FARECheck Program

Eating outside the home can create added risk and anxiety for anyone with food allergies, because even a trace of the wrong food can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction. 

FARECheck provides standardized training for food service establishments and individual workers to promote the safety of the 33 million Americans living with food allergies.

Learning Objectives:
After taking this course, learners will be equipped to safely serve and work with diners with food allergies. They will be able to:

1. Food allergens: list the top allergens, and recognize the legal and psychological reasons for accommodating these food allergies
2. Recognize common symptoms of a food allergy reaction and respond appropriately
3. Understand how to identify ingredients and disclose them to guests
4. Identify the difference between cross-contact and cross-contamination and common sources and strategies to prevent
5. Identify strategies for effectively communicating with guests about food allergens

Registration & Course Fees

FARECheck Instructor Training

The FARECheck Instructor Training (FIT) is hosted biannually by FARE. Once FARECheck instructors complete the course and receive their certificate of training, they may schedule training for their staff at their convenience. 

• The fee for the FARECheck Instructor Training (FIT) for instructors in an education setting is $1,000. The annual renewal fee $100.  
• The fee for the FARECheck Instructor Training (FIT) for instructors in a hospitality setting is $2,000. The annual renewal fee $250.  

Both courses include the instructor-led virtual course, the online assessment, and the presentation evaluation. Instructors are prohibited from charging a training fee to any learner or institution. 

FARECheck On Demand

Individuals may also access the FARECheck On-Demand training at any time. The fee for this course is $20. 

All fees must be paid to FARE by credit card or electronic funds transfer (EFT) through the learning management system.  Upon request, FARE will issue an invoice for bulk purchases, but invoice payment must be made via credit card or EFT.  No cash payments are accepted.  

Note: There are no requirements to access the LMS platform other than registering to obtain login information. Registration is free. The LMS can be accessed via computer (preferred), tablet or mobile device with access to audio. 

FARECheck Instructor Qualifications 

FARECheck Instructors have a background in commercial food service or food allergy accommodations. This may include registered dietitians; healthcare; those with degrees in culinary, hospitality management, or applied science culinary arts; national, state or county food safety inspectors/certified food safety professionals; and food safety managers. A minimum of five years demonstrated experience working in a food service environment may be substituted for an applicable degree or certification.  

Assessment 

The paper-and-pencil assessment is provided at no cost to learners when administered at the time of the instructor-led training. Individuals who attend instructor-led training may elect to take the online assessment at a later date without paying a fee. 

Individuals who complete the on-demand training will have access to the online assessment in the learning platform at no additional cost. 

Passing score is 70% or higher. Individuals are allowed two attempts at passing the test.  

There is no time limit for the in-person paper and pencil assessment or the online assessment. However, once the online exam has started, if the learner navigates away from the assessment, the assessment will automatically close, progress will not be saved and the learner will forfeit this attempt. The assessment is estimated to take around 30 minutes to complete.

Make-ups

If the learner took the FARECheck course with an instructor, the make-up exam can be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion within 10 days of the initial training. The instructor will provide an alternative form of the exam than previously taken. 

If there are circumstances that prevent the learner from completing the make-up exam within the time frame stated above, please reach out to farecheck@foodallergy.org to determine a solution.

If the learner has taken the course on-demand through the Food Allergy Academy, and failed the post-course assessment on the initial attempt, the learner is instructed to contact farecheck@foodallergy.org to request a second attempt within 10 days. It will be assigned, and they will be able to access the new assessment via their transcript. 

Certificates

Individuals who complete the training* and pass the assessment either paper-and-pencil or online receive the certificate. If the individual took a paper test, they can contact the instructor who will put in a request for a certificate. Once provided to the instructor, the certificate should be distributed within 1 week of receipt. 

If the individual took the assessment online, the certificate will be issued through the learning management system. 

Passing score is 70% or higher. 

The certificate is valid for 1 year from the issue date and is not transferable to another person. 

*Individuals attending an instructor-led class must arrive on time to the training class and be present during the entire course to be eligible to take the post-course assessment. 

Verification

FARECheck learners and certificate holders who complete the on-demand training are able to receive accurate and timely verification and documentation of their program and certificate status in the learner's transcript record in the Food Allergy Academy. 

FARECheck learners and certificate holders who complete training through an instructor may request their records through their instructor or FARE’s Assistant Director of Training and Professional Programs. 

Other stakeholders, such as employers, are able to obtain accurate and timely information about an individual’s certificate status through FARE’s Assistant Director of Training and Professional Programs. Please contact farecheck@foodallergy.org. 

