Essential Food Safety Training & Certification Frequently Asked ...

Essential Food Safety
Training & Certification
Frequently Asked Questions
February 2010
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Question/ Enquiry
How many staff Do I need to train
on EFST for the year 2009?
Is there any possibility to conduct
in-house training within my food
premises?
What are the requirements to
Apply for Equivalency
ADFCA Response
ADFCA has planned the training activities on five-year
phases. Hence each food establishment is required to
train 40% of their staff before the end of year 2009 in
one of the three approved training companies where a
newspaper AD has included all their details
ADFCA does not encourage setting any new training dept
at the food establishment for the sole purpose of EFST
training. ADFCA has subcontracted such activity to three
qualified training providers/ companies who have high
degree of flexibility to accommodate private sector
specific needs
Food establishments can apply for “Equivalency” if they
have an already established training dept. and have
conducted in-house training for the last two years; in
such case, the food establishment can apply for
equivalence application (starting October 2008) to be
officially submitted to ADFCA at efst@adfca.ae, both
one hard copy and one soft copy for review.
The following documentation is required, as a
minimum;
- Introductory letter
- Company profile including number and type of
operating food outlets/activities
- Number and level of education for the staff (i.e.
Food handlers) that were subject to the in-house
training
- Executive summary on the in-house training with
high-level content matched with the EFST syllabus
breakdown stated in the EFST- protocol guide
issued by ADFCA (which can be found at
www.adfca.ae). The summary shall also contain
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Are the following B.Sc or M.Sc.
degrees exempted from EFST?
1. Bachelor in Management
2. Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education
3. Bachelor of Science in
Information Technology
4. Bachelor of Science in Education
5. Bachelor in Computer Science
6. Bachelor in Social Work
7. Bachelor of Marketing
10.Master in Management
necessary information including date and period of
training, no. of employees per session, learning
means used by the trainer
- Copy of the actual training material in
English/Arabic that was instructed to the food
handlers (both in one Electronic and one hard copy)
and references used in developing the training
material
- Detailed Curriculum vitae/ resume of the inhouse/freelance
trainer or the subcontracted
training company which conducted the in-house
training
- Copy of the handouts, if any, that were distributed
to the food handlers during the in-house training
- Any awareness programs or printouts that are used
for staff continuous education
A detailed review shall be conducted by the responsible
ADFCA team which may involve further clarifications
from your company. We envisage that the review
process may last for about 30 days. If ADFCA responded
with an approval on your application, The staff will be
required to undertake the post assessment in the ADFCA
approved Exam center and if they pass the required
minimum score, then they will be issued the (EFST)
certificate.
The exemption can only be considered if the field of
study is related to food safety. Hence, the proposed
degrees listed will fall outside the scope of food safety
and will not be considered for EFST exemption purposes
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Would graduate degrees in BS
Food Technology , BS Biology,
Hotel and Restaurant
Management and Diploma in
Food and Beverage Service, be
considered for exemption?
Is there any possibility for ADFCA to
consider certifying in-house trainers
for the private sector
How can the Food handler request
issue of EFST Certificate, in case it’s
lost
How can I submit a complaint
Food handlers with a current higher-level food safety
qualification (Diploma, B.Sc. etc) can directly submit
their relevant syllabus content and a copy of the
associated Certificate Directly to the ESFT team for
approval. Approval will exempt candidates from both
training and assessment and an Essential Food Safety
Certificate will be directly issued for 50% of the exam
fees.
Initially, the food establishment is required to send the
list of staff names and their detailed University
Transcripts along with an authenticated copy of the
Graduation certificate with the official letter to be sent
to ADFCA- EFST Coordinator- Mr. A. Hakim Jaberi. Once
the EFST team evaluates the papers, the approved
names shall be directly communicated via our EFST team
to the Exam Center.
This matter is still under discussion in ADFCA and will
need further study and review due to the audit and
logistics obstacles that will be faced when opening the
floor for such requests. At the moment, ADFCA works
through recognized approved training providers that are
subject to extensive monitoring, reporting and audit
procedures to ensure project effectiveness.
A request will be submitted by the Food handler to
ADFCA where An authorization will be sent to the Exam
center to reissue the certificate with the original validity
Any complaint can be reported on the designated
complaint form and sent directly to EFST team in ADFCA
either directly by the complainer or through ADFCA
inspectors.
