Food Safety Certification

Food Safety (Manager) Certification Requirements

Who is required to have a Food Safety Certificate?

Food facilities that prepare, handle, or serve non-prepackaged potentially hazardous food, except temporary food facilities, shall have at least one owner or employee who has successfully passed an approved and accredited Food Safety Certification examination. 
The certification:
  • Must be provided by an accredited   Food   Protection   Manager   Certification organization.
  • Expires five (5) years from the date of original issuance and must be recertified upon expiration.
  • Original must be retained on file at the food facility at all times and be made available for inspection by a representative of Environmental Management.
  • May not be used at multiple food facilities. Multiple connecting food facilities within the same site and under the same management, ownership, or control, however, are considered to be one (1) food facility (e.g., hotels with bars, coffee shops, or snack bars within the same site).
The certified owner or employee need not be present at the food facility during all hours of operation. Newly constructed unpackaged food facilities and food facilities that no longer have a certified person or have undergone a change of ownership must have a certified individual within sixty (60) days.

What is the responsibility of the certified individual?

The certified individual should have knowledge of the foodborne illness, time and temperature relationships with respect to foodborne illness, relationships between personal hygiene and food safety, methods of preventing food contamination and be able to identify major food allergens and symptoms. The certified individual, frequently the Person in Charge (PIC), is responsible for the instruction of all employees at the facility who handle unpackaged food to ensure the safe preparation and service of food. The extent of required knowledge for an employee may be tailored relevant to the employee's specific duties.

Who offers accredited Food Safety Certification training programs?

THE LIST OF TRAINERS IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THIS DEPARTMENT.

Food Safety Certification Programs

Food Handler Card Requirements

Who Needs a Food Handler Card?

Any Food Handler in a food facility that prepares, handles or serves non prepackaged potentially hazardous food shall successfully pass an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) accredited food handler training program.
  • Food Handlers must obtain a Food Handler Card within 30 days after the date of hire and maintain a valid Food Handler Card for the duration of employment.
  • Food Handler Cards are valid for three years from the date of issuance.
  • A Food Handler Card is not required for the following:
    • Certified Farmers’ Markets
    • Commissaries
    • Grocery stores including convenience stores, except for separately owned food facilities that are located in the grocery store
    • Licensed Health Care facilities
    • Mobile Support Units (not to be confused with Mobile Food Facilities that are required)
    • Public and private school cafeterias
    • Retail stores where a majority of sales are from a pharmacy
    • Restricted Food Service facilities
    •  Temporary Food Facilities (TFFs)
    • An  elderly  nutrition  program,  administered  by  the  California  Department  of Aging pursuant to the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.)
    • Any  city,  county,  city  and  county,  state,  or  regional  facility  used  for  the confinement  of  adults  or  minors,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  a  county  jail, juvenile hall, camp, ranch, or residential facility.
    • Food facilities with approved in-house food safety training
    • Food facilities subject to a collective bargaining agreement
    • Venues  with  snack  bar  services  in  which  the  majority  of  sales  are  from admission tickets  (excluding  any  area  in  which  restaurant-style  sit-down service is provided)
  • Employers shall maintain records onsite of valid Food Handler Cards for each Food Handler.

How do I get a Food Handler Card?

Food Handler Cards must be issued from an ANSI accredited training provider that meets ASTM International E2659-09 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs. A list of approved trainings can be found here.

 

List of Approved and Accredited Food Safety Certification Examinations

THE LIST OF TRAINERS IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT AN ENDORSEMENT BY THIS DEPARTMENT

Accredited Examination Providers

         
         
         
         
         
         
       
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