According to the food safety regulations of Maine, there is no Maine food handlers card requirement for common restaurant employees.
⚠️Important: Searching online for food handlers card requirements will lead to multiple sites claiming that you must have one, and that they have the test for you to take. Most of the websites are incorrect in their information and are trying to get you to pay for something that you do NOT necessarily need. Only what we have listed here is required. So please stay aware. If you are interested in learning more about what a Food Handlers Card is, please visit our page here.
What Maine does require though, is that at least one person in an establishment receives a Food Manager’s Certificate which we will cover below.
The state of Maine believes that if one person in a restaurant certifies as a Food Manager then they will be able to pass their knowledge of food safety on to the other employees in the restaurant.
So although you may not be required to receive a Maine food handlers card or a food manager’s certificate, there are a few reasons why you still may want to be certified.
Maine Food Managers Certification
Maine requires licensed retail food facilities to have at least one certified food manager on their staff. A Maine Certified Food Manager is the person in charge when present and they must be accessible by phone, text, and email when not physically present during operation.
Maine currently recognizes and accepts certification from the National ANSI Certified Food Manager programs.
The current approved list is below (in no particular order):
- 360Training.com, Inc.
- AboveTraining/StateFoodSafety.com
- National Registry of Food Safety Professionals
- National Restaurant Association
- Prometrics Inc.
You can also find a list of approved Maine CFPM training courses by county here.
Other Requirements That May Be Helpful:
- Good Communication Skills
- Being able to stand long periods of time
- Knowledge of basic food safety
For more information, please visit the Maine Division of Environmental and Community Health.