Iowa Food Safety Manager Certification

To earn your food manager certification in Iowa, you need to prepare with a food safety manager training course and pass an ANSI-accredited exam. You can easily meet these requirements with Learn2Serve by 360training. Our course is approved in Iowa and our Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) exam is ANSI-accredited. Begin today!

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.

ANSI's CFPM certification is generally valid for a maximum of five years.  Once the five years are up, you must re-take the Certified Food Protection Manager exam to become recertified.

Through their adoption the FDA's 2013 Food Code, Iowa requires the Certified Food Protection Manager to be "an employee that has supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service."   

This could be an owner, executive chef, or manager. 

Legally, only one CFPM is mandatory, but many restaurants, cafeterias, and other foodservice establishments require all of their chefs and managers to earn certification as a condition of employment.

Foodservice managers have a lot on their plates, from human resources and team management to customer service to operations. 

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

• Know local food regulations and safeguard their business's compliance 
• Train all employees in food safety principles and protocols 
• Enforce the proper implementation of food safety standards 
• Make sure food safety data is accurately and consistently recorded 
• Confirm that all food sources and deliveries meet safety standards  
• And more 

Due to the 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 the Iowa foodservice industry:  

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

Foodborne illness is a real hazard throughout the United States, including Iowa. According to data from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over a 10-year period (2003-2012), there were a total of 82 foodborne illness outbreaks. And the two most common pathogens found were Norovirus and Salmonella—both preventable with the right food safety protocols in place. 

Food establishments that have Certified Food Protection Managers on staff violate fewer inspection items directly related to foodborne illness. They typically have better food safety behaviors, fewer instances of foodborne illness, and are less likely to have serious violations of the food code. 

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

Under IAC § 31.1(2), Iowa requires at least one supervisory employee to become a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). To become credentialed, they need to pass a certification exam through an ANSI-accredited and Iowa-approved program like Learn2Serve by 360training. 

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