Food Protection Manager’s Certification

The   Food Service Sanitation Manager Certificate  Requirements

  • At least  one  certified  manager  must be present  at all times while a food  operation is preparing/handling food.
  • In Illinois, the requirement is called a Certified Food Protection Manager.  In the the City of Chicago, the requirement is aFood Service Sanitation Manager Certificate (FSSMC) license.  The same approved  eight hour course and successful completion of the proctored national certification exam provides for both requirements.
  • The certification is valid for five years after successfully completing the exam
  • The eight hour course and testing process must be repeated every five years.

Mastering the Food Safety Licensing Exam

The State of Illinois and  City of Chicago now use the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food code for their own food code regulations – just like many other states.

However,  the FDA food code is not just  a little bit of reading
– it’s over 760 pages!  Certified Food Safety Programs focus in on the details that food service sanitation managers need to know for certification and safe food handling.

Register for a food service sanitation manager certificate course. You will get a pre-course study guide that provides the basic regulations you’ll see on the licensing exam.  The course manual includes worksheets and sample multiple choice questions to prepare for the course and test. At the course, we review the reasons and rules for food safety. as we practice for the multiple choice exam.

Finally, in 85 to 90 questions, the  food  licensing exam  tests your knowledge of  food safety  principles and the  FDA food code regulations.  The exams are developed by one of four
national testing agencies (including National Registry  and ServSafe), and approved by  ANSI-CFP (American National Standards Institute – Council on Food Protection).  These exams
must be proctored, which means the test has to be taken under the supervision of an approved monitor.  Either a computer or paper test is available, and the testing
agencies promise official results within 10 business days.   A passing score (at or above 75%) provides certification that is valid for five years.