Incorporated into the Terms of Service by Section 11. Breach is grounds for discipline under Section 12.
This Code states the minimum standard of conduct required of every CAIBOK certificant. It is not a statement of aspiration, and it does not describe excellence. It describes the floor. Falling short of excellence is not a breach. Falling below the floor is.
This Code applies to a certificant for as long as they hold a CAIBOK credential, in every jurisdiction and every establishment in which they work.
1.1 A certificant does not knowingly serve, or direct another person to serve, food that is unsafe.
1.2 A certificant does not falsify a food safety record, or direct another person to do so. This includes temperature logs, HACCP records, cleaning and sanitation records, and inspection documents.
1.3 A certificant does not conceal a known contamination event, allergen exposure, or foodborne illness from an employer, a regulator, or an affected person.
1.4 A certificant complies with the food safety law of the jurisdiction in which they work.
1.5 A certificant who becomes aware of a practice presenting a serious and imminent risk to public health takes reasonable steps to address it, including reporting it to the appropriate authority where necessary.
2.1 A certificant does not knowingly misstate the presence or absence of an allergen or an ingredient when asked.
2.2 A certificant does not knowingly misrepresent the origin, grade, or species of an ingredient in a manner that induces a person to pay more than they otherwise would.
3.1 A certificant claims only the level and credential they currently hold.
3.2 A certificant does not use the Marks while their credential is expired, suspended, or revoked.
3.3 A certificant does not represent that a CAIBOK credential is a government license, or that it satisfies any statutory or regulatory requirement.
3.4 A certificant does not represent that CAIBOK endorses their business, products, or services beyond the fact of the credential.
3.5 A certificant corrects a known misrepresentation of their credential made on their behalf by an employer or any third party.
4.1 A certificant does not falsify the financial records of an employer or of a business they operate.
4.2 A certificant does not accept an undisclosed payment, rebate, or benefit from a supplier in exchange for a purchasing decision.
4.3 A certificant does not withhold wages or gratuities lawfully owed to another person.
5.1 A certificant does not assault, or sexually harass, a colleague, subordinate, trainee, supplier, or guest.
5.2 A certificant does not retaliate against a person for making a good-faith report under this Code.
5.3 A certificant does not make a knowingly false report under this Code.
6.1 A certificant does not cheat in an assessment, impersonate another candidate, permit another person to sit an assessment on their behalf, or assist another person to do any of these things.
6.2 A certificant does not reproduce, record, distribute, or disclose examination content.
6.3 A certificant reports honestly on their continuing education and maintains the records required by the published standards.
6.4 A certificant notifies CAIBOK within thirty (30) days of any criminal conviction for adulteration of food, for fraud or theft committed in a foodservice context, or for a violent or sexual offense committed against a colleague, subordinate, trainee, supplier, or guest.
This section is applied as strictly as the sections above. The following are not breaches of this Code, and are not grounds for a report or for discipline:
CAIBOK certifies competence and conduct. It does not assess or certify wealth, scale, or commercial success.
8.1 Any person may report a suspected breach of this Code. Reports are received and determined under the published Discipline and Appeals Procedure.
8.2 A report must identify the certificant and describe the conduct with sufficient particularity to be investigated. CAIBOK does not act on an anonymous report alone, but may treat one as grounds to seek verifiable evidence.
8.3 A certificant who is the subject of a report is notified of its substance and given a reasonable opportunity to respond before any determination is made.
8.4 Determinations are made on the balance of probabilities, on the evidence available. CAIBOK is a certification body, not a court, and does not conduct judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings.
8.5 Available sanctions are: reprimand; conditions on the credential; suspension; and revocation. Sanctions are applied under Section 12 of the Terms of Service.
8.6 A certificant may appeal a determination under Section 13 of the Terms of Service. An appeal is reviewed by a person not involved in the original decision, and the outcome is given in writing.
9.1 Consistent with the Commercial Firewall Policy, a determination under this Code is made solely on the merits. It is not influenced by any purchase, discount, commission, referral, voucher, training, or channel relationship.
9.2 This Code applies without exception to CAIBOK’s own instructors, channel partners, officers, and staff who hold a credential.
10.1 CAIBOK may amend this Code. Material amendments take effect on notice, and bind a certificant from their next recertification.
This Procedure governs how CAIBOK receives, investigates, and determines a report that a certificant has breached the Code of Professional Ethics, and how a certificant may appeal.
This Procedure applies to any report that a certificant has breached the Code of Professional Ethics, or has engaged in conduct that is grounds for discipline under Section 12 of the Terms of Service. Matters listed in Section 7 of the Code (“Matters that are not breaches”) are outside its scope.
Any person may report a suspected breach to [email protected]. A report must identify the certificant and describe the conduct with sufficient particularity to be investigated. CAIBOK does not act on an anonymous report alone, but may treat one as grounds to seek verifiable evidence.
CAIBOK reviews each report to decide whether it states a matter within scope and is supported by sufficient particularity. A report that is out of scope, or that lacks the particularity needed to investigate, is closed with no action and, where appropriate, the reporter is told why.
A certificant who is the subject of a report that proceeds to investigation is notified of its substance and given a reasonable opportunity — no less than fourteen (14) days — to respond before any determination is made.
CAIBOK gathers the reasonably available evidence and determines the matter on the balance of probabilities. CAIBOK is a certification body, not a court, and does not conduct judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings. Consistent with the Commercial Firewall Policy, a determination is made solely on the merits and is never influenced by any purchase, discount, commission, referral, voucher, training, or channel relationship.
Available sanctions are: reprimand; conditions on the credential; suspension; and revocation, applied under Section 12 of the Terms of Service. On suspension or revocation, the certificant ceases using the credential and the Marks, and CAIBOK updates the public verification register. The register records certification status only; CAIBOK does not publish the grounds for, or any particulars of, a suspension or revocation.
A certificant may appeal a determination or sanction within thirty (30) days of written notice of it. An appeal is reviewed by a person who was not involved in the original decision. The outcome is given in writing, and the appeal decision is final.
CAIBOK also maintains a process for receiving and resolving complaints about its certifications, its certificants, or approved content. Complaints may be sent to [email protected].
CAIBOK keeps records of reports, determinations, and appeals. It handles the personal data involved as described in the Privacy Policy, and does not disclose the particulars of a matter except as necessary to conduct the procedure or as required by law.