What is The Gluten-Free Food Service Training and Management Accreditation Program?
The Gluten-Free Food Service Training and Management Accreditation Program is a GIG Industrial Program designed to work with food service establishments of all types who are, or want to serve gluten-free consumers through the development and use of training and management strategies that provide a high level of consumer confidence through the establishment Best Practices for Gluten-Free Food Production and Service.

The Gluten Free Food Service Training and Management Accreditation Program is a program designed to establish the credibility of a food service establishment to provide safe gluten-free food. The accreditation program reviews a food establishment’s policies and procedures for training and management, and then compares them to the accreditation program’s Core Standards Best Practices for Gluten-Free Food Production and Service.

Where food service extends into areas outside the food preparation department, such as in health care settings and camps, gluten-free training and management includes those other areas in contact with the consumer’s food, in order to provide a safe continuum of care and service. If an establishment is able to meet the accreditation requirements for education and training, procurement and producing safe gluten free foods, they are awarded Gluten-Free Food Service Management and Training Accreditation.

What are Best Practices for Gluten-Free Food Production and Service?
Best Practices for Gluten-Free Food Production and Service is defined as the most efficient and effective way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures and reproducible results, that have proven themselves over time for various types of food service establishments.

The following principles apply to maintaining the safety of gluten-free food production and service through this program:

Principle 1 - Prevention of food safety hazards is favored over reliance on corrective actions after problem has occurred.

Principle 2 - Prevention of food contamination in the production of gluten-free foods must encompass all aspects of procurement, processing and delivery of gluten-free foods.

Principle 3 - Worker hygiene, and production and storage area sanitation practices play a critical role in minimizing the potential for contamination of gluten-free foods.

How does the Accreditation Program Work?
Auditing takes place in 2 phases:

1. A application is reviewed for completion and content of policies, procedures, training and assessment tools
2. An onsite audit confirms the policies, procedures, training and assessment tools are in place and functional in the intended environment

Program requires periodic review from certifying agency.

1. Recommend review process every 2 to 5 years using any or all of the following: Onsite visit, Required reports and documentation, other
2. Accreditation monitored thru regular audits of materials and documented annual staff training.

Program is location specific. However portions of program will be generalized to all institutional food service facilities.

1. Compliance with governing regulations for health and food service set by national, state, regional and local governing laws, FDA gluten free labeling, and any other applicable oversight agencies such as Joint Commission is required.

Who is Accredited and Accredits?

1. Food establishments of all sizes, including bakeries, café, food service establishments in health care, camps, schools, private clubs, etc. Any food service facility wanting to show consumers they meet and desire a higher level accreditation for the training and processes for safe gluten-free foods.
2. Accreditation is awarded for each establishment and is not transferable to sister facilities or owners without a formal accreditation audit.
3. Auditors are specially trained by the Food Service Management and Training Accreditation Program. The program may use third-party auditors as their discretion.

Fees:
Fees for accreditation cover the cost of travel, audit, and use of the program indicia. Cost is establishment specific. 

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