Food Employee Certification

Starting January 22, 2011, Pennsylvania's law says that every licensed place that serves food needs to have one worker with a special food manager certificate. This certificate must come from a program that the ANSI National Accreditation Board approves, meaning it meets certain national standards for food safety.

Compliance with Provisions

The certified employee must be available during all hours of operation

• The certified employee is the Person-in-Charge (PIC) when in the facility
• The Certification Certificate must be posted in the facility in public view
• New facilities have 90 days to comply with the Act
• Facilities must comply within three months of losing their certified employee due to employee turnover.
• An employee may only serve as the certified manager for one (1) facility. (Exemption: an event where a facility has multiple stands, approved by PDA.)

Exemptions to the Act

The Act does not apply to the following facilities. They are encouraged, but not required, to take a course.

1. Retail food facilities where only commercially prepackaged food is handled and sold. This includes TCS foods (time/temperature controlled for safety food) and non-TCS foods
2. Retail food facilities that handle only non-TCS foods
3. All food manufacturing facilities
4. Retail food facilities run by a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
5. Retail food facilities managed on a not-for-profit basis
6. A volunteer fire company, an ambulance, or a group. It can be religious, charitable, fraternal, veterans, or civic. Also, an agricultural fair, agricultural organization, or its separately chartered auxiliary.
7. Organizations that support youth in extracurricular activities of all types of schools. Examples include school booster clubs and Little League or Midget Football Associations.

Manager Certification Programs

Completing any MANAGER food protection certification program will certify your facility's food employees. Various programs exist. Ensure you enroll in a MANAGEMENT course, not a food handler course.

The ANAB maintains a list of nationally recognized food protection manager certification programs on their website. 

For a list of certification providers throughout Pennsylvania see course listings under publications.

Local Health Jurisdictions

Retail food facilities in the Local Health Jurisdictions of Allegheny County, Bucks County, Chester County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County and State College Borough Health Departments should contact those Local Health Departments directly for more information on their Certifications programs. All other local health jurisdictions will follow the state mandated food employee certification requirements.