Seafood Safety Training FAQs & Glossary

Frequently Asked Questions

Find Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) for online food safety courses here. Troubleshoot issues, recover passwords, re-print certificate and more. We look forward to helping you.

My employer says I need to take the ServSafe course. Do you offer this?

​Your employer might ask you to take the ServSafe, StateFoodSafety, or other food safety course. Those names are simply - food safety course brand names.

Our Learn2Serve Courses are the same as the other brand names and are accepted nationally.

Our Certified Food Manager Exam is ANSI approved, so it is likely to be accepted by your employer or employer’s insurance provider. Most employers accept our course, but every state has different regulations - so please ask your employer.​

 

How do schedule my Certified Food Manager ANSI Exam online?

Before the Exam: To login into the exam you will need the username and password sent to you in the exam enrollment notice email. If you did not receive your username and password contact Customer Support at 855-796-3525. IMPORTANT: You must have your Username and Password available when you arrive to take the exam.

To Schedule Your Exam Online:  After purchasing the exam, please click here to schedule your exam. (Note: To login to the exam, you will need the username and password sent to you after purchase in the exam enrollment notice email.)

Course and Exam Completion Instructions: Upon receiving a passing score of 70%, candidates may print a proof of completion certificate from the LMS. Also, an official certificate will be mailed to candidates within 15 business days of exam completion. Certificate details are provided in this end of course instructions document. (400K- PDF) – Download

 

How do I re-Print or get a copy of my certificate?

If you need proof of your certification immediately, please login to your account using the username and password that you originally used to take the course. If you forgot your username and password, please call 1-877-881-2235 to have one of our service representatives look it up for you. Then choose “resume course in progress” and it will forward you to the end of the course. You will have an option to print your certificate here.​

​Also, please call Customer Service at 1-877-881-2235 to request another copy of your certificate to be mailed to you. Official certificates will take approximately 7-10 business days to be mailed.

 

Problem taking the course?

• Player is “stuck”?
• Error message on page?
• Page not displaying correctly?

All three of these issues can usually be fixed by clearing your cache or cookies. Here is a site we recommend http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache you can also do an internet search for “clearing cache” as there are many online resources to assist you in accomplishing this.

 

Do I need to use a PC? What if I have a Macintosh?

If you have a MAC you can still sign on to take any of our classes. Many of our customers have taken their courses on a MAC and had no problems whatsoever. However, be aware that our technical support team may be unable to assist you should you encounter technical difficulties. They do not have MACs and therefore may be unable to replicate any problem you may encounter. If you have a MAC, you will need the latest version of internet explorer as well as the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.

 

Do I need to have sound on my computer to take these classes?

While sound is another feature of our courses, it is not necessary for a customer to have sound in order to learn the course material or complete the course. All information played in audio is also displayed in text by the course player.

 

I signed up for the course a few days ago, but now I’m getting a “timed limited exceeded” error message. What do I do?

Some of our courses have time limits. For timed courses, the course instructions clearly explain that each state requires that the course and/or exam be completed within a set number of hours. If the course/exam is not completed within the aforementioned timeframe, the certification will be forfeited. If you register for a course and begin the course, but then log out before completing the timed course, you must repurchase the course. You will be required to start at the beginning of the course, regardless of which section you were on when you stopped the course.

 

What is the cost of the course and what methods of payment are accepted?

The cost of each course is located in the course catalog. You may pay using all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) and Telecheck.

 

