CFS Certifications
Gain comprehensive knowledge and proficiency in hygienic design, sanitation, and food industry leadership with a CFS Certification.
In-person Training Sessions Practical Information
Sanitation Essentials Training includes classroom sessions and small-group, hands-on breakouts.
Classroom Topics (roughly 1/3 of training)
- Importance of Sanitation
- Seven Steps of Sanitation (Dry and Wet Cleaning)
- Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (SSOP) Development
- Introduction to Hygienic Equipment Design
- Allergen Verification and Validation
- Cleaning Automation
- Chemistry of Cleaning
- Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS)
- Pest Control
- Maintenance and Sanitation
- Case Studies
- Managing the Business of Sanitation
Rotating Hands-on Breakouts (roughly 2/3 of training)
Breakout 1:
- Wet Cleaning
- SSOP
- Allergen Testing
- Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
- Sanitary Design
Breakout 2:
- Pathogen Environmental Monitoring
- Hygienic Zoning
- Quality and Pathogen Control Expectation
Breakout 3:
- Dry Cleaning
- SSOP
- Allergen Testing
- ATP
- Post-cleaning Inspections
Tuesday Night: Participant Training Dinner
Start and end times can be found on the registration page of your training session and will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Hygienic Design Training includes classroom sessions and small-group, hands-on breakouts.
Classroom Topics (roughly 1/3 of training)
- Introduction to Hygienic Design
- Introduction to Hygienic Principles of Equipment Design
- Introduction to Hygienic Principles of Infrastructure Design
- Hygiene Zoning
- Utilities from a Food Safety Perspective
- Managing the Business of Hygienic Design
Rotating Hands-on Breakouts (roughly 2/3 of training)
- Breakout 1: Design It Yourself Facility
- Breakout 2: Hygienic Principles of Equipment Design
- Breakout 3: Hygienic Principles of Infrastructure Design
Tuesday Night: Participant Training Dinner
Start and end times can be found on the registration page of your training session and will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Advancing Sanitation Impact Training includes classroom sessions and small-group, hands-on breakouts.
Classroom Topics (roughly 1/3 of training)
- Leadership Roles
- Food Safety Culture
- Integrating Food Safety into Capital Projects
- Efficiency
- Incident Investigation
Rotating Hands-on Breakouts (roughly 2/3 of training)
Breakout 1:
- A structured approach to launching and sustaining capital projects in food manufacturing
- Integrating sanitation into every phase of capital projects
Breakout 2:
- Unlock the power of sanitation to drive operational efficiency and profitability
- Budgeting
- KPIs
- Continuous improvement techniques to reduce waste and maximize value
- Data-driven improvements in food operations
Breakout 3:
- Prepare for unexpected food safety incidents
- Root cause analysis
- Outbreak response
- Corrective action planning
- Effectively manage recalls, regulatory issues, and high-stakes scenarios
Tuesday Night: Participant Networking Dinner
Wednesday Night: Team Dinner & Team Activity
Start and end times can be found on the registration page of your training session and will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Managing Salmonella Contamination Risks in Chocolate Training includes classroom sessions (roughly 1/3 of training) and simulation exercise that runs throughout the 1½ training days in several small-group, hands-on breakouts (roughly 2/3 of training).
Topics covered:
- Microbiological Hazards of Chocolate
- Sampling and Testing
- Cleaning and Disinfection
- Environmental Monitoring Program
- Improving Hygienic Design in Chocolate
- Adverse Events
Tuesday Night: Participant Training Dinner
Start and end times can be found on the registration page of your training session and will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Environmental Pathogen Control Training includes classroom sessions and small-group, hands-on breakouts.
Classroom Topics (roughly 1/3 of training)
- Importance of Environmental Monitoring
- Regulatory Impact on a PEM Program
- Overview of a PEM Program
- Microbiology of Foodborne Pathogens
- Micro Risk Assessment
- Environmental Monitoring Considerations for Low Moisture Foods
- Non Pathogen Monitoring
- Prevention
- Championing Food Safety
Rotating Hands-on Breakouts (roughly 2/3 of training)
- Breakout 1: Routine Monitoring
- Breakout 2: Verification Studies
- Breakout 3: Response to a Positive
Tuesday Night: Participant Training Dinner
Start and end times can be found on the registration page of your training session and will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Please dress comfortably for training*. We recommend you wear closed-toe, comfortable shoes (no safety shoes required) as well as long pants. Since the training room and breakout areas can be cold, please feel free to bring a jacket or sweater.
Group dinners immediately follow training.
*Participants may get wet and/or perspire during the wet cleaning breakout of Sanitation Essentials Training. You may want to bring an extra set of clothes to change into following that part of training.
