Infographic Kitchen Manager Certification

For a printable version of this infographic, click on the image or select “PDF” from the format menu to the right. You can also access more food safety resources(http://wcms-wp.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/activities/food.html) and more factsheets and infographics.

Kitchen Manager Certification

An Important Way To Improve Restaurant Food Safety

Restaurants with managers certified in food safety:

• are less likely to have foodborne illness outbreaks
• have better food safety practices
• have better ratings and fewer critical violations on their inspections

Each year, 800 outbreaks of foodborne illness occur in the United States and most of these are linked with restaurants. Government agencies and the restaurant industry can use kitchen manager certification to improve food safety in restaurants.

What is kitchen manager certification?

Certified kitchen managers are restaurant employees with management responsibility who have passed a test to show knowledge of food safety.

Typically, they do this by:

• Taking a food safety course
• Passing a test given by one of the four accredited certification programs:
  • National Registry of Food Safety Professionals
  • National Restaurant Association-ServSafe
  • Prometric
  • 360training.com

How much does certification cost?

Online certification costs approximately $257 per person.

Outbreaks can cost many times more than that.

Outbreaks can lead to:

• loss of customers, sales, and reputation
• lawsuits and legal fees
• negative media coverage
• higher insurance premiums

What is the Food Code and How Can It Help?

The Food Code is put out by the Food and Drug Administration. It contains science-based guidance to improve food safety in restaurants. States, tribes, localities, and territories can use it as a model for their own restaurant food safety rules.  What’s your state’s status? Visit www.cdc.gov/psr to find out.

The 2013 Food Code provision on certified kitchen managers:

• Requires restaurants to have at least one employee with management responsibility who is certified in food safety.
• Has been adopted by 26 states and D.C.

What can you do if your state does not require kitchen manager certification?

• States can adopt the provision on kitchen manager certification from the 2013 FDA Food Code.
• Restaurant industry management can require kitchen manager certification in restaurants.
• Kitchen managers can get certified through an accredited certification program.
• Consumers can ask to see proof of kitchen manager certification (for example, a certificate) when going out to eat.

For more information:

• CDC’s 2016 Prevention Status Reports: www.cdc.gov/psr
• 2013 FDA Food Code: www.fda.gov/foodcode
• CDC Food Safety Resources: www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/activities/food.html