Seafood Safety Glossary

• Acid Food - A food that has a natural pH of 4.6 or below.
• Adulterated - Something unneeded has been added to or has grown in the food to contaminate it.
• Anadromous - This describes species of fish that breed in freshwater rivers and streams but spend most of their adult lives in the marine environment. They return to the same river or stream in which they were born to spawn, or reproduce. Salmon, steelhead trout and striped bass are examples of anadromous fish.
• Aquaculture - Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic species, such as fish and shellfish, in salt, brackish, or freshwater. Farming implies private ownership and enhancement of production by stocking, feeding, providing protection from predators and other management measures. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization’s latest figures, about one-third of the seafood consumed worldwide is farm-raised.
• Bacteria - Bacteria are found in all foods. Most are killed by high temperatures, but some form toxins which may or may not be killed by heat.
• Catadromous - The opposite of anadromous species, catadromous species spawn in the sea; their young then migrate to fresh or brackish water to grow and mature. The American eel is an example of a catadromous species.
• Chemicals - Chemical food born illnesses are among the most deadly. Chemicals and other “natural” toxins formed in food include agents such as scombrotoxin and ciguatoxin. Store cleaning supplies in a different area away from stored food.
• Ciguatoxins - Ciguatoxin is produced by Gambierdiscus toxicus, a type of dinoflagellate. The toxin usually accumulates in the skin, head, viscera, and roe of big reef fish like grouper, wrasse, triggerfish, lionfish, and amberjack. Ciguatoxin cannot be destroyed by cooking. The major symptoms will develop within 1-3 hours of toxin ingestion: vomiting, diarrhea, numbness of extremities, mouth and lips, reversal of hot and cold sensation, muscle and joint aches. The symptoms may last from days to weeks or even months depending on each individual situation. There is no known antidote.
• Control Measures - Actions and activities that can be used to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.
• Critical Control Point (CCP) - A step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.
• Cross-contamination - Cross-contamination is when bacteria spread between food, surfaces or equipment.
• Danger Zone - Temperature of food between 41º F (7º C) and 140º F (60º C).
• Detergent - A chemical used to remove grease, dirt and food, such as washing-up liquid.
• Disinfectant - A chemical that kills bacteria. Check that surfaces are clean of grease, dirt and food before you use a disinfectant. Chemicals that kill bacteria are sometimes called germicides, bactericides or biocides.
• Fishery - A fishery can be defined in many ways though, in general terms, it is the take or removal of a species from the aquatic environment using some type of fishing technology. The emphasis is on the human aspects of fishing and all the activities it involves.
• Fishery Management Council - The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 as amended created the eight regional councils that are responsible for developing Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) in the federal waters of those regions. Each council consists of representatives from each state in the region and up to nineteen members from various stakeholder groups. The eight regions are New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific, North Pacific and Western Pacific. See also Sustainable Fishery Act.
• Fixed food establishment - A food service establishment which operates at a specific location and is connected to electric utilities, water, and a sewage disposal system.
• Foodborne Illness - A general term often used to describe any disease or illness caused by eating contaminated food or drink.
• Foodborne infections - These occur when “enough” of the live bacterial cells that have reproduced in the food, small intestine, or both are consumed. The severity of the infection depends on the virulence of the bacteria, resistance of the victim, and the number of cells that survive digestion.
• Foodborne intoxications - These result from a poison or toxin produced by reproductive bacterial cells in food or in the human body. Bacterial toxins have varying resistance to heat; some can even survive boiling. Other toxins can be a natural part of the food, for example, certain types of mushrooms.
• Foodborne Illness Outbreak - The Centers for Disease Control define an outbreak of food born illness as illness that involves two or more persons who eat a common food, with the food confirmed as the source of the illness by a laboratory analysis. The only exception is that a single case of botulism qualifies as an outbreak.
• Food contact surfaces -Surfaces of equipment and utensils with which normally comes in contact, and those surfaces from which food may drain, drip, or splash back onto surfaces normally in contact with Food.
• Food poisoning - An illness that occurs when people eat food that has been contaminated with harmful germs (particularly bacteria and viruses) or toxins (poisonous substances).
• Food Preparation - The manipulation of foods intended for human consumption by such means as washing, slicing, peeling, chipping, shucking, scooping and/or portioning.
• Food Safety Management System (FSMS) - A food safety management system (FSMS) is a network of interrelated elements that combine to ensure that food does not cause adverse human health effects.
• Food Service Establishment - Any facility, where food is prepared and intended for individual portion service, and includes the site at Which individual portions are provided.
• HACCP - A system which identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards which are significant for food safety.
• HACCP Plan - A document prepared in accordance with the principles of HACCP to ensure control of hazards which are significant for food safety in the segment of the food chain under consideration.
• Hazard - A biological, chemical or physical agent or factor with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.
