April 20, 1999 Dear Food Facility Owner/Operator: SUBJECT: FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION EXAM A new law, Assembly Bill 1978, was recently passed which requires food facilities in California to have an owner, manager or employee successfully pass an approved and accredited food safety certification examination by January 1, 2000. Food facilities handling or serving any type of unpackaged foods (including ice and snack foods) are subject to this new law. This includes restaurants, bars, cafeterias, bakeries, most markets, commissaries, mobile food preparation units and stationary mobile food preparation units. The responsibilities of the certified owner or employee shall include the safety of food preparation and service, including ensuring that all employees of the food facility who handle or have responsibility for handling unpackaged foods of any kind, have sufficient knowledge to ensure the safe preparation or service of the food, or both. The food safety certificate issued shall be kept on file at the facility. Certificates are valid for a period of three years from the date of issuance. Certified individuals must retake the approved and accredited examination every three years. Beginning January 1, 2000, food facilities that commence operation, change ownership, or no longer have a certified owner or employee will have sixty days to comply with the requirement. The law does not require specific training for the examination, but such training is of benefit and will help in passing the test. Training and approved certification examinations are available from the groups listed on the back side of this page. It should be noted that the Fresno County Department of Community Health=s current Food Handler Training class and examination does not meet the AB 1978 certification requirement, however, is still recommended for general food handling education. If you have additional questions, please contact the Consumer Food Program at (559) 445-3357. Sincerely, Tim Casagrande Division Manager Environmental Health System Attachments c:\ab1978.ltr
FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION EXAM TRAINERS and/or EXAM PROVIDERS The following are lists of trainers and/or exam providers. This Department does not endorse any one provider nor is this an all inclusive list. Rather, this list is provided as an aid to identify trainers and exam administrators who may be easily accessible to Fresno County operators. It is the responsibility of the business owner to research individual providers and determine whether or not their course information will cover all of the requirements of the Food Handler Certification Requirement (AB 1978/Campbell Bill): STATE CERTIFIED LIST: ServSafe Serving Safe Food, Certification Examination: Golden Gate Restaurant Association, 720 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 781-5348, Fax (415) 781-3925 National Restaurant Association, 250 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60606, (800) 765-2122 California Restaurant Association, 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2230, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (800) 794-4272 Professional Testing, Inc., 1200 E. Hillcrest Street, Orlando, FL 32803, (407) 894-6405, Fax (407) 894-8164, http://www.nrfsp.com Dietary Manager=s Association, 406 Surrey Woods Drive, St. Charles, IL 60174, (630) 587-6336, Fax (630) 587-6308 Experior Assessments (formerly known as National Assessment Institute) Certified Professional Food Manager Examination, 600 Cleveland Street, #1000, Clearwater, FL 34615, (727) 449-8525, (800) 200-6241 ext. 4080 List of Experior Assessments clients providing certified exam. Many provide training classes upon request: American Food Safety Inst. (AFSI), National, Statewide, (800) 723-3873, Fax (215) 757-9521 AAA Food Handler Training School, 7095 Hollywood Blvd. #488, Hollywood, CA 90028, (818) 503-5951, Fax (818) 503-1123 CA Food Safety Center, Los Angeles County, CA, (310) 775-9915 CA Food Handler School, Southern CA, (310) 775-9915 Dynasty School, Southern CA & San Francisco, (626) 855-0455 Family Health Services Training Center, 2850 6th Avenue, Suite 408, San Diego, CA 92103, (800) 294-2192, office (619) 294-2192, Fax (619) 294-2696 Franklin Life, Southern CA, (626) 300-1008 Gary Wang & Assoc., Southern CA & San Francisco, (626) 288-6898 Hospitality Consultants of America, California, (800) 953-3822 J. Nelken & Associates, Southern CA, (818) 703-7147 LA County Health Department, LA County, (323) 881-4117 LA Mission College, Southern CA, (818) 364-6725 Safe-at-the-Plate, 17766 Azucar Way, San Diego, CA 92127, Southern CA, (619) 487-3579, Fax (619) 487-7975 SDHNS, Southern CA, (619) 470-3859 Byong Yoo & Associates, Statewide, (510) 490-5539 OTHER TRAINERS OR EXAM PROVIDERS: SQI Food Technology Lab, Inc., 1661 Pacific Avenue #15, Oxnard, CA 93033, (805) 487-0985, Fax (805) 487-4985 Western Exterminator Company, P.O. Box 11881, Santa Ana, CA 92711, 1732 Kaiser Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614, (949) 261-2440, (800) 698-2440, Fax (949) 474-7767 J&D Food Service, P.O. Box 12051, Fresno, CA 93776-2051, (559) 445-1123, Fax (559) 445-1044 E-mail: jdfoods@aol.com CA Food Handler School, 1335 N. La Brea Ave. #2155, Los Angeles, CA 90028, (800) 510-0525 (English), (818) 550-1555 (Spanish), (818) 546-2424 (Korean), Fax (818) 546-1412 HFS Food Safety Consultants, (559) 906-6121, Fax (559) 583-0897
