Current through Reg. 50, No. 249, December 24, 2024
(1) All managers
who are responsible for the storage, preparation, display, and serving of foods
to the public shall have passed a certification test approved by the division
demonstrating a basic knowledge of food protection practices as adopted by the
division. Those managers who successfully pass an approved certification
examination shall be issued a certificate by the certifying organization, which
is valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance. Each licensed
establishment shall have a minimum of one certified food protection manager
responsible for all periods of operation. The operator shall designate in
writing the certified food protection manager or managers for each location. A
current list of certified food protection managers shall be available upon
request in each establishment. When four or more employees, at one time, are
engaged in the storage, preparation or serving of food in a licensed
establishment, there shall be at least one certified food protection manager
present at all times when said activities are taking place. The certified food
protection manager or managers need not be present in the establishment during
those periods of operation when there are three or fewer employees engaged in
the storage, preparation, or serving of foods. It shall be the responsibility
of the certified food protection manager or managers to inform all employees
under their supervision and control who engage in the storage, preparation, or
serving of food, to do so in accordance with acceptable sanitary practices as
described in this chapter.
(2)
Temporary food service vendors and vending machine operators, licensed pursuant
to Chapter 509, Part I, F.S., are exempt from the manager certification
requirements of this section.
(3)
The Conference for Food Protection Standards for Accreditation of Food
Protection Manager Certification Programs, as adopted by the Conference for
Food Protection on August 4, 2008 and herein adopted by reference, shall be the
division standard for the recognition of certifying organizations who provide
food manager certification examinations. A copy of the Standards for
Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs is available on
the Conference for Food Protection website at
www.foodprotect.org. The
Division of Hotels and Restaurants shall accept all certification examinations
approved by the Conference for Food Protection. Certifying organizations that
are accredited by a Conference for Food Protection sanctioned accreditor shall
be recognized by the division as approved providers of a Food Protection
Manager Certification Program.
(4)
Public Food Service Employee Training.
(a)
All public food service employees must receive training on professional hygiene
and foodborne disease prevention. Professional hygiene includes personal
cleanliness and hygienic practices in accordance with the Food Code, as adopted
by reference in Rule 61C-1.001, F.A.C., and
techniques to prevent cross contamination. Foodborne disease prevention
training must include the types and causes of foodborne illness, identification
of time/temperature control for safety (potentially hazardous) food, and how to
control or eliminate harmful bacteria in a public food service
establishment.
(b) Public food
service employees must receive training which relates to their assigned duties.
Employees who prepare foods must be knowledgeable about safe methods of
thawing, cooking, cooling, handling, holding and storing foods. Service
personnel must be knowledgeable about safe methods of serving food. Employees
who clean equipment and facilities must be knowledgeable about proper cleaning
and sanitization methods. Employees responsible for maintaining the premises
must be knowledgeable about proper vermin control methods as specified in the
Food Code, as adopted by reference in Rule
61C-1.001, F.A.C.
(c) Licensees who provide in-house employee
training shall make available on the premises of the establishment, or in a
theme park or entertainment complex in a central location, upon the division's
request, the curriculum and materials used to conduct training. If training is
obtained from an outside provider, the licensee must provide, upon the
division's request, information about the selected training program and methods
used to evaluate training outcomes. Training outcomes include employees
correctly applying procedures and answering questions relative to assigned
duties. Employees must safely perform their work duties in a manner consistent
with the requirements of the Food Code, as adopted by reference in Rule
61C-1.001, F.A.C.
(d) Public food service employee training may
be provided through written materials, interactive distance learning, in-person
instruction, or any other method of delivery that conveys the necessary
information, so long as the training program has been approved by the division
and complies with all requirements in this subsection and Section
509.049, F.S. Regardless of the
delivery method, each employee training certificate and card provided to the
student upon completing the public food service employee training program must
include the provider number assigned by the division, and the name and
certificate number of the certified food manager responsible for providing the
training.
1. For the purpose of this rule,
"interactive distance learning" means the delivery of an approved public food
service employee training program via the internet or other interactive
electronic media. Such training must be interactive, providing for the exchange
of information at regular intervals to promote student involvement, and must
provide for the registration, evaluation, monitoring, and verification of
public food service employee training. Interactive distance learning training
programs must require the student to complete and submit a statement at the end
of the course that the student personally completed each module of instruction.
Interactive distance learning must not require passage of an examination to
complete the training.
2. Each
provider of an approved public food service employee training program provided
through interactive distance learning is responsible for verifying student
identification upon each log-in and at regular intervals, and ensuring that one
student registration cannot be used to complete the training program more than
one time. Student identification verification may be based upon information
obtained at the time of registration.
3. Each provider of an approved public food
service employee training program must notify the division in writing that it
will provide the training program through interactive distance learning. Such
notification must include the approved program provider number; the form of
electronic media utilized; the internet address for the training program, if
provided through the internet; and the name and certificate number of the
certified food manager responsible for maintaining and updating the information
provided by the training program. The approved provider must notify the
division in writing of any changes to the required information within 30 days
of the change.
Rulemaking Authority
509.032,
509.039,
509.049 FS. Law Implemented
509.039,
509.049
FS.
New 2-21-91, Amended 5-12-92, Formerly 10D-13.037,
7C-4.023, Amended 3-31-94, 10-9-95, 1-18-98, 2-7-01, 8-12-08, 6-30-10, 8-10-11,
4-29-15.
