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Food Safety Center: Food Businesses
Food Manager Certification

fmc wallet card: To see a sample certificate please click this image.The State of Minnesota requires a Minnesota Certified Food Manager in most food establishments. Food manager certification is administered by the Minnesota Department of Health.

On this page:
Duties of a certified food manager
Types of food establishments required to have a Certified Food Manager

Duties of a Certified Food Manager

An owner or operator, through the certified food manager, is responsible for ensuring that :

  • Hazards in the day-to-day operation of the food establishment are identified;
  • Policies and procedures to prevent foodborne illness are developed and implemented;
  • Employees are trained to ensure that there is at least one trained individual present at all times food preparation activities are conducted who can demonstrate the knowledge required in the Code;
  • Food preparation activities are directed and corrective action is taken, as needed, to protect the health of the consumer; and
  • In-house self-insepctions of daily operations are conducted on a periodic basis to ensure that food safety policies and procedures are followed.

Types of Food Establishments Required to Have a Certified Food Manager

Most food establishments, with some exceptions listed below, are required to have a Certified Food Manager.

Some of the establishments that do not have to employ a certified food manager are:
  • Food establishments where food preparation activities are only one or more of these:
    • Heating or serving precooked hot dogs or sausages, popcorn, nachos, pretzels or frozen pizza.
    • Preparing or serving continental breakfast.
    • Preparing or serving beverages or ice.
    • Grinding coffee beans.
    • Packaging non-potentially hazardous foods.
    • Serving bulk foods.
    • Processing raw meat, poultry, fish or wild game intended for further cooking after sale.
    • Heating as the only preparation for a bakery product.
    • Providing prepackaged food in its original package.
    • Cleaning or sanitizing eating, drinking or cooking utensils.
  • Boarding establishments, bed and breakfast facilities, child care or adult day care facilities that serve 18 or fewer meals per mealtime.
  • Food carts, mobile food units, seasonal permanent or temporary food stands, special event food stands, retail food vehicles, portable structures, carts or vending machines.
  • An establishment that provides no more than one meal per week and its main purpose is not food service.
  • A nursing home, hospital, boarding care home or supervised living facility, if only patients and staff are served.

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For questions about this page, please contact the Food Manager Certification Program at health.fmc@state.mn.us or 651-201-4500.

Spotlight

Attention: New FMC fees as of July 1, 2009

Renew your certification:
Renewal Applications

Find a FMC course or exam:
see the Training Courses Listing.

Demonstration of Knowledge Handbook:
What a Certified Food Manager should know (PDF: 754KB/31 pages)

recalls and food safety alerts
Food Safety Alerts and Food Recalls
Information on recent food safety alerts, and lists of food product recalls.

Norovirus Infection
Norovirus Infection
Noroviruses are members of a group of viruses called caliciviruses also known previously as “Norwalk-like viruses.” Learn more about Norovirus, how to minimize your risk of acquiring norovirus infection, required reporting information, clinical features, laboratory diagnosis, treatment and more.

Hand Hygiene
Hand Hygiene: Wash Your Hands!
Hand hygiene is a term used to cover both hand washing using soap and water, and cleaning hands with waterless or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Foodworker Illness Awareness
Foodworker Illness Awareness
Workers who prepare food while experiencing diarrhea and/or vomiting are frequently linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants and other retail food outlets. As a food manager or worker you have a responsibility to protect yourself and your guests from foodborne illness.


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Link to Adobe Acrobat Reader To view the PDF files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download from Adobe's Web site).

 

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Updated Thursday, 12-Mar-2009 13:54:06 CDT