Qualifying CE Activities & Required Documentation
CDM, CFPPs are required to earn 45 continuing education hours every three years. Nine of the 45 CE hours must pertain to Sanitation and Safety, and one of the 45 CE hours must pertain to Professional Ethics. Specific documentation for each of the qualifying activities must be provided and is outlined below and in the "Required Documentation at a Glance" chart at the bottom of the page.
All continuing education activities must be related to the CDM, CFPP Scope of Practice which includes the areas of Nutrition, Foodservice, Personnel and Communication, Sanitation and Safety, and Business Operations.
Qualifying Activities:

In-Service Training Attended
Hours for in-service training must be a combined minimum of 30 minutes in length. An established evaluation method must be in place and submitted to CBDM as required. Training employees or new employee orientation do not qualify for CE hours.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Program agenda with timeline and objectives
- Proof of attendance with in-service time, location, and hours earned
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Meetings/Seminars Attended
CE hours are those hours spent listening to or participating in a CE session. All scheduled time for registration/welcome, breaks and lunch are deducted from the total time of the program. A speaker during a luncheon is calculated as one-half (1/2) the time. Example: A one hour luncheon with a speaker would equal one-half (1/2) CE hour. Company/facility business portions of meetings do not qualify for CE hours.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Program agenda with timeline and objectives
- Program description and/or learning objectives
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Trade/Food Show Exhibits
Any meeting that has a minimum of one hour scheduled for a trade/food show is allocated a minimum of one CE hour. Additional hours are based on the amount of time after the first hour, in half-hour increments, allocated to the show. The maximum number of CE hours for trade/food shows is five per three-year recertification period.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Proof of attendance with date and location as well as program/list of exhibitors
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Field Trips/Tours
Field trips/tours pertaining to the foodservice field must be a minimum of one hour in length and will be allocated a maximum of one CE hour.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Program agenda with date, location, timeline, and objectives
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Teaching/Presenting
CE hours for teaching/presenting will be granted according to the following:
- For ongoing CE courses such as foodservice manager training programs, one CE hour for every ten hours of class taught, will be granted.
- For one-time only presentations or courses, one CE hour for each hour of the presentation will be granted. Courses/programs taught multiple times/dates can be reported only once.
- The following specifications must be met:
- Content of program must be industry related to foodservice management as opposed to facility policy
- Must be outside of facility in-service requirements
- May only be submitted once for credit
- Must be a minimum of hone hour in length
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Copy of handouts, course outline/syllabus, and course promotional materials such as a brochure/notice of advertising sample
- Program agenda with timeline and objectives
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Precepting ANFP Foodservice Manager Training Program Students and Dietetic Interns
Enrolled in colleges accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
- One CE hour is granted for each hour of precepting, up to 5 hours for the preceptor’s three-year CE recertification period.
- Verification of student enrollment in an ANFP-approved school from the school/college or ACEND accredited program must be provided.
- Verification of hours spent precepting will need to be documented on the RDN preceptor’s facility letterhead and signed by the RDN preceptor and submitted as required documentation.

Authoring Articles
Up to four CE hours per three-year recertification period may be earned by writing articles, according to the following specifications:
- The article must be published.
- The article must be original.
- The article must be industry-related.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Copy of article in publication including summary of article purpose and bibliography/references
- Summary of what the author learned and how the article would apply to or benefit dietary managers

Online Courses/Webinars
Requests for CE for completion of computer/web-based courses must be a combined minimum of 30 minutes in length.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Course agenda with timeline and objectives
- Proof of attendance with name, date and hours earned
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Academic Coursework
18 CE hours will be awarded for each college credit hour earned, not to exceed 36 CE hours in a three-year recertification period.Academic coursework must be completed at an accredited post-secondary education institution.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Official transcript showing completion of course date with a passing grade of C or higher
- Official course description/outline/syllabus as published by the school.
- Summary of purpose and evaluation of what was learned and how it relates industry standards as well as enhances competency as an individual holding the CDM, CFPP credentials.

Journal Clubs
The purpose of the journal club should be an educational meeting in which a group of CDM, CFPPs/staff members discuss current articles/books providing a forum for a collective effort to obtain new knowledge, promoting awareness of current medical trends, treatments and research findings.
CE hours may be earned for participating in journal clubs to discuss books/articles. The following specifications must be met:
- Prior Approval must be obtained from CBDM
- Sponsored by facility, which posts and distributes copies of book/article and journal club questions to staff
- Meeting time and location determined and publicized
- A minimum of 1.5 hours. Must be led by a facilitator who is in a supervisory role
- Discussion questions are provided in writing; answers documented in writing following meeting
- Sign-in sheet on letterhead provided with:
- Date
- Names of participants
- Book/article title
- Objectives
- CE hours requested
When reporting journal clubs for CE, the following required documentation must be provided:
- Proof of attendance including date, location, and hours earned as well as a discussion outline
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Books
Requests for CE for books will be based on the following:
- Content must pertain to the CDM, CFPP Scope of Practice
- A maximum of six CE per book
- Must have a publication date of five years or less
When reporting books for CE, certificants must submit the following required documentation:
- Book title page
- Book copyright page
- Outline or table of contents
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Volunteer Leadership
Requests for CE for volunteer leadership activities will be based on the following:
- Organization for which activities are contributed must be related to a domain in the CDM, CFPP Credentialing Exam Detailed Content Outline
- The activity must be at a leadership level and in a non-compensated role
- A maximum of two CE may be accrued per year, with a total of six CE in a three-year recertification period.
- CE will not be awarded until date of service ends
The following must be included when submitting CE for volunteer leadership activities:
- Dates of service.
- Letter of verification with dates of service from the organization.
- Organization’s position description for the volunteer role.
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job

Professional Journal Reading
Journal articles must come from peer-reviewed industry related professional journals.
- The article must have a quiz or evaluation form.
- Each article may be reported for 1 CE.
The following required documentation must be provided:
- Copy of certificate of completion
- Copy of the abstract or first page of article
- Summary of what was learned and how it applies to the industry/job
Required Documentation at a Glance
