New York State Food Safety Course

Important: We do not offer Food Manager Training for food service professionals in New York City. If you work in New York City, please refer to this page, or contact the health department for more information.

State Regulations

Every retail food store that applies for a food processing establishment license (with certain exceptions for small establishments) shall furnish evidence that an individual from within the store has been recognized as having completed an approved food safety course.

The license application must be accompanied by documentation which demonstrates that this food safety course requirement has been met. In most cases this documentation will be a certificate indicating an individual in a position of management or control has attended an approved course.

Certification Exam

Optional

Approved Certification Exams

ANAB-CFP Accredited Certification exams such as ServSafe, NRFSP, Always Food Safe, AboveTraining, 360 Training, and Prometric

Food Safety Training Requirement

At least 8 hours and the food safety course must be from a program approved by the Department of Agriculture.

Certificate Renewal

  • 2 years when taking an approved food safety course that does not require the passing of an exam.
  • 5 years when taking an approved course that requires the passing of a certification exam

Additional Requirements

Some localities have their own requirements. Please contact your local authority for more information.

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Online Training and Exam Options

  • First Time or Renewal
  • Instant Results Available
  • Available in English and Spanish.

FAQs

Which establishments are exempt?

This requirement does not apply to a food store that has as its only full time employees the owner or the parent, spouse or child of the owner, or in addition not more than two full time employees. It would also not apply to a food store that has annual gross sales in the previous calendar year of less than $3,000,000, unless the food store is part of a network of subsidiaries, affiliates or other member stores, under direct or indirect control, which, as a group, had annual gross sales of the previous calendar year of $3,000,000 or more.

What areas of knowledge must be covered in the Food Protection course?
  • a) The relationship between the prevention of foodborne disease and the personal hygiene of food employees;
  • b) The responsibility of the person-in-charge, or his or her designee for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by a food employee who has a disease or medical condition that may cause foodborne disease;
  • c) The symptoms associated with the diseases that are transmissible through food;
  • d) The significance of the relationship between maintaining the time and temperature of potentially hazardous food and the prevention of foodborne illness;
  • e) The hazards involved in the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs and fish;
  • f) The required food temperatures and times for safe cooking of potentially hazardous food including meat, poultry, eggs and fish;
  • g) The required temperatures and times for the safe refrigerated storage, hot holding, cooling, and reheating of potentially hazardous food;
  • h) The relationship between the prevention of foodborne illness and the management and control of the following:
    1. Cross contamination
    2. Hand contact with ready-to-eat foods,
    3. Hand-washing,
    4. Maintaining the food establishment in a clean condition and in good repair;
    • (i) The relationship between food safety and equipment that is:
    • (1) Sufficient in number and capacity, and
    • (2) Properly designed, constructed, located, installed, operated, maintained, and cleaned;
  • j) The correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food-contact surfaces of equipment;
  • (k) The identification of the source of water used, and measures taken, to ensure that it remains protected from contamination, such as providing protection from backflow and precluding the creation of cross connections;
  • (l) The identification of poisonous or toxic materials in the food establishment and the procedures necessary to ensure that they are safely stored, dispensed, used, and disposed of according to law;
  • (m) The identification of critical control points in the operation, from purchasing through sale or service that, when not controlled, may contribute to the transmission of foodborne illness and the steps that must be taken to ensure that the points are controlled in accordance with the requirements of these regulations;
  • (n) The procedures necessary in order for the person-in-charge and food employees to comply with the schedule process, if such a process is required by the law, regulation or an agreement between the Department and the establishment; and
  • (o) The responsibilities, rights, and authorities assigned by 1 NYCRR Part 271 to the:
    1. Food employee,
    2. Person-in-charge, and
    3. the Department.
What training and certification options do you offer in New York State?
  • Online Food Manager Training: A self-paced online training, which incorporates media-rich learning experiences: graphics, audio and interactive learning exercises. Highly effective educational learning program.
  • Online Study Guide: A comprehensive study resource which covers many of the important core FDA food concepts. The study guide also includes Top 5 Tips to Passing the Food Manager Exam and Practice Exam.
  • Food Manager Exam: We offer the nationally accredited ServSafe exam, which is administered online by a registered proctor with ProctorU. Schedule the certification exam for a date and time of your choice and take it from the comfort of your home. Get your results the same day!