American Culinary Federation's Certified Executive Pastry Chef® Credential Receives Accreditation from National Commission for Certifying Agencies

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is proud to announce that its Certified Executive Pastry Chef^® (CEPC^®) credential received accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) under the Institute of Credentialing Excellence. This is the third ACF certification program accredited by NCCA.

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Accreditation by NCCA provides independent validation that the CEPC^® program meets or exceeds 21 standards concerning various aspects of the certification program. Accreditation validates the integrity of the program and is a sign of quality. The additional certification programs accredited by NCCA are Certified Executive Chef^® (CEC^®) and Certified Sous Chef^® (CSC^®).

"Accreditation by the NCCA is validation of ACF's comprehensive programs," said ACF certification commission chair Ronald DeSantis, CMC^®, AAC^®, MBA, director of culinary excellence and quality assurance, Yale Dining, New Haven, Conn. "With three ACF certification programs accredited by the NCCA, this mark of distinction emphasizes our commitment to excellence within the culinary industry and solidifies us as industry leaders. ACF is proud to provide chefs and culinary professionals with the opportunity to advance their careers through certification."

ACF provides the culinary industry's most comprehensive certification program through 14 certification levels and has been certifying chefs since 1974. Each of its certifications is designed for culinary professionals, administrators, baking, pastry chefs and culinary educators, and is based on the industry's latest skills and knowledge. Achieving ACF certification is based on education, experience and successful completion of both a written and a practical exam. Learn more about ACF's certification program and the value of NCCA accreditation by viewing a video at www.acfchefs.org/Certification.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef^®, Certified Sous Chef^® and Certified Executive Pastry Chef^® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

Media Contacts:
Jessica Ward: (904) 484-0213; [email protected]
Patricia Carroll: (904) 484-0247; [email protected]

SOURCE The American Culinary Federation, Inc.