NSF Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

NSF training is designed for professionals across the food, beverage, manufacturing and life sciences sectors. Food safety participants include facility managers, QA/QC personnel, HACCP coordinators, auditors, production supervisors, and supply chain personnel. Life sciences participants include teams in pharmaceutical, biotech, medical devices and healthcare product sectors who need regulatory, quality, and compliance training.

NSF offers multiple training formats:

• Instructor led virtual public training
• In person public training
• On site training for teams
• Self paced eLearning modules

These options support flexibility across global teams in both food and life sciences industries.

Instructor-led courses are available throughout the year, both virtually and in-person. Training is delivered live by industry experts, allowing access to NSF Training’s interactive programming from the convenience of your own location or within a classroom setting.

Self-paced courses allows you to benefit from NSF Training’s engaging, interactive and technical programming while progressing at your own pace. A Learning Management System (LMS) monitors your learning progress. You can access these courses anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Public training programs are open to anyone who meets the prerequisites listed on the course page. They are sometimes called “open enrollment” courses.

Private training programs are delivered at your facility to save you the time and expense of sending employees elsewhere. We can design and develop a program specifically for you or we can put a tailored spin on any of our existing training programs.

If your company is interested in private training, please contact us.

Our training programs are distinguished by our industry and subject matter expert Trainers providing practical, real-world knowledge. We offer courses developed by an in-house instructional design team who design content to meet fundamental adult learning principles ensuring our participants excel in learning and maintaining food safety standards.

If you have pre-registered for a program but are no longer able to attend, you are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Please notify us of the change in writing as soon as possible.

All course materials and instructions will be provided to you prior to course commencement.

Courses incorporate group activities that require you to connect your audio and microphone through your computer (VoIP). Please ensure your computer microphone is functioning prior your session. Your participation via microphone will ensure you meet completion requirements. We strongly recommend using a headset, as this helps limit background noise and echoes. If you have access to a camera, we strongly encourage you to use it for your best learning experience.

Cancellation, transfer and refund policies vary based on the type of course and timing of cancellation. Please contact our customer support for detailed information.

Certificates are available for you to download directly through the Learning Portal. Once you have successfully completed a course, your certificate will automatically become available in your learner profile.

Simply log in to the portal, navigate to your Completed Courses, and select Download Certificate for any course you’ve finished. No separate request is required.

If you experience any issues accessing your certificate, please contact our support team for assistance.

You can reach our customer support team via our Training Contact form.

NSF’s Food Safety portfolio covers a wide range of topics, including:

• HACCP
• GFSI standards (SQF, BRCGS, FSSC)
• Food microbiology
• Labeling and regulatory compliance
• Internal auditing
• Audit readiness and root cause analysis
• Sanitation & hygienic design
• FSMA (PCQI, FSVP)
• Social responsibility and sustainability
• ISO management systems

NSF trains over 50,000 professionals per year, delivering more than 550 courses annually across multiple languages. Courses are designed and taught by industry experts, ensuring practical, real‑world application and alignment with global food industry standards.

Course duration varies by program:

• Public instructor‑led sessions often run 1–3 days.
• Self‑paced eLearning modules can be completed at your convenience.
• Online virtual sessions may be delivered in half‑day or full‑day formats depending on content.

Yes. NSF offers tailored training programs specific to your facility, regulatory scope, and organizational goals. Customized programs can be delivered on‑site or in a private virtual classroom.

No. NSF clearly states that attending training does not provide an advantage nor is it linked to NSF certification decisions.

Yes. Many NSF courses particularly in food safety are accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). NSF complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard and is authorized to issue official Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Not all Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are created equal. While the term “CEU” is in the public domain and used by many organizations to describe their professional training hours, only true accredited CEUs meet our rigorous standards, demonstrating an organization’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

The Continuing Education Unit or CEU was created and defined in 1970 after IACET and the US Department of Education task force studied the measurement of noncredit continuing education activities. The continuing education unit (CEU) was designed to:

• Provide a standard unit of measurement for continuing education and training.
• Quantify continuing education and training (CE/T) activities and
• Accommodate for the diversity of providers, activities, and purposes in adult education

No. NSF provides courses ranging from introductory to highly technical, hands-on programs. Entry-level participants can begin with foundational modules, while experienced professionals can pursue advanced or specialized workshops.

Yes. NSF Training Membership provides:

• Discounted pricing on all courses
• One complimentary eLearning course per year
• 20 complimentary eLearning registrations for core food safety modules

NSF provides training and consultancy for pharmaceutical, biotech, medical devices and healthcare product organizations. Courses focus on:

• Regulatory compliance
• Quality management systems
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Product lifecycle requirements
• Risk management
• Audit readiness

Life Sciences courses are highly interactive and use real scenarios to help participants meet global regulatory requirements throughout the product lifecycle.

Yes. NSF frequently delivers corporate training for cross-functional teams in pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations, either onsite or virtually, with content tailored to specific regulatory frameworks. 

Some of our courses are approved by the Royal Society of Chemistry as suitable for its members continuing professional development. 

We also offer CQI and IRCA Certified Lead Auditor Training, and Cogent Gold Standard Approved Training.

CEUs are not awarded for Life Sciences training courses.

Participants can browse and register directly via the NSF Training site and individual course pages.

NSF designs both virtual and in-person programs to be engaging, applied, and interactive. Virtual sessions include live instructors, opportunities for Q&A, scenario‑based learning, and digital resources.