Eligibility
In order to sit for the CFS exam, you must have one of the following qualifying degrees and up to six-years of experience. Some of your experience requirement may be waived based upon the type of degree(s) you have obtained, as noted below (only one of these waivers may be claimed):
Additional notes for potential candidates:
- Post-doctoral work may be counted in your work experience calculations. Work experience must be in the food science and technology sector. Full-time employment is defined as 1750 hours per year.
- Degrees with a concentration in food science may include: food technology, food processing, food engineering or commodities (meat, poultry, dairy)
- Related sciences are: agricultural sciences, physical and chemical sciences, life sciences (biology, nutrition, microbiology, medicine, culinary science) and engineering (chemical, food, biological, process).
- If you do not meet the eligibility pathways noted above, but feel your educational background and professional achievements qualify you to sit for the exam, you may petition the International Food Science Certification Commission to review and approve your application. For more information on the petition process, please email ifscc@ift.org.
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