New York Food Manager Certification

How do I become a Certified Food Protection Manager in New York? 

To meet your food safety education certification requirement in New York, you need to complete NYSDAM-approved food safety training (or, if you're in NYC, get trained and certified through NYC Health).  

Please note, Learn2Serve by 360training is NOT an NYSDAM-approved provider and does NOT meet NYC Health's supervisor certification requirements. 

But if your employer has asked you to get ANSI-accredited food protection manager certification you're in the right place.  You'll complete your training online and at your own pace, which will prepare you to ace our ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) exam. Get started today! 

What are the New York food safety regulations? 

Under Article 20-C of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, New York State requires at least one individual in certain retail food stores to meet a food safety education requirement. You have to complete at least 8 hours of training through an approved provider. Passing a nationally accredited exam is optional, but beneficial. 

The rule applies to establishments that are licensed to prepare food on the premises, but there are exceptions for small businesses where: 

• There are no more than two full-time employees aside from the owner and/or the owner's parent, spouse, or child 
• The annual gross sales in the previous calendar year are less than $3 million (unless the store belongs to a network that grosses $3 million or more) 

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) provides a list of approved education providers. A certificate of completion from one of these providers must be included in your food processing license application. 

Please note that Learn2Serve by 360training is NOT on the list of NYSDAM-approved providers. 

Additionally, your local county health department may impose additional or alternative training or certification requirements. It's important to check the regulations where you work. 

In New York City, there are separate requirements altogether. Supervisors in a restaurant or non-retail food service establishment must receive City certification in food protection. Both the course and the final exam MUST be completed through NYC Health. No third-party solutions are accepted. 

How long is the food manager certification good for? 

According to New York State regulations, food safety education certificates are good for: 

• 2 years if the program does not require passing a test 
• 5 years if the certificate of completion results from passing an approved, nationally accredited test 

In New York City, your NYC Food Protection Card never expires. However, if you lose your certificate, you can only get a replacement if you've taken the course and exam within the last 10 years. If you need a replacement after 10 years, you'll have to earn your certification from scratch. 

ANSI-accredited CFPM certificates are generally valid for a maximum of five years. However, if your employer or local health authority requires you to become a CFPM, find out their renewal requirements. 

Can you take the ANSI Certified Food Protection 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.

Who should get their food manager certification? 

New York State regulations say that the individual to earn certification needs to be "an individual in a position of management or control." This could be an owner, executive chef, or manager. 

NYC Health regulations require training of "supervisors," which may include shift managers, department managers, and similar staff leads. 

Beyond what the health regulations require, some employers will require ANSI-accredited food safety certification. That's because CFPM programs accredited by the ANSI Conference for Food Protection (CFP) meet the highest food safety standards and are endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

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

Foodservice and restaurant managers have many responsibilities, from ensuring quality customer service to coordinating operations to handling human resources and team management. 

• But by law, they're also responsible for ensuring food safety is taken seriously in their establishment. That involves: 
• Knowing local food safety regulations and ensure their business's compliance 
• Training all employees in food safety procedures  
• Enforcing food safety policies, procedures, and protocols 
• Monitor food preparation and correcting food safety errors 
• Confirming that food sources and their deliveries meet safety standards  
• And more 

Since they're accountable, 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 New York foodservice industry:  

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

Why are food managers in New York required to get food safety certification?  

Foodborne illness is a serious hazard throughout the United States, including New York. According to data from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over a 10-year period (2003-2012), there were a total of 488 foodborne illness outbreaks. And the two most common pathogens found were Norovirus and Salmonella—both preventable with the right food safety protocols in place.