Need Advice? Talk to an Expert
Food Safety and Training Platforms for Restaurants
Need Advice? Talk to an Expert
Written by: Hilary Young | Published: May 7th, 2024
Having proper food safety education and management tools for your restaurant employees will not only promote a more sterile, health-conscious work environment, but it will also help to improve business (not to mention public health) by reducing the likelihood of customers experiencing a health emergency in your establishment.
While maintaining up-to-date certifications is mandatory by state and local governments, where you receive those certifications is up to you. There are a few options to choose from, and while jurisdictions have different requirements, ANAB certified training courses should have you covered. Our experts reviewed the best and most reliable food safety training platforms for your restaurant, as well as partners to help you maintain and monitor compliance.
Investing in Food Safety for Restaurant Staff
Keeping up with employee certifications and training is so important, especially when it comes to food safety. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses reported in the US each year, and studies have shown that dining out is the second most common location for people to experience allergic reactions.
Making the investment in food safety training and management tools will prevent your restaurant from becoming one of these upsetting statistics. And the return on investment is clear; if word gets out that your restaurant is making people ill, it’s never good for business.
What is ANAB Certification?
The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is a national certifying organization that reviews and accredits programs to ensure they meet educational standards and requirements. When it comes to food safety education in the United States, this is THE body that state and local governments rely on for certifying food safety providers. All training and certification vendors reviewed by Back of House are ANAB certified and accepted by most jurisdictions.
Digital vs. In-Person Training Options
There are, of course, pros and cons to both digital and in-person training options, so you have to take your staff and their personalities into consideration before choosing a food safety training platform. If you go with a digital option, your staff can complete their training on their own time, on their own schedules. If you choose in-person training to train large hiring groups all at once know it’s completed, you may just have to coordinate schedules or incur additional expenses.
No matter which option you choose, your customers–and your business–will benefit from your employees having more knowledge about food safety.
VETTED AND APPROVED BY BACK OF HOUSE EXPERTS
Our Top Picks
Feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there? We’ve got you covered. Our team of experts have identified their top choices for website builders for you. As you review, pay close attention to more than just price–from the level of your own involvement in the process to the other types of integrations that work well with each platform, it’s important to take your restaurant needs into careful consideration before making an investment.
Any paid partnerships have no influence on our evaluations and suggestions. All our opinions are our own.
GREAT FOR MODERN, AND ENGAGING VIRTUAL TRAINING
Trust20 is an ANAB-accredited organization dedicated to helping the foodservice industry develop and maintain a culture of food safety. Products ensure learners actually retain the knowledge needed to succeed through our efforts to implement continuous improvement and commitment to providing accessible learning.
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Features
- Online-only training with courses available on computer, tablet, or smartphone
- Instant results that are delivered digitally
- Courses offered in multiple languages
- Each course is designed to maximize learner retention
- Manager Dashboard–see your entire team’s progress
Where it excels
Trust20 provides your team with the training, credentials, and resources they need to ensure your establishment complies with food safety regulations and best practices. ANAB-accredited, online-only products, transparent progress tracking, and responsive customer support make it easy to keep your team up-to-date.
Courses Offered
Food Manager Training: Managers and persons in charge can use this ANAB-accredited course to learn about critical food safety management practices that protect your customers and prepare candidates for the food manager certification experience.
Food Protection Manager Certification: Managers can easily book an online, remote-proctored, ANAB-CFP-accredited exam session that fits their schedule. They’ll find out their results immediately after submitting their CFPM exam.
Food Handler Certificate Training: Staff learn the essentials of food safety and meet their food handler requirements when they earn an ANAB-accredited Food Handler Certificate through this interactive and engaging course.
Food Allergy Certificate Training: Staff gain the knowledge and skills needed to confidently serve customers with food allergies and intolerances when they earn an ANAB-accredited Food Allergy Certificate through this interactive, online course.
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Support
Trust20 offers a Help Center with easy to access resources, as well as email support. Organizations and establishments that make a group purchase through Trust20 for Teams can also receive onboarding and ongoing support from a dedicated representative.
GREAT FOR IN-PERSON TRAINING OPTIONS
Administered by the National Restaurant Association, ServSafe is a premier provider of educational resources, materials, and programs to help attract and develop a strong industry workforce.
Features
- In person and remote self-study options
- Available in Canada in addition to United States
- Legacy training provider many employees in hospitality industry have experienced
Where it excels
ServSafe provides trainers with in-person options in multiple languages.They have five different tracks to consider for your staff, all of which can be taken in-person with an instructor or via remote self-study.
Courses Offered
Food Manager Training: Everything employees need to get certified as a Food Manager. The course covers details about foodborne illness, how to prevent it & training for food sanitation
Food Handler Training: This training provides a foundation of basic food safety practices for preparing and serving food; material is, and they are continuously adjusting the material to meet changing regulatory requirements for every state
Alcohol Training: A great way for employees to earn their alcohol serving certification, participants will learn the essentials of responsible alcohol service
Allergens Training: Safely accommodate guests with food allergies, by learning about how to identify allergens, best practices for allergy communication, how to prevent cross-contact contamination, and proper food labeling
Workplace Training: Dive into a comprehensive suite of training programs rooted in the cultural and social issues affecting today's restaurant and hospitality work environments, such as unconscious bias, sexual harassment, and how to ensure safe deliveries from third party operators
Support
Customer care is available via phone, automated chat, and text during standard working hours: Monday - Friday, 8am-8pm EDT. They are closed on most holidays.
GREAT FOR FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT & MONITORING
Jolt is a digital checklist tool that can help you standardize your operations when it comes to food prep and safety. Additionally, it has other features to help you with operations management and employee performance.
Features
- Real-time reports that measure performance
- Customized interface and integrations
- Text and email alerts about overdue tasks
- Jolt Time Clock for employee scheduling
- Integrated training videos and documents to streamline onboarding
- Checklists for food safety inspection, cleaning, safety audits, and kitchen food safety
Where it excels
Jolt’s digital solution allows you to eliminate all of the paperwork related to food safety and standardize your operational processes and procedures. With features that help you manage tasks, communicate, and keep your team accountable, Jolt makes running your operation more efficient. You can create detailed SOPs (including training videos) and upload photos in the app to ensure you’re checking everything off your list.
Support
Jolt offers email and phone support. They also have a Jolt Information Library, where you can find employee training materials and upload your own content.
