Up until now, each county in the state of California had the ability to self govern when regulating the standards for food safety in restaurants and state law required that only one owner or manager per restaurant be certified in food safety. However, the SB 602 Food Safety measure signed into legislation by Governor Schwarzenegger has enacted a law standardizing all restaurants state-wide.

New law mandates ALL food handlers hired before June 1, 2011 receive a certification card from an approved food-safely examination such as the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Starters® California Food Handler Training Program by July 1, 2011. Those hired after June 1, 2011, have 30 days after their hire date to pass the food-handler exam and obtain their card. A food handler is defined by law as a person who works in a food facility or temporary food facility and performs any duties that involve the preparation, storage, or service of food in a food facility or temporary food facility.

Since the exam is the sole responsibility of the applicant (employee) for employment and NOT the restaurant (employer), the law requires at least one accredited exam be available for $15.00 or less, making it affordable for all. It is, however, the responsibility of the restaurant to keep all certifying examination documents for ALL it’s food handlers. Additionally, restaurants must maintain re-certification paperwork every 3 years upon card expiration.

For more information visit: http://www.calfoodhandler.com/calfoodhandler/