Connecticut – Food Manager Certification

The Qualified Food Operator is expected to operate the food service facility, mobile food vending facility, and catering establishment and is responsible for guaranteeing the training of food service personnel. The food operator must also maintain documentation in the written form of the training program and individual training records of employees and must ensure these records available to the local health department upon request.

Yes, documentation must be provided upon request to the registered sanitation, authorized agent, or local supervisor of health, and maintained on file at the foodservice facility.

No, the Qualified Food Operator does not have to be present at the food facility at all times but they must have another employee designated to be in charge when they are not able to be there.

The law stated that you have 60 days to make sure a food establishment has a Qualified Food Operator employed when a business is just started, there is a change of ownership, or if the previously employed, certified food protection manager quits.

You must employ a replacement Qualified Food Operator within 60 days from the day the previous Qualified Food Operator left the business.

• Class I & II establishments are not required to employ a QFO
• Any individual who provides meals to people at registered meal sites
• A volunteer who serves meals for any nonprofit organization should be excused from the requirement
• Temporary food service facilities and events sponsored by non-profit organizations such as school sporting events, little league food vendors, church events, and fairs.
• Soup kitchens that rely on services from volunteers are also excused.

If all of the food establishments are owned by the same person or company, then only one certified food protection manager is mandatory for the operations. If the food establishments are owned by different people or companies or are at different locations, then each one must have its own certified food protection manager.

• Online Food Manager Training: A self-paced training that is online and incorporates different learning experiences such as graphics, audio, and cooperative learning exercises. This is a very effective learning program.
• Online Study Guide: A study guide (20+ pages) that covers the major FDA food theories. This study guide also encompasses the Top 10 Tips to Passing the Food Manager Exam and two practice tests. All of these are done online.
• Food Manager Exam: The test is conducted online via the Always Food Safe Company which is ANSI accredited and recognized by state and county health departments