National Registry of Food Safety Professionals Becomes First Food Safety Manager Certification Program to Earn ANSI Accreditation Based on ISO Standard

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP) has become the first and only food safety manager certification program to be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) based on the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 standard for conformity – general requirement for bodies operating certification of persons.

The ISO/IEC standard is globally regarded as the standard for organizations operating certification programs and providing assurance that the certified body meets the requirements of the certification.  NRFSP maintains its existing CFP accreditation and has added the more rigorous accreditation to support, among others, multinational food organizations seeking a food manager certification that has multi-jurisdictional acceptance.

"We're extremely proud of this accreditation," said Lawrence Lynch, president of NRFSP.  "It establishes a new benchmark in food safety assessment and represents our commitment to help retail food service organizations around the world in their role to protect the public against foodborne illness and comply with increasing government regulations and mounting public concerns regarding food safety."

NRFSP helps thousands of restaurant and food service organizations uphold essential food safety personnel standards through its certification programs.  NRFSP's relationship with UK-based Chartered Institute of Environmental Health will further expand the organization's reach into the global food safety network.

NRFSP has partnered with Pearson VUE and will use that company's computer-based testing centers to deliver the NFRSP ISO-accredited certification exams around the world.

Food safety manager certification helps ensure a safer dining environment and mitigates the risk of outbreaks of foodborne illness, which offers significant protection and peace of mind to the public and any food service organization.

Increased public scrutiny from both government agencies and the general public following mass media coverage of several severe outbreaks of foodborne illness has elevated expectations of food service organizations to take a more proactive approach to their responsibility to protect the food supply chain.  The expectations reach from the farm where food is grown to the retail establishments where it is sold. 

"With massive foodborne illness outbreaks grabbing headlines around the world and a growing public mandate for accountability, the conditions are right to establish a global standard for food safety manager certification," Lynch added.  "Food safety is a high-stakes situation and by collaborating with Pearson VUE, we'll be able to leverage its technology to deliver better exams."

CONTACT: Vicki Johnson, +1-407-340-9658, [email protected]

SOURCE National Registry of Food Safety Professionals