West Virginia Food Manager Certification

How do I become a Certified Food Protection Manager in West Virginia?

You can become a Certified Food Protection Manager in West Virginia by completing an accredited program. At Learn2Serve by 360training, our ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) exam ensures you meet these requirements. Sign up today to get certified!

What are the West Virginia food safety regulations?

West Virginia’s rules for foodservice and retail food establishments (64 CSR 17) was revised in 2008 to adopt the 2005 FDA model Food Code. And it applies to restaurants, retail food stores, school lunch programs, temporary food stands, mobile food units, and food vending machines. 

So when it comes to food manager requirements, West Virginia follows the FDA’s guidance, which states that a “person-in-charge” must demonstrate their knowledge of food safety to regulatory authorities.  

And the person-in-charge can do this by passing a test on foodborne disease prevention, application of HACCP principles, and the Food Code. Additionally, the test must be part of an accredited program. This ensures they’ve met the requirements to become a Certified Food Protection Manager. 

West Virginia also gives local health departments the responsibility of managing permits and inspections. So in addition to following the state guidelines for persons-in-charge, you should also check with your local authority for any other requirements. 

How can you find an accredited food manager program? 

You’re already in the right spot! Our Certified Food Protection Manager Program is ANSI-CFP accredited and meets the guidelines specified by West Virginia and the FDA. 

Plus, ANSI-accredited programs meet the highest standards in food safety. The ANSI CFPM program has been endorsed by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Who should get their food manager certification?

As the guidelines state, the person-in-charge must be a Certified Food Protection Manager. This is typically the permit holder; however, they can also assign other managers to be the person-in-charge.  

Additionally, since there must always be a person-in-charge on-premises when the establishment is open, it’s better to have more than one person earn their certification. 

This can be the food service manager, executive chef, operations manager, or anyone who is responsible for answering the inspector’s questions. 

How long is the food manager certification good for?

ANSI's CFPM certification is valid for a maximum of five years. To renew the certification, you need to pass the Food Protection Manager certification exam again.

Can you take the West Virginia 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 (ANSI-CFP).

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

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

Food managers have many different roles inside retail food service establishments, but no matter what the job title is, they have a major impact on safety. They are responsible for:

• Enforcing standards of sanitation and cleanliness in kitchen areas 
• Establishing cleaning and maintenance schedule food prep and service areas, as well as equipment and utensils 
• Providing ongoing training for employees to ensure they understand foodborne illness prevention best practices 
• Answering food safety inspector questions on critical control points and HACCP procedures 
• Monitoring the quality of food and proactively address any issues 

Since they're accountable, food managers can make more money 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 West Virginia foodservice industry:  

Getting a West Virginia-approved food safety manager certification could potentially put you ahead of someone who doesn’t have one when you are competing for one of these jobs.