Is Always Food Safe's certification the same as other food safety manager exams?
Yes! The Always Food Safe Company, Food Protection Manager exam is equivalent to the Food Protection Manager certification programs from the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP), Learn2Serve (360training.com), ServSafe (National Restaurant Association), and Prometric. The exam is ANSI accredited, meaning that it meets the required national standards for Food Protection Manager Certification Programs.
How is Always Food Safe's Food Handlers and Food Manager certificate different from ServSafe or other companies?
It's the same thing! ServSafe is similar to Always Food Safe in that it is one of the training providers that have achieved ANSI Accreditation status. There are several other training providers who have also attained ANSI accreditation.
This means that you can be assured that all ANSI-accredited companies have gone through a rigorous checking process to ensure they meet the standards required.
The course content is basically the same, although chapter headings and the order of the chapters may vary. All courses include cooking temperatures, fridge/freezer temperatures, bacterial multiplication, cleaning, and pest control because these items must be in-line with current Government guidelines. (FDA Food Code 2017).
When do I need to renew my Food Handlers training? What about Food Manager?
For Food Handlers, re-certification differs across states, counties, and cities. In some places it’s every year and in others, every 3 years. For Food Manager, the FDA requires that you re-certify every 5 years.
What if I operate in a state or city where AFS’ Food Handlers Certificate is not accepted?
You will defer to the state or city-preferred food safety training for Food Handlers. FDA law requires that at least one Certified Food Protection Manager be on-site during any shift, which is why Food Manager is accepted in all states. For non-supervisors (or Food Handlers), the process will vary depending on the local health department.
What’s the process for taking the module and completing the exam?
For both Food Handlers and Food Manager, the module will be taken on Opus and completed on the Opus Training mobile app. Once the trainee or manager has completed the module, they’ll be given a unique partner link that sends them directly to the Always Food Safe Portal. Here, they’ll create an account using their email address and proceed with next steps to take the exam.
For managers or supervisor taking the Food Manager exam, they’ll need to coordinate an exam time with your appointed internal proctor.
Do I need an email to take the Food Handlers or Food Manager exam?
Yes! Trainees trying to take their Food Handlers or Food Manager exam will need to have an email in Opus to create an account with Always Food Safe. Having an email on file allows them to quickly register for the Food Handlers or Food Manager exam. If you already have an email set up with Opus, that email will be used to create your AFS account.
If you do not have an email in Opus, you'll be given the opportunity to add an email to your Opus profile before proceeding with the exam.
I can't access my AFS account from Opus - what should I do?
If the unique partner link is no longer directing to Opus or showing an error, you can go to https://alwaysfoodsafe.com/learn/home to access the Always Food Safe login portal directly.
How does the Food Manager exam proctor process work?
In order to achieve certification and administer the Food Manager exam, you must appoint an internal proctor(s) on your team who can facilitate the exam on-site. There are no pre-requisites for becoming an internal proctor through Always Food Safe and the process is very simple and takes roughly 2-3 business days to complete. Click here to view the whole process.
How do I track module completion and certification?
You will be able to track completion and compliance in your Reporting dashboard in Opus. To calculate total training session times or see more in-depth data, you can use the Custom Report Builder.
Where does my employees’ certificate go once they complete the module and pass the exam?
Their certificate from Always Food Safe will be sent directly to their email. Opus will track completion and certification status, but a copy of the certificate itself will not be stored in Opus.
What if a mix of my team has been certified through Opus and Always Food Safe, but others have received their certification elsewhere?
You can track all of your employees' compliance certification statuses in Opus, including those who receive compliance training from third-party providers. Opus allows for you to manually upload third-party compliance certificate statuses so that you can exempt trainees and managers who have already received their training.