COUNTY OF FRESNO Department of Community Health CERTIFIED FOOD PROTECTION MANAGER- AB 1978 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What does the law require? Before January 1, 2000, the following requirements must be met by each food facility that handles unpackaged foods: Employ at least one certified food protection manager. A person cannot be certified for more than one location. The certified food protection manager must be employed at the business, but need not be present at all times. Certification must be renewed every three years. The certified person will be responsible for the safety of food preparation and service within the facility (including a mobile food preparation unit), and be responsible for the safety training of all employees therein, consistent with their job responsibilities. The food safety certificate must be on file at the food facility all times and be available for inspection. After January 1, 2000, a food facility that commences operation, changes ownership, or no longer has a certified employee, has 60 days to secure one. Who must be certified? An owner or employee at all: Restaurants Delis Schools (see information on back page) Bars Retail Markets Commissaries (that prepare or serve unpackaged food) Mobile Food Preparation Units (hot trucks) Any retail food facilities that handle unpackaged food Who does not Owners or operators of: need to be Mobile Food Facilities (ie. push carts, ice cream trucks, sno-cone carts) certified? Temporary food booths Farmers markets Produce stands Any market that handles only prepackaged food
Are currently approved certificates accepted? Any person who is currently certified as a food protection manager prior to January 1, 1999 as a result of having passed one of the approved examinations need not be re-certified until their current certification expires, or January 1, 2003, if the current certificate does not expire. Are out of state certificates accepted? Any person who has been certified as a food protection manager in another state, and who has passed one of the approved examinations, need not be re-certified until their current certification expires, or January 1, 2003, if their current certificate does not expire. Is classroom training required? 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. You may also study on your own using books, computer software, or courses available on the Internet. What is needed for proof of certification? What if a business has more than one health permit - what is required? The new law does not require that food protection managers register with the Environmental Health Division or State Department of Health Services. Test providers will issue a numbered certificate to each person who passes the test. Environmental Health Analysts (inspectors) will accept a valid certificate as proof of compliance. One certified food protection manager is required when all food facilities are at one location and under the same ownership. If separate operations are under different ownership, each one must have their own certified person. Does the law apply to schools? School and college food service operations must comply with the new requirements unless they are regulated by a local food safety program which includes training in food safety. What if training is provided by management/ employees? If company provided training and testing uses one of the approved and recognized tests and provides certificates, no additional testing is required outside of employment. What does the certification cost? The new law limits the cost to $60.00 for taking the test and receiving a certificate. If training or study aids are needed, the cost is in addition to the examination. After January 1, 2000, the minimum cost may be readjusted to reflect the actual cost Do I need to be certified before I open my The law provides that you have 60 days to ensure that you have a certified employee when you start a business, change ownership, or no longer have a certified employee.
business? What happens if I Failure to have at least one certified person by January 1, 2000, may result in miss the deadline? further enforcement action.