Rule 64E-11.012 of the Florida Administrative Code, all managers responsible for the storage, preparation, display, and serving of food to the public need to earn certification within 30 days of the effective date of employment. 

You become a certified food manager by taking a food manager certification test through a Florida Department of Health-approved provider like Learn2Serve by 360training. A food manager training course is recommended to help you pass the test but it isn't required by the regulations. 

When an establishment has 3 or more employees working at once (or are serving a highly susceptible population), at least one certified manager must be present at all times. For other establishments, it's enough to have one certified manager who is responsible for all periods of operation, but not physically present. 

Some establishments are exempted from manager certification requirements, like bars and lounges, civic organizations, theaters, and public or private schools where the food service is operated by a school employee. 

We always recommend checking with your local health department for any additional certification and training requirements. 

How long is the food manager certification good for?

By regulation, Florida food manager certification is valid for five years.  Once five years have passed from the date your certificate was issued, you need to get recertified. 

Can you take the Florida food manager exam online?

Yes, your exam will be administered through our online proctor service. The Learn2Serve Food Protection Manager Certification Exam is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and the Conference for Food Protection (ANAB-CFP).

Learn more about the policies and procedures required to successfully complete our online proctored exam.

Who should get their food manager certification? 

For most businesses, it's owners, managers, and/or head chefs. How many certified food managers a business needs depends on the size and the risk level of the people you're feeding. 

But any restaurants, grocery shops, cafeterias, and other food establishments require certification as a condition of employment for head chefs and managers. 

What does a food manager do and how can they improve food safety?

Foodservice and retail managers have a responsibility in many areas, from ensuring quality customer service to coordinating operations to handling human resources and team management. 

But their food safety duties touch almost every part of their job. That includes: 

• Knowing local food regulations and safeguarding their business's compliance 
• Training all employees in food safety principles and protocols 
• Managing food safety policies, procedures, and protocols  
• Enforcing the proper implementation of food safety standards 
• Holding food suppliers accountable for meeting adequate food safety standards  
• And more 

Due to the level of responsibility, food managers earn a significantly higher salary than servers and other food employees. According to wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is the average amount of money you can expect to make in senior management positions in the Florida foodservice industry:  

Job Title	Average Hourly Wage	Average Yearly Wage
Food Service Manager	$29.40	$61,160
Chef	$25.17	$52,350

Florida-approved food safety manager certification is an important qualification for getting one of these jobs. 

Why are food managers in Florida required to get ANAB certification?  

Foodborne illness is a real concern throughout the United States, including Florida. According to data from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over a 10-year period (2003-2012), there were a total of 929 foodborne illness outbreaks. And the two most common pathogens found were Norovirus and Staphylococcus —both preventable with the right food safety protocols in place. 

Food managers are accountable for food safety training and enforcement, so they're in a prime position to protect customers and employees from foodborne illness. Earning ANAB-accredited CFPM certification is a good way to ensure they're qualified for the task. 

ANAB-accredited certification programs meet the highest standards in food safety. The ANAB CFPM program has been endorsed by authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).