There is a section on the registration form where you can include any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
If you did not fill out this section of the form, please be sure to email us at training@cf-san.com with the date of your training and any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Currently, we do not distribute electronic copies of our training materials. You’ll receive a training workbook at the start of the session.
If you choose to stay at the hotel recommended by CFS, transportation to and from the training site is included. Arrival and departure times differ depending upon the location (New Orleans, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Monterrey, Indaiatuba-São Paulo, or Shanghai).
Exact departure times and meeting points will be communicated to you via email the week prior to training.
Lunch will be provided on any training days that extend past 1:00 p.m.
For all in-person training sessions a group dinner is included on the first evening.
After completing all requirements, you will receive an email notification from Credly (admin@credly.com) with instructions for accepting your badge. You'll be asked to create a Credly account and confirm your email. After you create the account and log in, you’ll be able to accept (and share) your badge(s)!
For more details see below FAQ's on Digital Badges or visit: support.credly.com.
For specific earning criteria see: credly.com/organizations/cfsinstitute/badges
Digital Training
CFS digital training modules provide in-depth, interactive digital training with knowledge checks delivered to you through our CFS Institute learning management system. While modules can be taken as stand-alone, many also support CFS certification pathways.
Individual modules are available for purchase and can be completed online at your convenience. Depending on the module topic, modules would take 20 to 60 minutes to complete.
CFS digital training modules cover key topics in hygienic design, sanitation, and food safety through online learning, with knowledge checks that help verify understanding and reinforce proficiency.
Additional modules and topics will become available over time.
No. There are no certificates of completion or badges for the CFS digital training modules.
Yes. If the digital module is a required part of either CFS Sanitation Certification or CFS Hygienic Design Certification, it will count toward that certification once completed.
If you have questions after completing a CFS digital training module, contact us to connect with a CFS expert and schedule a follow-up meeting.
CFS digital training modules provide more in-depth, interactive digital training with knowledge checks, and many support CFS certification pathways. CFS digital short courses are recorded knowledge-sharing sessions offered complimentary for your team. Explore our digital short courses here.
CFS Hygienic Design Certification
Earning the CFS Hygienic Design Certification enhances your professional credibility, opens up career advancement opportunities, and showcases your knowledge and dedication to hygienic design. Our recertification program—required every three years—ensures your education stays current.
If you want to build credibility, advance your career, and demonstrate your commitment to hygienic design, getting CFS Hygienic Design Certified is the way to do it!
Absolutely, since you’ve already completed CFS Hygienic Design Training, you’re halfway to earning your CFS Hygienic Design Certification! All you have left to do to elevate your knowledge is:
- Complete the digital modules to refresh and expand your Hygienic Design knowledge. These modules are available online, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
- Participate in the Digital Case Simulation to apply your new skills in a practical setting. Also online and at your convenience.
Upon successful completion, you’ll receive the CFS Hygienic Design Certification badge - ready to showcase in your professional network and verifiable online. Recertification takes place every three years to stay current.
Because you have already successfully completed the in-person Hygienic Design Training, you can opt for the Hygienic Design Certification add-on, which costs USD $695 / EUR €695 / AUD $695.
Register for access to CFS Hygienic Design Certification here.
The full CFS Hygienic Design Certification is currently available only in English.
However, the in-person Hygienic Design Training, a hands-on component of the certification, is offered in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese. Participants can choose their preferred language for this in-person training, though the digital certification modules remain in English only.
Participants can complete the digital modules at their own pace in English.
Hotel and Training Location
Absolutely. Please plan to arrive at the training facility at least 15 minutes before the training session begins.
You are responsible for booking your own hotel room. However, for the convenience of our participants, CFS has secured a group rate at our recommended hotel located near the training site. Transportation between this hotel and the training facility is included in the training fee.
The link to book a hotel room at the group rate will be listed in the confirmation email you’ll receive shortly after you register.
CFS leverages Intralox’s global facilities to deliver our training sessions worldwide, reflecting our shared commitment to advancing food safety. We offer year-round training in Amsterdam, Melbourne, Monterrey, New Orleans, São Paulo, and Shanghai.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Intralox, Europe
Circular Avenue 1-3
2133 LB Hoofddorp
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-5403600
Melbourne, Australia: Intralox Australia Pty Ltd
1/175 McKellar Wy
Epping VIC 3076
Australia
Tel: +61 (0)3 9358 8600
Monterrey, Mexico: Hilton Garden Inn Monterrey Obispado
Avenida Constitucion 2050
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
64000
Mexico
Tel: +52 81 3231 4000
New Orleans, United States: Intralox, USA
109 Research Drive
Harahan, LA 70123
USA
Tel: +1-504-733-0463
São Paulo - Indaiatuba, Brazil: Hotel Royal Palm Tower
Av. Francisco de Paula Leite, 3027
- Recreio Campestre Jóia -
Indaiatuba - São Paulo SP
13346-615
Brazil
Tel: 0800-891-3872 | 0800-771-4325
Shanghai, China: Intralox Shanghai Ltd.
