Safemark® FAQs

The goal of the SafeMark® program is to ensure food retail managers and employees understand food safety principles and can effectively apply them to prevent foodborne illness and ensure regulatory compliance. SafeMark® benefits the food retail industry in the following ways:

• Helps reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.
• Enhances compliance with food safety regulations.
• Builds customer trust by ensuring safe food handling practices.
• Provides certification that is a competitive advantage for your company.

SafeMark is ideal for:

• Grocery, supermarket and convenience store managers;
• Deli, bakery, and seafood department employees;
• Employees handling food preparation, or food requiring time and temperature control for food safety (TCS);
• Food safety trainers working in the retail sector; and
• Any organization looking to improve food safety culture in the retail setting!

The SafeMark® program provides participants with information on the following topics and more:

• Basic principles of food safety
• Personal hygiene and employee health
• Cross-contamination prevention
• Time and temperature controls for food safety
• Cleaning and sanitation practices
• Pest control in retail environments
• Proper food storage and handling

Training is tailored for the retail store! Unlike many food safety programs that target the broader food industry, SafeMark® is designed specifically for retail environments and their unique challenges — including proper handling of fresh produce, deli items and ready-to-eat packaged foods.

SafeMark® offers comprehensive training for multiple roles in the retail environment, focusing on two avenues:

1. Manager Certification Training: Aimed at store managers, this program focuses on in-depth food safety knowledge, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles and compliance with FDA Food Code requirements.
2. Employee Food Safety Training: This component teaches front-line staff the essentials of food safety so they can maintain safe food handling practices during day-to-day operations.

Materials are available in both English and Spanish. SafeMark® offers study guides, virtual training at your own pace, and a classroom curriculum for in-person training. Each training emphasizes practical applications, making it easy for employees to integrate food safety practices into their routines.

Certification Exam: The SafeMark® Grocery Manager Certification Exam is done through the National Registry for Food Safety Professionals and is approved by ANAB, the ANSI National Accreditation Board. This certification is widely recognized and often a regulatory requirement from local health and state food safety agencies. The training aligns with the latest version of the FDA Food Code, ensuring participants meet regulatory requirements for your jurisdiction.

• Customized Training: Unlike many training programs targeting the broader food industry, SafeMark® is explicitly designed for retail environments with unique challenges. These include proper food handling in grocery delis, bakeries, prepared foods, and convenience store grab-and-go sections. The training is more practical for retailers who may not cook meals but do handle ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, cold storage, and bulk food safety. SafeMark® is more accessible to retailers because it can be integrated with in-house training programs for chains and independent stores.
• Bilingual Materials: Materials are available in both English and Spanish. SafeMark® offers study guides, virtual training at your own pace, and a classroom curriculum for in-person training. Each training emphasizes practical applications, making it easy for employees to integrate food safety practices into their routines.
• Certification Exam: The SafeMark® Grocery Manager Certification Exam is done through the National Registry for Food Safety Professionals and is approved by ANAB, the ANSI National Accreditation Board. This certification is widely recognized and often a regulatory requirement from local health and state food safety agencies. The training aligns with the latest version of the FDA Food Code, ensuring participants meet regulatory requirements for your jurisdiction.
  

SafeMark® offers training for retail food managers, supervisors and front-line employees. Courses are designed for retail food sales establishments such as supermarkets, grocery stores, warehouse clubs, wholesale retailers, convenience stores and gas stations, retail bakeries, and more.

The training covers all areas of food safety in a manner that is easy to understand. The information is presented through retail-focused scenarios, with short practice quizzes throughout.

Explore Our Training Options

Food Protection Manager      Food Handler      Allergen Awareness

SafeMark® orders are placed through the FMI Store. When you place your first order, you will create a personal profile. If you are already an FMI member, login first. If you forgot your username and password, or have any issues logging in, reset your password.

If the product is offered virtually, a link to the content will be emailed to the email address in your personal profile. If the product is offered in hardcopy, you will select your preferred shipping option, and it will be mailed to the address on your personal profile (which can be edited before placing the order).

Additional instructions about placing an order, including our refund & return policy are available in the FMI Store.

If you need a reprint for your SafeMark® Food Manager certificate, you must submit a request form and purchase the reprint ($20.00 with standard shipping).

The SafeMark® Certified Food Protection Manager certificate will come from our exam partner, the National Registry for Food Safety Professionals. Contact them directly before requesting a reprint to ensure you are certified by the National Registry, and receive your certificate number to request for the reprint.

Customer.Service@nrfsp.com or 1-800-446-0257

Learn more

Using the SafeMark® Guide to Food Safety: Trainer’s Kit, your in-house food safety staff can directly provide this training to your management team. The SafeMark® Trainer's Kit includes everything you need to implement the training, including a trainer's textbook and presentation materials with a ready-to-use curriculum, key talking points, sample agendas and other planning tools. To become a recognized SafeMark® trainer, contact us directly at safemark@fmi.org.

If you are interested in becoming a Certified Food Protection Manager exam proctor, we encourage you to research your options with the National Registry. Subject matter experts can be compensated to become a food safety test administrator.

Learn more