64E-11.012 Manager Certification.

(1)(a) All managers who are responsible for the storage, preparation, display, and serving of foods to the public shall have passed a written certification test approved by the department demonstrating a basic knowledge of food protection practices. Those managers who successfully pass the certification examination shall be issued a certificate which is valid for a period of five years from the date of issuance. All establishments shall designate in writing the food service manager or managers for each location. Establishments that serve highly susceptible populations, or have three or more employees at one time engaged in the storage, preparation, display, or serving of food shall have at least one certified manager present at all times when said activities are taking place. All other establishments shall have a certified manager or managers responsible for all periods of operation but said manager or managers need not be present at all times. It shall be the responsibility of the certified 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. The certified manager or managers shall also maintain a copy of the establishment’s most recent regular food service inspection form provided by the department. Employees shall present this inspection form to guests or patrons for their review upon their request.

(b) Managers employed on or after the effective date of this chapter shall have a period of 90 days after the effective date of employment to satisfactorily pass the required test.

(2) The test shall be designed to assess the manager’s knowledge of basic public health food protection practices, including: receiving of food supplies; food storage, including dry, refrigerated and freezer storage; food protection and preparation practices including thawing of potentially hazardous food, techniques to minimize handling, recognition of critical temperatures during storage, preparation, cooking, serving, displaying and reheating; personal hygienic practices of employees during all phases of preparation and serving of food; equipment and utensil design and fabrication, installation and location as well as cleaning, sanitizing and storage; water supplies; sewage disposal; plumbing; bathroom and handwashing facilities; garbage and trash storage and disposal; insect and rodent control; general housekeeping including cleaning, maintenance, lighting and ventilation; control of toxic materials; premises sanitation and other miscellaneous activities which the manager needs to ensure are accomplished to prevent the occurrence of foodborne illness.

(3) The testing program shall demonstrate testing program compliance with one or more generally recognized measurement standards such as the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Documentation of conformance shall include organization review and program evaluation by qualified psychometricians and shall demonstrate adherence in the areas of administrative independence; fairness; technical standards for test construction and evaluation including validity, reliability and errors in measurement, test development and revision, scaling, norming, score comparability and equating, and test publication; professional standards for test use including employment testing and professional and occupational certification; and related standards for testing linguistic minorities, testing people who have handicap conditions, test administration, scoring and reporting, protecting the rights of test takers and public information. Testing programs that provide documentation to the department of current accreditation by an accrediting organization as defined in the Conference for Food Protection Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs shall be considered as meeting the provision for testing programs of this section, provided that the Testing Program maintains its accreditation.

(4) Once approved, the testing program shall maintain and offer test(s) that comply with the current requirements of this chapter and shall notify and receive approval from the department prior to making any changes to the test. Within 120 days of receiving notification from the department that this chapter has undergone substantial changes, approved testing programs shall revise their certification test(s) to be consistent with the applicable changes and notify the department when such revisions have been completed.

(5) A test offered for compliance with this section shall be invalid when:

(a) It has not been approved by the department, or

(b) It is a previously approved test that has been changed without department approval, or

(c) Any applicable requirement of subsection (4), of this rule, is not met.

(6) Persons shall be considered certified under these rules when a written examination is a requirement for licensure by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in a dietary field and when these persons have acquired and maintained the currency of this license. The following establishments are also exempt from the manager certification requirements of this rule:

(a) Any theater, if the primary use is as a theater and patron service is limited to food items customarily served to admittees of theaters such as popcorn, hot dogs, soft drinks, nachos and cheese, and pre-packaged snack foods;

(b) Establishments listed in Section 381.0072, F.S., as being exempt from this certification.