Food Protection Manager & Allergen Awareness — Boston
Boston restaurants must have a certified Food Protection Manager and Allergen Awareness certification (per Massachusetts 105 CMR 590).
What it is. An ANSI-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager credential plus Allergen Awareness certification, required for the Food Service Permit (Massachusetts food code, 105 CMR 590).
Who issues/enforces it. City of Boston — ISD Health Division (City layer), under the state food code; the manager passes an accredited exam.
When you need it. For the food permit and while operating.
How to comply. Keep the Food Manager Certification and Allergen Awareness certificate on site; train food-handler staff.
Cadence. Certificates renewed periodically (commonly every 5 years — ⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- City of Boston, How to Get a Food Service Permit — https://www.boston.gov/departments/inspectional-services/how-get-food-service-permit — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.