Building #6
#3655 SiXian Road
Songjiang District
Shanghai
China
Tel: +86-21-3227-8505
Cost
Sanitation Essentials Training, Advancing Sanitation Impact Training and Hygienic Design Training
Training sessions are offered regularly at our training locations around the world:
- New Orleans, LA, USA
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Shanghai, China
- Melbourne, Australia
- Monterrey, Mexico
- São Paulo (Indaiatuba), Brazil
The cost per attendee is USD $1,795 / EUR €1,795 / RMB ¥10,000 / AUD A$1,595 / MX $36,000 / BRL R$5,995.
The training fee includes classroom and breakout setup, handouts of training materials, badge/certificate of completion, lunch, and a group dinner.
Travel and hotel costs are not included.
CFS Hygienic Design Certification
The cost per participant for a full Hygienic Design Certification is USD $2,195 / EUR €2,195 / AUD A$2,195. This includes the participation in the Hygienic Design Training.
If you have already successfully completed Hygienic Design Training, you can opt for the Hygienic Design Certification add-on, which costs USD $695 / EUR €695 / AUD A$695.
Travel and hotel costs are not included.
Managing Salmonella Contamination Risks in Chocolate Training
Currently, our Chocolate Training sessions are offered regularly at our training locations in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Shanghai, China.
The cost per attendee is EUR €995 / RMB ¥8,500.
The training fee includes classroom and breakout setup, handouts of training materials, badge/certificate of completion, lunch, and a group dinner.
Travel and hotel costs are not included.
CFS digital training modules cost USD $70 each.
If you are looking to make a specific module(s) available to your entire team, contact us for a customized proposal tailored to your organization's needs.
Digital Badges
CFS Institute partners with Credly to award digital badges for successfully completing our trainings. Your CFS Institute digital badge—issued and managed through the Credly digital badging platform—is an indicator of accomplishment and skill that can be displayed, accessed, and verified online. Simply put, it is a visual emblem of achievement that represents validated skills and is easy to manage and share.
Representing your skills as a digital badge allows you to share your abilities online in a way that is simple, trusted, and easily verifiable in real time. Badges provide employers and peers with concrete evidence of what you had to do to earn your credential—and what you are now capable of. This makes digital badges attractive to individual earners looking to share their skills and competencies, as well as to employers looking for trusted, verifiable, digital proof.
Badges for Trainings
- Hygienic Design Training
You will receive a badge after attending the session and submitting your shared learnings. This badge confirms successful completion and does not expire. - Sanitation Essentials Training
You will receive a badge after attending the session and submitting your shared learnings. This badge confirms successful completion and does not expire. - Advancing Sanitation Impact Training
You will receive a badge after attending the session and successfully completing the test at the end. This badge confirms successful completion and does not expire. - Managing Salmonella Contamination Risks in Chocolate Training
You will receive a badge after attending the session. This badge confirms successful completion and does not expire.
Badges for CFS Certifications
CFS Hygienic Design Certification
You will receive your certification badge after completing:
- Hygienic Design Training (in-person)
- All required online modules to deepen your hygienic design knowledge
- The final case simulation
This certification badge is valid for three years and can be renewed through the recertification program.
CFS Sanitation Certification
You will receive your certification badge after completing:
- Sanitation Essentials Training (in-person)
- Advancing Sanitation Impact Training (in-person)
- All required online modules to deepen your sanitation knowledge
The CFS Sanitation Certification and badges are not yet available, but you can start your learning journey now by attending the in-person training sessions.
For specific earning criteria per CFS badge see: credly.com/organizations/cfsinstitute/badges
Yes! If you previously completed a CFS training and only received a printed certificate, you can still request your digital badge. Just contact us here, and include your name, the training type, date, and location in the form.
After completing all requirements (for details see above when will I receive my CFS Institute digital badge), you will receive an email notification from Credly (admin@credly.com) with instructions for accepting your badge. You'll be asked to create a Credly account and confirm your email. After you create the account and log in, you’ll be able to accept (and share) your badge(s)!
For more details see below FAQ's on Digital Badges or visit: support.credly.com.
For specific earning criteria see: credly.com/organizations/cfsinstitute/badges
Yes! Just log into your Credly account (you may need to set it up if this is your first badge). From your Credly Dashboard, click on the badge you’d like to share. Click the “Share” button in the top right corner and choose how you want to broadcast your achievement to friends and colleagues—including as a printed certificate.
