A food safety manager is responsible for preparing food in adherence to safety guidelines. Anyone who handles food can become a food safety manager, including cooks, chefs, managers and restaurant owners.
Many states or counties require food establishments to have at least one certified food safety manager. These employees handle quality control, and their training covers the fundamentals of food poisoning prevention, temperature controls, pest control, cross-contamination and sanitization.
This credential differs from a food handler card, which is typically required of other employees, like cooks, bartenders, servers and prep cooks. A food handler credential enables an employee to work with food, but it does not qualify someone to work as a food safety manager.
Food Safety Certification vs. Food Handler Certification
Food safety and food handler certifications are not the same. Let’s break down the difference.
Anyone who prepares, stores or serves food should earn their food handler certification. This is a baseline credential to work with food at the retail level. Earning a food handler certification typically involves taking a short online course.
On the other hand, a food safety certification involves more in-depth and robust training. Workers also need to pass an exam to earn an online food safety certification. Individuals with food safety credentials can manage and evaluate food safety plans, train staff members, conduct risk assessments and review facilities.