Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
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Extensive, exam-style practice tests for each credential — each Full Mock draws a fresh random set each time.
Why food-safety certification matters for pest professionals
Pest management is one of the most heavily audited parts of any food-safety program. Every food-safety framework — the NYC Health Code, FSMA, HACCP, and the private GFSI schemes — expects a documented pest program: a site risk assessment, a device map, monitoring, trend analysis, and records. Understanding these certifications makes a pest company a far stronger partner to restaurants, commissaries, and food manufacturers, and opens the door to food-safety and quality roles.
NYC Food Protection Certificate (NYC DOHMH)
New York City requires that food-service establishments have a supervisor holding a Food Protection Certificate on the premises during operating hours. The certificate is earned through the Health Department’s free 15-lesson Food Protection Course (online or in person); you pass a quiz after each lesson and then a final exam of about 50 questions (roughly 70% to pass). The certificate does not expire. Topics include foodborne illness and microbiology, the FAT-TOM conditions for bacterial growth, temperature control (NYC has its own required cooking, cooling, holding, and reheating temperatures), cross-contamination, personal hygiene, facility design and plumbing, pest control, HACCP, required DOH postings, and NYC local laws including the restaurant letter-grading system.
PCQI — Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (FSMA)
Under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, every covered food facility must have a PCQI who prepares and oversees the written Food Safety Plan. Qualification is typically earned through the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food standardized curriculum (about a 20-hour course) or equivalent job experience. The training covers current Good Manufacturing Practices and prerequisite programs, hazard analysis (biological, chemical, physical, and economically motivated hazards), and the four preventive-control types — process, food allergen, sanitation, and supply-chain — plus monitoring, corrective actions, verification and validation, recall planning, and recordkeeping. Pest control sits within the sanitation preventive controls and prerequisite programs.
CP-FS — Certified Professional–Food Safety (NEHA)
The CP-FS credential from the National Environmental Health Association is aimed at food-safety inspectors, auditors, plan reviewers, and quality professionals. Eligibility follows tracks based on education and experience (for example a bachelor’s degree, or an associate/high-school diploma with progressive food-related experience plus a food-manager certificate). The exam has 140 questions (120 scored plus 20 unscored pilot questions), a 2.5-hour limit, and a passing scaled score of 650. It integrates food microbiology, HACCP, and regulation across developing food-safety policies and training, assessing food safety, reviewing establishment plans, and investigating foodborne illness.
Which one is right for you?
If you operate or supervise a food-service business in New York City, you need the NYC Food Protection Certificate. If you work in or serve food manufacturing under FDA jurisdiction, the PCQI role is essential. If you want a portable professional credential that signals broad food-safety competence for inspection, audit, or QA work, pursue CP-FS. All three deepen the food-safety knowledge that pest professionals increasingly need.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For pests in your home or building, NYE provides IPM-based, low-exposure control matched to the exact pest and verified with a follow-up. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Food-safety certification FAQ
What is the difference between CP-FS, PCQI, and the NYC Food Protection Certificate?
They serve different roles. The NYC Food Protection Certificate is a New York City requirement for food-service establishments — a supervisor holding it must be on site during operating hours. PCQI is a federal role under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): every covered food facility must have a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual who owns the written Food Safety Plan. CP-FS (Certified Professional–Food Safety, from NEHA) is a professional credential for food-safety inspectors, auditors, and quality staff that demonstrates broad competence across food safety and regulation.
Do I need any of these to do pest control in food facilities?
Pest control is a core part of every food-safety program and audit, so understanding these systems makes you a stronger partner to restaurants and food plants. In New York City, food establishments must have a supervisor with a Food Protection Certificate. Food manufacturers under FSMA must have a PCQI. You do not need CP-FS to service accounts, but the knowledge helps you speak your clients’ language.
How hard is the CP-FS exam and what is on it?
The CP-FS exam has 140 questions (120 scored plus 20 unscored pilot questions) and a 2.5-hour limit, with a passing scaled score of 650. It integrates food microbiology, HACCP, and regulation into applied questions across developing food-safety policies and training, assessing food safety, reviewing establishment plans, and investigating foodborne illness.
What does the PCQI course cover?
The FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum trains you to build and manage a Food Safety Plan: current Good Manufacturing Practices and prerequisite programs, hazard analysis (biological, chemical, physical, and economically motivated hazards), and the four preventive-control types — process, food allergen, sanitation, and supply-chain — plus monitoring, corrective actions, verification, validation, recall planning, and recordkeeping.
How do I get the NYC Food Protection Certificate?
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene offers a free 15-lesson Food Protection Course (online or in person). You must pass each lesson quiz and then a final exam of about 50 questions (roughly 70% to pass). The certificate does not expire. The course covers foodborne illness, temperatures and FAT-TOM, HACCP, personal hygiene, facility and plumbing, pest control, and NYC local laws including letter grading.
Are the NYC cooking temperatures the same as the federal ones?
Not exactly. New York City publishes its own required minimum internal cooking temperatures, and some differ from the federal Food Code figures used by programs like ServSafe. Study the NYC temperature chart specifically if you are preparing for the NYC exam, and always confirm current numbers with the Health Department.
Written by Jorge Bedoya, ACE (Associate Certified Entomologist), owner of NYE Pest Control. Educational only; confirm current requirements, exam details, and NYC temperatures directly with NEHA, the FSPCA/FDA, and the NYC Department of Health, as they change. See also our certification hub and NYS applicator guide.
