ImEPIK is an online training company. We offer our expert-developed courses in food safety and also leverage our instructional design expertise to convert live, in-person training into an effective online and self-paced format.

When we say our courses are “100% Online” we mean that they are self-paced and do not require scheduled virtual classroom sessions or webinars to complete. You do the training on your time from wherever you are.

A majority of our competitors offer only in person training or hybrid online training that is partially online but requires scheduled virtual sessions to earn a certificate. Our course is completely self-paced, available on-demand and can be completed from anywhere in the world as long as you have a quality internet connection.

Yes, ImEPIK courses are designed for you to complete at your very own pace and on your own time. This flexibility sets ImEPIK apart from its competitors. No specified dates, classrooms, webinars, or long lectures required.

We get this question a lot. Technically, there is no accredited certification program for PCQIs. What does exist is a standard training curriculum developed under the direction of the FDA, and that curriculum is included in ImEPIK’s PCQI Online training.

When food safety and quality professionals claim they are “PCQI certified,” what they mean is that they’ve earned a certificate showing that they’ve completed training.

PCQI Online does follow the standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the FDA, plus it allows learners to customize the course with product-specific content.

PCQI Online was the first exclusively online PCQI course. It was built around the standardized curriculum and has since been updated with the latest guidance on the Human Food Rule and product-specific scenarios. Learners can personalize their course with content for producing of baked goods, produce, dairy, ready-to-eat foods or cannabis-infused edibles.

The FDA does not legally require a course from a specific organization to become a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI).

As long as you can demonstrate that you understand FSMA’s requirements and how to develop and implement a Food Safety Plan, your facility will likely be considered FSMA compliant. Generally, FDA assesses the food safety plan rather than individual qualifications. However, deficiencies in the food safety plan may indicate that a PCQI needs additional training.

ImEPIK’s PCQI Online follows the FDA’s standard curriculum and offers the course in a flexible, self-paced format. No webinars, long monotonous videos, scheduled virtual sessions or travel needed to get the skills you need. When you’re done, your completion certificate can be downloaded immediately, and at no additional charge.

Generally speaking, the FDA will examine the adequacy of a facility’s food safety plan rather than an individual’s documented qualifications when assessing FSMA compliance. Inadequacies in the food safety plan are an indication that a PCQI may need additional training specific to the rule, irrespective of documented training and experience.

That said, FDA representatives and other inspectors and auditors have accepted ImEPIK’s certificate of completion as proof that individuals have been trained against the standard curriculum as required.

There is no official accreditation or course endorsement required for a PCQI course to be considered legitimate. The FDA also does not legally require a course from a specific organization to become a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI).

They do, however, ask that courses include the FDA’s Standard Curriculum and ImEPIK’s PCQI Online does include the FDA’s curriculum. There is also no requirement that your training certificate come from the FSPCA.

At the end of the day, an auditor or inspector will look at the quality of your facility’s food safety plan and how well you’re implementing your programs and protocols. Deficiencies in these areas will often indicate that a PCQI needs additional training.

That said, FDA representatives and other inspectors and auditors have accepted ImEPIK’s certificate of completion as proof that individuals have been trained against the standard curriculum as required.

Yes, we allow course participants 6 months to complete the course.

Yes. We’ve designed our courses so that you can download a certificate showing you’ve completed the course.

The cost of your certificate is included in the course price, unlike some companies that will charge extra to provide your certificate upon completion in additional to the course.

Yes, our courses can be completed on most laptops and tablets from anywhere. Our courses are 100% online and self-paced, which means scheduling isn’t a barrier.

The learning environment is interactive and requires that participants demonstrate their knowledge through various types of activities, scenarios, cases, questions, and analytical thinking. Opportunities to practice and retry when questions are missed are built into the course experience.

Yes, once purchased, your login information remains active and you will have access to all the material. Since our course is entirely online and self-paced, you also have the option to skip through the material so you can reacquaint yourself with only the sections you need.

The certificate of completion that you earn after passing PCQI Online’s exam has no expiration date. That said, refresher training is recommended every 1 to 2 years.

Your login information will still be active even after you’ve completed the course. Log in to your account and you can reprint your certificate.

ImEPIK also keeps detailed participant records. If you need help reprinting a certificate, please email support@imEPIK.com and our customer service representatives will be happy to assist.

To develop custom online training, please email support@ImEPIK.com and outline your initial thoughts. Someone will respond to you within 24 hours.

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