• Hazard Analysis - The process of collecting and evaluating information on hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide which are significant for food safety and therefore should be addressed in the HACCP plan.
• Limited Food Service Establishment - Any establishment with a food operation, so limited by the type and quantity of foods prepared and the equipment utilized, that poses a lesser degree of risk to the public's health, and, for the purpose of fees, requires less time to monitor.
• Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning - Neurotoxin shellfish poisoning is caused by eating shellfish contaminated with brevetoxins produced by the dinoflagellate K. brevis. Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning usually presents as gastroenteritis accompanied by minor neurologic symptoms resembling mild ciguatera poisoning or mild paralytic shellfish poisoning. Inhalation of aerosolized toxin in the sea spray associated with a Florida red tide (K. brevis bloom) can induce bronchoconstriction and may cause acute, temporary respiratory discomfort in healthy people.
• Overfishing - Overfishing exists when the rate of fishing is greater than the level required to meet the management goal or maximum sustainable yield. In other words, overfishing occurs when a population of fish is caught faster than it can replenish itself through reproduction.
• Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning - Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is the most common and most severe form of shellfish poisoning. PSP is caused by eating shellfish contaminated with saxitoxins produced by dinoflagellates from Aelxandrium, Pyrodinium, and Gymnodinium genera. Symptoms usually appear 30–60 minutes after eating toxic shellfish and include numbness and tingling of the face, lips, tongue, arms, and legs. There may be headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases are associated with ingestion of large doses of toxin and clinical features such as ataxia, dysphagia, mental status changes, flaccid paralysis, and respiratory failure.
• Parasites - These tiny organisms can cause severe illness. Parasites need nutrients from their host to complete their life cycle. They are always associated with raw or undercooked meat and fish, including pork, bear meat and others.
• Pathogen - Any disease producing agent, microorganism or germ.
• Perishable Foods - Any food of such type or in such condition as may spoil; provided, that foods which are in hermetically sealed containers processed by heat or other means to prevent spoilage and properly packaged, dehydrated, dry or powered foods so low in moisture content as to retard development of microorganism are not considered readily perishable.
• Potentially Hazardous Food - Any perishable food that is capable of supporting rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms.
• Salmonella - A group of bacteria that cause typhoid fever and a number of other illnesses, including food poisoning, gastroenteritis and enteric fever from contaminated food products.
• Safe Temperatures - As applies to potentially hazardous foods, means Temperatures of 41 degrees F or below, or 140 degrees F or above.
• Sanitize - Kill germs with chemicals or high heat.
• Sanitizer - A two-in-one product that acts as a detergent and a disinfectant.
• Scombrotoxin - Scombrotoxin is a foodborne toxin most often associated with the consumption of the Scombroid family of fish, especially tuna, skipjack, bonito and mackerel, but other non-scombroid fish, such as sardines, herring, pilchards, marlin and mahi-mahi have been involved in outbreaks of illness. Symptoms typically occur within 10–30 minutes of ingesting the fish and generally are self-limited. People with asthma are more vulnerable to respiratory problems such as wheezing or bronchospasms. However, symptoms may show over two hours after consumption of a spoiled dish. They usually last for about 10 to 14 hours, and rarely exceed one to two days.
• Seafood HACCP - Seafood HACCP is seafood safety training for employess involved in the processing and importing of fish and shellfish. The primary audience is seafood processors, importers and regulatory officials or anyone involved in the handling, preparing, processing, packing, and storing seafood products or those interested in HACCP programs for seafood safety during manufacturing, distribution, retail, and restaurant operation.
• Shellfish Poisoning - Several forms of shellfish poisoning may occur after ingesting filter-feeding bivalve mollusks (such as mussels, oysters, clams, scallops, and cockles) that contain potent toxins. The toxins originate in small marine organisms (dinoflagellates or diatoms) that are ingested and are concentrated by shellfish. Poisoning results in gastrointestinal and neurologic illness of varying severity. Symptoms typically appear 30–60 minutes after ingesting toxic shellfish but can be delayed for several hours.
• Sulfiting agent - A kind of salt used to help keep some foods, including meats, looking fresh.
• Sustainable Fisheries Act - The 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act (also called the Magnuson-Stevens Act) amended the habitat provisions of the Magnuson Act. The re-named Magnuson-Stevens Act calls for direct action to stop or reverse the continued loss of fish habitats. Toward this end, Congress mandated the identification of habitats essential to managed species and measures to conserve and enhance this habitat. The Act requires cooperation among NOAA Fisheries, the regional Fishery Management Councils, fishing participants, and Federal and state agencies to protect, conserve, and enhance essential fish habitat.
• Trichinosis - A disease caused by eating a parasite, a worm, found in pork that is raw or undercooked. It causes pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
• Verification - The application of methods, procedures, and tests, in addition to those used in monitoring to determine compliance with the HACCP plan, and/or whether the HACCP plan needs modification.
• Viruses - Viruses grow or reproduce only on living cells. They are often found in untreated water or sewage-contaminated water, and viruses from human feces on unwashed hands can infect others by passing the virus to food. Normal cooking may lower the risk of illness but may not destroy all viruses.