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Food Safety Certification Facts About Food Safety Certification |
Approved Trainers and Certification Providers On September 21 1998 Governor Pete Wilson signed Assembly Bill 1987 (Campbell) into law that now requires certain food facilities on or before January 1 2000 to employ at least one person who has successfully passed an approved and accredited food safety certification examination.
LIST OF APPROVED TRAINERS AND CERTIFICATION PROVIDERS The following is a partial list of approved trainers and certification providers. To request a complete list of training providers in the county please call the Pasadena Public Health Department Environmental Health Services Division 626-744-6004 or one of the recognized providers of food safety examination and certification listed below. The ServSafe Serving Safe Food
Certification Examination or California Restaurant Association Experior Assessments LLC Professional Testing Inc. Dietary Manager's Association (offered to
association members only) FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION FACT SHEET 1. Who must be certified? All restaurants markets bakeries bars
"hot trucks" and commissaries that prepare or serve unpackaged food must have
an owner or an employee who has passed one of the five approved examinations in food
safety. Liquor stores and adjunct food facilities that handle unpackaged food including:
bagging ice packaging from bulk dispensing food from containers or any other process
dealing with unpackaged food may be required to have an owner or employee certified in
food safety. 2. Which food facilities do not need a certified owner or employee? Mobile food facilities (e.g. hot dog
carts) temporary food booths farmers' markets produce stands and any food facility
that handles only packaged food or raw produce are not required to have a certified
person on staff. 3. I have already passed a food protection manager's examination offered by one of the five authorized examination providers. Do I have to take the examination again? Any person who is currently certified in
food safety as a result of having passed one of the five approved examinations need not
be re-certified until his/her current certification expires or if the current
certification has no expiration date by January 1 2003. 4. I am certified in food safety in another county or state. Do I have to become re-certified or certified in California as well? Any person who has been certified in food
safety in another county or state and who has passed one of the five approved
examinations need not be re-certified until his/her current certification expires or if
the current certification has no expiration date by January 1 2003. 5. Training and testing are provided to our managers and employees by the corporate management. Do I have to take another examination as well? If your company provided training and testing from one of the five approved and recognized examinations and provided certificates no additional testing is required. 6. Do I have to have training to take the examination? Specific training hours or courses are not
required before taking the certification examination; however many will want training in
order to prepare for the test. Classroom training may be available from the association
giving the certification examination through an adult education district or through
private companies. You may also study on your own using books computer software or
courses available on the internet. Consult your local professional association telephone
book or EHD for information on training courses and materials available near you. 7. Does Pasadena Environmental Health Division provide any training or give the examinations? Pasadena does not provide specific training
for the certification examinations. EHD is not currently offering these examinations and
does not maintain a list of nor endorse any private companies that provide food safety
training. EHD provides general food safety training directed to food handlers upon
request. 8. My business has several separate food preparation areas including a deli meat department and bakery department. Do I have to have a certified person for each department? If all the food preparation areas at the
location are under the same ownership only one certified person is required for all the
departments under permit at the same location. If the separate operations are under
different ownership each one must have its own certified person. 9. I own more than one store how many individuals must be certified? There must be one certified owner or
employee at each facility. No certified person at a facility may serve as the certified
person at any other facility. 10. Will I obtain some sort of card from the health department after I pass the examination? No. The new law does not require that a
certified person register with the local or state health department; thus no card will be
issued by EHD. Examination providers will issue a numbered certificate to each person who
passes the examination. Health inspectors will accept a valid certificate as proof of
compliance and the certificate must remain at the food facility at all times and must be
made available for inspection by EHD staff. 11. What are my responsibilities as the certified person? The responsibilities of a certified owner
or employee at a food facility include the safety of food preparation and service
including ensuring that all employees who handle or have responsibility for handling
unpackaged foods of any kind have sufficient knowledge to ensure the safe preparation
and/or service of the food. The nature and extent of the knowledge that each employee is
required to have may be tailored as appropriate to the employee's duties related to
food safety issues. 12. When is the deadline? One person at each business location must
become certified in food safety by December 31 1999. 13. I have read this fact sheet and have more questions what can I do? Call the Environmental Health Division at (626) 744-6004 to speak to the Environmental Health Specialist assigned to your facility.
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