Program Information

Program Purpose

The FoodCardNow Food Handler Certificate Program teaches food service workers the knowledge and practices needed to handle food safely — personal hygiene, time and temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, cleaning and sanitizing, allergen awareness, and applicable food handler law — so they can protect public health and meet state and local training requirements.

Program Scope

The program is a 100% online, self-paced course designed as approximately 2 hours of instruction, delivered in English and Spanish, followed by a proctorless online summative (final) examination. It is designed for entry-level and experienced food service workers and covers the content areas listed in the learning outcomes below. The program is designed to align with Texas requirements (25 TAC §229.178) and the food handler training requirements of other states where offered.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, learners will be able to demonstrate the following outcomes, organized by module:

Module 1: Personal Hygiene

Demonstrate proper handwashing technique and identify when handwashing is required
Identify hygiene practices and health conditions that require exclusion or restriction from food handling

Module 2: Food Temperature & Safety

Identify the temperature danger zone and time/temperature controls for TCS foods
Apply safe cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding temperatures

Module 3: Cross-Contamination Prevention

Identify common sources and routes of cross-contamination
Apply separation, storage, and preparation practices that prevent cross-contamination

Module 4: Cleaning & Sanitizing

Distinguish cleaning from sanitizing and describe the correct wash–rinse–sanitize sequence
Identify approved sanitizers, concentrations, and food-contact surface requirements

Module 5: Texas Food Handler Law

Identify who must hold a food handler certificate under Texas law and applicable deadlines
Describe employer and employee responsibilities under 25 TAC §229.178 and Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 437

Module 6: Food Allergen Awareness

Identify the major food allergens and symptoms of an allergic reaction
Apply practices that prevent allergen cross-contact and respond correctly to allergen inquiries

Module 7: HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

Describe the seven HACCP principles and the role of critical control points
Identify monitoring and corrective actions at common critical control points

Module 8: Pest Control and Prevention

Identify signs of pest activity and conditions that attract pests
Apply prevention and reporting practices appropriate for food establishments

Requisites to Earn the Certificate

A certificate is issued only after the learner has fulfilled all of the following published requisites:

Complete 100% of course modules, including all in-module knowledge checks (minimum participation requirement);
Pass the summative final examination with a score at or above the published passing standard of 70%;
Verification of learner identity;
Payment of applicable fees (see the Fees & Refund Policy).

There are no education or experience prerequisites for enrollment. Requisites are applied uniformly to all learners.

Certificate Term

Certificates are valid for 2 years from the date of issue. The issue date and expiration date appear on each certificate, and certificate status can be confirmed at any time via our public verification service.

What the Certificate Means

A FoodCardNow certificate attests that the named holder completed the course and passed the final examination as of the issue date shown on the certificate.

Important: This is a certificate of completion

The FoodCardNow certificate is a certificate of completion. It is not a professional certification, license, registration, or accreditation of the holder, and it does not represent that the holder is certified, licensed, or registered to engage in an occupation. Holders should not represent it as such.

Qualifications of Course Designers

Course content is developed and maintained under FoodCardNow's documented personnel procedures by staff and subject matter experts with food safety and instructional design experience, with oversight by the program's advisory group. Detailed designer and subject-matter-expert credentials will be published here as part of our accreditation preparation.

Special Requirements for Participation

Device & browser: A computer, tablet, or smartphone with a current version of a modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox).
Internet: A stable internet connection capable of streaming video.
Language: The full course and examination are offered in English and Spanish; both versions carry identical requisites, content, and assessment rigor.
Accessibility: The course is screen-reader compatible and all instructional video is captioned. See Accommodations for available accommodations and how to request them.
Account: An account (name and email address) is required to track progress and issue your certificate.

Commercial Support

FoodCardNow receives no commercial support (no sponsorships, grants, in-kind support, or advertising revenue) for the certificate program. The program is funded entirely by learner and employer fees. If commercial support is ever accepted in the future, the support and supporter will be disclosed on this page before learners enroll.

Program Changes

If FoodCardNow makes material changes to the program — including its purpose, scope, learning outcomes, requisites, fees, or certificate term — we will publish the updated information on this page in advance of the change taking effect. Learners who are enrolled when a change takes effect will be notified by email and told how the change affects them. If a course is discontinued before an enrolled learner completes it, the learner receives a full refund per our Refund Policy.