From Credly, you can share your badge directly to LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook; send it via email; or embed it on a website, in a document, or in your email signature.
On your Credly Dashboard, click on the badge you’d like to share. Click the “Share” button in the top right corner and choose how you want to broadcast your achievement to friends and colleagues.
You can easily configure your privacy settings in Credly. You’re in complete control of the information about yourself that is made public.
From your Credly Dashboard, navigate to Settings, then to Privacy + Security.
No. This is a service CFS Institute provides to you at no cost.
You can find tutorials and answers to additional questions here.
Cancellation
Cancellations, participant changes, or transfers for any in-person training session must be requested in writing via email to training@cf-san.com, and will be honored according to the following policies:
- Cancellation requests made more than 30 days prior to a training start date will be granted a 50% refund. No refunds can be granted for events less than 30 days away.
- Transfer requests made more than 30 days prior to a training start date will be honored and processed free of charge. Your registration can be moved to a training session of your choice (if it’s not fully booked) as long as it’s scheduled within a year from your original reservation. Please inform us via email at training@cf-san.com and state the original training type and date, as well as the new training type and date. CFS is not responsible for altering travel and hotel arrangements.
- If you cannot attend a training session, but a colleague would like to take your place, we are able to accommodate a participant change. Participant change requests are granted until two working days prior to a training start date and are processed free of charge. Please inform us via email at training@cf-san.com and state the training type and date, the original registrant’s details, and the replacement participant’s details. CFS is not responsible for altering travel and hotel arrangements.
- We are unable to grant refunds or transfers for no shows.
To receive your badge or certificate of completion, you must attend the entire training session.
Participants who leave early or miss any portion of the training will not receive a proof of completion and will not have fulfilled the prerequisite for CFS Certification.
In the event that you test positive for COVID-19 days before attending the training session, we are (until further notice) allowing a COVID exception to our standard Cancellation Policy: you will be able to transfer into another training session. The training session must be chosen within 6 months of your original training session date. This COVID exception can only be used once.
Dedicated Training Session
Some of our customers choose to purchase an entire training session that is dedicated to their company and filled exclusively with their employees. These sessions are not available for open enrollment.
All courses offered by CFS Institute are available as dedicated sessions. Dedicated sessions include the option of using our training location for your own, post-training, internal meeting.
Click here for more information on Dedicated Training.
Contact us and specify which training course you’d like options for scheduling a Dedicated Training Session. We will reply with the dates that are available.
Click here for more information on Dedicated Training.
Dedicated Training is offered at any of our training locations around the world:
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Melbourne, Australia
- Monterrey, Mexico
- New Orleans, LA, USA
- Shanghai, China
- São Paulo (Indaiatuba), Brazil
Click here for more information on Dedicated Training
Contact us to receive a formal proposal and secure your company’s Dedicated Training.
Click here for more information on Dedicated Training.
Workshop
Our Sanitation Essentials Training and Hygienic Design Training take a holistic approach to the training subject matter. The sessions take 2.5 days each, most of which is spent doing hands-on, small-group, practical exercises. Due to the logistics, equipment, and tools required, these sessions are only offered at CFS training facilities in New Orleans, Amsterdam, and Shanghai. These CFS training sessions are truly the best sanitation and hygienic design training available in the food industry today.
Workshops were developed to serve customers who asked CFS to bring similar training to their facilities. Workshops are more focused, have a customized agenda (determined in close cooperation based on your company’s needs), take less time (1.5 days), and are offered to smaller groups. As such, they have become a great solution for specific training needs.
Wondering which is best for you and your company? Contact us for more information.
In our experience, 12 to 16 participants is the optimal size for a Workshop at your facility. A group that size will ensure active engagement of all participants and maximized learning experiences.
While including additional participants is possible, please consult with us so we can ensure the learning experience remains the best in the industry. There are various possibilities we can review with you to understand which fits your organization best.
Please note: Additional participants may affect the number of trainers required and, consequently, pricing.
Contact us to receive a formal proposal and secure your company’s Workshop.
Click here for more information on Workshops.
Related Services
Learn More
Hygienic Design Training
A holistic approach to the hygienic design of equipment, infrastructure, and traffic flows in food facilities.
Sanitation Essentials Training
Participants learn hands-on about wet cleaning, dry cleaning, and environmental monitoring from industry-recognized experts with the CFS Institute.
CFS Workshops
Bring CFS training to your facility with professional workshops on sanitation, hygienic design, conveyor optimization, and more.
Dedicated Training Sessions
Choose, schedule, and purchase an entire CFS training session dedicated to your company and filled exclusively with your team members.