Logo Usage

Individuals who have received a FARECheck certificate are eligible to use the FARECheck Trained logo as long as their certificate is valid. They may wear or use the logo only to represent that they have successfully completed a FARECheck training and assessment.

Cancellation and Refunds

Online payments are not processed by individual credit card issuers until 24 hours after the transaction is initiated.  Within this 24-hour window, the user may request a cancellation of their purchase. 

Cancellations are not available after the transaction has been processed.  The user must instead request a refund through education@foodallergy.org.

Fees are fully refundable if course materials and/or the online assessment have not been launched.  If a learner experiences technical difficulties making them unable to complete the course, fees will be fully refunded if the learner reports the issue to FARE within one week of the attempt.  

Failure to pass the assessment and achieve a certificate award does not constitute grounds for a refund. Refunds will not be issued after a certificate has been awarded without the approval of certificate program management. Adverse decisions related to refunds may be escalated by the learner through the complaints process. 

FARECheck Instructor Training fees are fully refundable if a FARECheck Instructor Training (FIT) session is canceled or if the individual withdraws before the course is initiated. 

Failure to achieve approval to become a FIT instructor does not constitute grounds for a refund. Refunds will not be issued to individuals who complete the course but subsequently neglect to complete the remaining requirements without the approval of certificate program management. Adverse decisions related to refunds may be escalated by the instructor through the complaints process. 

Requests for refunds are processed individually.  Requests for refunds more than 30 days after the original transaction require the approval of certificate program management.  All refunds are issued to the original form of payment.  No cash refunds will be issued. 

If an individual would like to request a refund, contact education@foodallergy.org. 

Discrimination and ADA

FARE is committed to complying fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, known as the ADAAA, ensuring equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities. All employment practices and activities are conducted on a non-discriminatory basis.

When a qualified individual with a disability is requesting accommodation and can be reasonably accommodated without creating an undue hardship or causing a direct threat to workplace safety, he or she will be so accommodated. Please contact the Director of Human Resources at: 703-563-3053 or the highest level of Human Resources management available with any questions or requests for accommodation.

Invalidating a Certificate

A certificate may be invalidated if a learner is found to have misrepresented their participation in training, passing the assessment or is found to have cheated. 

If problematic behavior or circumstances are reported to or discovered by FARE, the incident will be thoroughly investigated and a decision will be communicated to the learner.

Appeals and Complaints

If you would like to file an appeal or complaint about anything related to your training or certificate, you may do so online. You can submit your complaint directly here and/or appeal your test score here. 

When a complaint or appeals form is submitted, the system automatically routes the completed form to the Assistant Director of Training and Professional Programs and sends an electronic confirmation to the complainant to acknowledge receipt of the complaint or appeal.

Complaints and appeals are reviewed and investigated promptly upon receipt.  While the specific timeframe for complaint resolution may vary depending on the complexity of the nature of the complaint and associated investigation, FARECheck policy is to pursue a swift resolution, with prompt communication of the decision to the complainant and other affected stakeholders, if applicable.  Written notice to the complainant of the decision is provided via email or letter within 30 days of receipt of the complaint or appeal.

Privacy, Confidentiality, Security

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) recognizes the importance of protecting individual privacy, ensuring confidentiality, and providing reasonable security measures to protect confidential information.  The FARECheck certificate program follows all of the privacy, confidentiality, and security requirements set forth by FARE.   

FARE never shares or sells e-mail addresses or any personal information with or to third parties without an individual’s consent. 

FARE’s privacy policy notice may be accessed on the FARE website here.  FARE is committed to protecting the privacy and will honor this policy.  FARE reserves the right to change this policy at any time.  Users will be notified of any changes to this policy by a notice posted prominently on the main page of the FARE website indicating that there has been a change or update to the privacy policy. 

Confidentiality and nondisclosure provisions are included in all contracts and agreements with FARECheck contractors, instructors, and advisory board members.  All FARECheck contractors, instructors, and advisory board members are held to the same confidentiality expectations as FARE employees. 

FARE has physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in place to protect personal information.  FARE limits access to personal information about individuals to staff who reasonably need to come into contact with that information to provide products or services to said individuals or in order to perform their jobs.  

Legislation

For more information about legislation and regulations impacting food service establishments, check out FARE's legislation page. 

Feedback

We’d love to hear about your training. Please submit an evaluation for your instructor here.

If you would like to submit feedback on the course or assessment, please e-mail farecheck@foodallergy.org.

Program Updates

In January 2024, the FARECheck Training was moved to a new learning management system. Learners can access the training at www.foodallergyacademy.org.