ServSafe®

There are three important reasons to choose Penn State Extension - Experience, Teaching Excellence and Ongoing Support.

Penn State Extension Educators hold advanced degrees, have received extensive training in food safety, and have experience working in the food industry. The Penn State Department of Food Science faculty provide ongoing training and support on the most current issues facing the industry. Additionally, strong relationships with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and industry leaders help Educators understand and meet the educational needs of our participants. As Penn State Extension Educators our goal is not only to help participants pass the certification exam but to learn the underlying principles of food safety so that they can educate their own staff.

Finally, Educators are based in the communities they serve and are a resource after the course is completed. Educators have access to the Penn State Extension system of experts even for the most difficult of questions.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) requires that every retail food service operation have at least one supervisory employee who holds a "nationally recognized food safety manager certification," such as ServSafe®. Penn State Extension offers the ServSafe Food Safety Program for Managers, which, when successfully completed, provides the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification required under the regulations.

The ServSafe Food Handler course provides a certificate of completion and is intended for front-line employee food safety training, not managers. It does not meet the PDA requirements for manager certification. Penn State Extension offers an online class, Virtual Food Safety Training for Food Handlers, to train food service workers in the basics.

It is best to renew your certificate before your old one runs out. If you are inspected by PDA and you do not have a current certificate you will have 90 days to come into compliance. It may take 2-3 weeks after the exam until your new certificate is available.

Our focus is to ensure students have the greatest chance of passing the exam the first time. There is a lot of material covered in the class and the exam is difficult, even for participants who have taken a food safety class in the past. Our experience shows that this format provides the best learning experience and opportunity for questions and study for our participants.

Penn State Extension offers two online options:

1. Food Safety Manager Certification Prep Course – Participants join with an instructor during a live webinar (2 sessions over 2 days one week apart). A textbook will be mailed to participants a few days before the first class session. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be provided with multiple exam certification options.
2. TAP Online Food Safety Manager Certification Course – The self-paced course work is completed online at your convenience, but the exam is a proctored exam and will need to be taken in person at a Penn State Extension office. You can view the exam locations online.

Organizations cannot become certified, only individuals can become certified. While your employer may have paid for the course you took, the certificate is in your name and belongs to you. You can obtain a duplicate copy of your certificate through the ServSafe National Restaurant Association website (as long as it is current).

ServSafe is a nationally recognized food safety program, and the ServSafe Manager Food Protection certificate is widely recognized in the food industry and accepted by many organizations. For that reason, all participants learn about a wide variety of food safety related topics and while it may not apply to you now, things change over time and a good foundational knowledge surrounding food safety is important in any food establishment. Additionally, there are many components of the course that do apply to bakeries and all types of food establishments.

Yes, to earn your ServSafe certificate, you must score 70% or higher on the 90-question multiple choice exam. You may not use your book or notes during the exam.

Whether you have been certified in the past or are coming for initial certification, Penn State Extension's focus is on education. Therefore, our policy is that you must complete some type of course work prior to taking the exam, whether you have been certified in the past or not. The FDA Food Code, which serves as the basis for food safety regulations, is updated on a regular basis and things do change over time. Coming to a class or completing online course work will provide you with the most up to date information on food safety to protect your customers from a foodborne illness.

The best thing is to check with your local regulatory authority as to their food safety certification requirement. Most local jurisdictions follow the PDA food code guidelines requiring at least one certified food safety manager. Some jurisdictions provide their own food safety training course and certificate or require more than one person to be certified, so if you fall in that category check with your local sanitarian/inspector to determine what is needed to meet licensure requirements in your area.