Food Handler Cards Required for all Food Handlers. Effective July 1, 2011, the California Food Handler Card law is designed to ensure that all food handlers receive a reasonable level of training in food safety practices to reduce the potential for foodborne illness.
List of approved providers (updated 10/04/2022).
Food Safety Certification – Food facilities that prepare, handle, or serve nonprepackaged potentially hazardous food, except temporary food facilities, shall have an owner or employee who has successfully passed an approved and accredited food safety certification exam as specified in CalCode Sections 113947 and 113947.3.
Sacramento County Environmental Health Department does not administer certification exams, provide training, or study materials for the exam. This list of trainers is provided for your convenience and does not represent an endorsement by this Department.
Locations and fees may vary, please call several organizations to find a class that best meets your needs.
See the following link for a list of organizations providing Accredited Food Safety Certification Exams.
Food Safety Education (FSE) is a food safety class taught by staff of the Environmental Health Division. This three hour class covers the basic principles of food safety, including time/temperature control, personal hygiene, food contamination and facility sanitation.
Anyone may attend this class which is held at the EMD facility in the Mather Business Park area of Rancho Cordova. When specific criteria are met, the owner of a food facility may be required to have their food handling employees and managers attend the FSE class at a cost of $20 per person. Food facility owners, managers and employees who wish to attend this class voluntarily may do so at no charge.
For more information please call 916-875-8440. For a current class schedule and further information, please see the following links:
Please Note: Attending a Food Safety Education (FSE) class DOES NOT meet the requirements of the California Retail Food Code (CalCode) section 113947.1, which mandates that each facility have an owner or employee that has passed an Accredited Food Safety Certification Exam. This class DOES NOT issue the California Food Handler Card required by the new law.
"How to Get a Green Placard" training covers the specific criteria for the placarding program, as well as basic food handling training, This class is designed to assist facility owners and managers with understanding how to earn and maintain the green "PASS" placard. This class is currently offered online in English, Cantonese, Spanish and Vietnamese.
