How to Become a Restaurant Inspector
A restaurant inspector is commonly known as a food safety specialist. According to Food Management, some states require inspectors to have college degrees or professional environmental credentials, but no state requires specialized training for food safety. One credential that a state might require is to become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS), but this certification does not specialize in food safety. States differ on the training a restaurant inspector must have, but there are some good strategies you can follow to give yourself a competitive hiring edge.
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Instructions
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Become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) by taking the 300-question exam that Food Management reports will cover all types of environmental health questions such as waste, air quality, hazardous materials, and food protection. This exam provides you with professional credentials but does not focus on food safety. To receive this credential, you must hold either a bachelor's degree in environmental health or else have two years experience as an Environmental Health Inspector and a bachelor's degree with at least thirty credits in the basic sciences.
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Become a Certified Food Safety Professional (CFSP) by taking the exam offered by the National Environmental Health Association and the National Assessment Institute. Food Management states that this exam has 120 multiple-choice questions on food safety issues such as foodborne illness, inspection of restaurants, utensils, cleaning and sanitizing, etc.
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Check to make sure you meet the requirements of the city or state where you want to work. For example, in Denver, Colorado, restaurant inspectors are required to hold a bachelor's degree in public health, biology, nursing, or a related field. Meeting these requirements along with obtaining your REHS and CFSP certification will make the application process for a restaurant inspector much easier.
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Tips & Warnings
Gain practical experience in focused spheres of the food industry. According the city of Denver, many health departments are looking for people with expertise in areas such as milk production, culinary science, and food manufacturing. Although there are not specific requirements, having previous knowledge will be a great asset in a becoming an inspector.
Another asset, according to Schools in the USA, is actual work experience in a restaurant. This gives you an understanding of how restaurants operate and what is involved in the food production that you will be inspecting. In addition, this knowledge will make it easier for you to work alongside of restaurant operators.
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