All complaints must be specific and report the exact
problem and date of occurrence
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How much time is allowed between
undertaking the training and
undergoing the Exam
How would the percentage of EFST
implementation affect the New
food businesses
Are Food handlers operating in
retail and/or primary production
sector require to be Trained and
certified on the same basis of food
handlers operating within Catering
sector?
Would the Food handlers working
on Seasonal intervals or being
subcontracted, require to be trained
and certified under EFST?
Are food handlers who have failed
the EFST examination, undergo the
exam again
Is the food handlers training
equivalent between Abu Dhabi and
Dubai
ADFCA strongly recommends that time between training
and examination does not exceed 30 days, as it remains
essential for the trainee to undertake the exam as soon
as possible to avoid any loss of information.
Yet in case of inevitable delay, and on exceptional basis,
food business is required to provide list of the trained
staff and a justification statement why such delay
between training and exam has occurred, and ADFCA
team will study and advise accordingly
Any newly established food business will be required to
train and certify its food handlers in accordance with the
approved & published percentages issued by ADFCA for
that year
Due to the high turnover of food handlers and in the
absence of provision of Food handlers profession, it
remain necessary to include all food handlers under the
same basic essential training program as they may
operate, in any moment within catering sector.
All Food handlers, including subcontracted and seasonal
workers are required to undergo the EFST program and
get the required certificate
Food handlers who failed the exam for the first time, can
retake the makeup exam for one more time and whoever
fails after the second time, will need to undertake a
refreshment/revision session with the training provider
which we are arranging for to be available to the food
businesses
Abu Dhabi Emirate approach in designing and deploying
the Essential food safety training and certification
program (EFST) is not identical nor harmonized between
the two emirates as the EFST syllabus and knowledge
competency stated within the protocol is of higher level
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What is the percent of food
handlers training & certification
EFST for new businesses
Some of our food handlers has
awarded the HACCP awareness and
Basic & Intermediate Food Hygiene
certificate, is it necessary that they
should go for EFST training as well
Is it possible to reduce the passing
score of EFST exam
Does EFST Exam include some easy
and direct questions to avoid some
uneducated staffs to get confused.
Also, most of the questions are
asking from the kitchen side and
are difficult for the stewarding and
service staff
than the basic food hygiene syllabus.
Hence Food handlers operating in the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi are required to undergo the EFST training program
as well as the examination to attain the certificate.
% of EFST training & certification for new food
businesses operating in Abu Dhabi shall follow the
following phases:
Year1-20%
Year2-40%
Year3-60%
Year4-80%
Year5-100%
EFST syllabus program and knowledge competencies
exceeds that of the basic food hygiene and hence food
handlers are required to undergo EFST Training and
certification. As for staff that have already
acquired intermediate, advanced food safety or HACCP
training & certification, food business you may be able to
apply for Equivalency
EFST Exam protocol has been developed under the best
international educational practices. Initially, the pass
score was set at 80%, yet ADFCA has decided to
undertake more flexible approach and has stated a 70%
as the acceptable Pass score.
EFST Exam questions where developed by Food safety
educators where 75-80% of the questions are addressed
to medium/average examinee, while the 15-20%
remaining questions are intended for excelling
examinees. hence, the average food handler should be
able to pass the exam if all knowledge competencies
were properly digested and understood
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Is it necessary that the steward
staff should pass the EFS exam as
they are not food handlers
Where can I find more information
related to EFST program
How do I correspond with ESFT
Team
How can I apply for EFST
examination
UAE, as many other countries in the region, has No
designated food handler profession for workforce, where
the same labor may be in various domains within food
service sphere, both directly or indirectly involved in
food handing throughout the food chain, it remained
essential to introduce EFST as a basic platform of
knowledge for All food handlers whether handling food
directly or indirectly
EFST protocol can be found at:
http://www.adfca.ae/english/Policyandlegislations/
policies/Pages/default.aspx
All electronic correspondences can be done to email
EFST@adfca.ae
All other correspondences can be sent to:
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority
Director- Field Operations (Coordinator- EFST team)
Delma Street- Abu Dhabi
Booking of EFST exam should be done with:
Syscoms College
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: 02-6760800
Fax: 02-6760890
adfcaexam@syscomscollege.com
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