News & Blog

Updates to food handler and food manager laws around the country have been making major impacts on how restaurants are getting their staff certified. From new Texas laws to new recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, staying up-to-date with the latest information is crucial now, more than ever.

For example, we’ve been keeping an eye out on the new Food Manager certification laws that have been implemented in South Carolina recently. Why are these changes being made? According to the amendment, Regulation 61-25 in its previous form had not been amended since 1995, making the law outdated to current practices. Not only that, but according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control:

"These amendments will allow the Department, through regulation, to meet current standards of the most recent edition of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code. The FDA Food Code is the national standard for state, local, and tribal food protection programs."

But for those who want to know what they need to do to prepare for this amendment in non-jargon terms, we’ve put together a short checklist for you to make sure your establishment and your certification are both in the clear.

• Effective June 27, 2016, at least one employee who is involved with food preparation and service in some capacity needs to have been awarded their food manager certification. (Source)
• An employee within the establishment must be certified via an ANSI-certified course. (Source)
• New establishments must have proof of a CFPM (Certified Food Protection Manager), or will otherwise be turned away from permit approval. (Source)
• Date marking of the food must be implemented if the food is “Time/Temperature Controlled for Safety”. (Source)
• Food date marking also applies to food that is ready-to-eat without any additional preparation needed, and is refrigerator-stored for more than 24 hours. (Source)
• Food must be discarded if: it is stored without a date mark, if the food is hotter than 41° or if it is frozen for longer than 7 days. (Source)

These are just a few of the main points that restaurants and food managers must follow, but they’re important nonetheless. Also, something to note, this is by no means a list of rules, but a set of handy guidelines to follow. For the full list of rules for compliance in South Carolina, visit the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control website here. For your food manager certification, visit our course listing here and get certified today!