Arkansas Food Safety Manager Certification

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

Time is running out to meet Arkansas' new food manager certification rule, but you can easily pull it off with Learn2Serve by 360training. First, take our food manager training course that's approved in Arkansas, then register for our ANAB-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) exam. Start now!

What are the Arkansas food safety regulations?

The Arkansas Rules Pertaining to Retail Food Establishments require at least one person in charge to be a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) who has passed a test accredited by the American National Standards Institute Conference for Food Protection (ANAB-CFP).

This rule is new. If your retail food establishment was operation before September 7th, 2019, you have one year (until September 7th, 2020) to bring your business into compliance with the rule.

Establishments with a low risk of foodborne illness are exempt from this requirement, including businesses that only provide commercially prepackaged foods or those that only provide non-time/temperature control foods (as determined by the Arkansas Department of Health (DOH)).

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?

The state of Arkansas doesn't specify, but ANAB's CFPM certification is generally valid for a maximum of five years. Once five years are up, to renew your certification, you must re-take the Certified Food Protection Manager exam.

Be sure to check your local regulations, in case county or municipal requirements call for more frequent training.

Can you take the Arkansas 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?

The Arkansas DOH specifies that the person who needs certification must be an employee with "supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service." This could be an owner, executive chef, or manager.

Many restaurants and other retail food establishments require all of their chefs and managers to earn certification as a condition of employment.

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

Food service managers have many obligations, from ensuring quality customer service to coordinating operations to handling human resources and team management.

But their food safety responsibilities are important to the safety of customers and the life of the business. Food managers must:

• Know local food safety regulations and ensure their business's compliance
• Manage food safety policies, procedures, and protocols
• Train employees in food safety and ensure they execute protocols properly
• Confirm that all third-party suppliers and their deliveries meet food safety standards
• And more

Due to the high level of accountability, 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 foodservice:

Job Title	Average Hourly Wage	Average Yearly Wage
Food Service Manager	$23.44	$48,760
Chef	$22.01	$45,780

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

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

Foodborne illness is a real threat in every state, including Arkansas. According to data from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over a 10-year period (2003-2012), there were a total of 29 foodborne illness outbreaks. And the two most common pathogen found were Salmonella and Staphylococcus—both preventable with the right food safety protocols in place.

Since food service managers set food safety protocols, ensure compliance, and train front-line employees, they're in a prime position to thwart foodborne illness from breaking out in their establishment. To make sure they're qualified to do this, they need to demonstrate their knowledge by earning ANAB Certified Food Protection Manager certification.

ANAB-accredited certification meets the highest standards in food safety, which is supported by the fact that the ANAB CFPM program has been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).