Code - City / County Health Inspections

Columbia / Boone County Health Code

Violation Code	Title
8-304.30	FOOD SERVICE WORKER CERTIFICATES
This code is a non-critical code.
Description (A) Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in public food service in any capacity whatsoever who does not possess a current and valid food handler's or food manager’s certificate, issued by the regulatory authority. (B) Food Manager’s Certificate. A food manager’s certificate is required for all individuals employed by a food establishment in a management or person in charge capacity. The certificate must be obtained by the individual no later than sixty (60) days from employment as a manager or person in charge. A food manager’s certificate shall be awarded to an individual only after successful completion of an accredited program or a course of instruction approved by the Director of Health Services covering the items listed in subpart 2-102.11 of this Code. A food manager’s certificate shall be valid for five (5) years from the date of issue and shall be renewable upon presentation of evidence of completion of a refresher course covering the items listed in subpart 2-102.11 of this Code. The regulatory authority may waive the food manager’s certificate requirement based on a risk analysis of the food establishment operation. The requirement for a food manager’s certificate shall take effect ninety (90) days after a course of instruction has been approved by the Director of Health Services. (C) Food Handler’s Certificate. A food handler’s certificate is required for all individuals employed by a food establishment who prepare, handle or dispense food and who do not have a valid food manager’s certificate. The food handler’s certificate must be obtained by the individual no later than thirty (30) days from the time the individual is employed by the food establishment to prepare, handle or dispense food. A food handler’s certificate shall be awarded to an individual only after successful completion of a course of instruction approved by the Director of Health Services covering the requirements of the Code pertaining to food handling, sanitation and hygienic practice. A food handler’s certificate shall be valid for three (3) years from the date of issue and shall be renewable upon presentation of evidence of completion of a refresher course in food handling, sanitation and hygiene practice. (D) Food handler’s or food manager’s certificates will not be transferable from person to person, but shall be valid for the person to whom issued in any food service establishment within the city. (E) Responsibility of owner, operator. It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in owning, operating, or managing a food establishment to utilize the services of any employee or food handler who is required to possess but does not possess a valid food handler's or food manager’s certificate. (F) Custody of certificates. The food handler's or food manager’s certificate of each person in the employ of a food establishment shall be deposited with the management of the establishment during the tenure of that person's employment, and shall be returned to the person to whom issued upon termination of employment. Food handler's or food manager’s certificates suspended or revoked as hereinafter provided, shall be remanded to the custody of the regulatory authority. Management shall maintain a file of the food handler's certificates of its personnel in a manner which will provide convenient access for regulatory authority inspectors for inspection.(G) Revocation of certificate. A food handler's or food manager’s certificate may be revoked by the regulatory authority, for repeated or continuing violations of accepted procedures and practices in the preparation, service or storage of food or beverage offered for public consumption, or upon demonstration of the presence of a communicable disease in the infectious stage, or an infectious condition of potential hazard to the public or to the person's coworkers, or for falsification of information required for issuance of the certificate. A food handler’s or food manager’s certificate shall be revoked only after the certificate holder has been given written notice of the reasons for a proposed revocation and has been afforded the opportunity for a hearing before the Director of Health Services. The certificate holder must give written notice of a request for a hearing to the Director within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice of proposed revocation. A food handler’s or food manager’s certificate may be suspended pending a hearing in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 536 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. An appeal from a decision of the Director may be made to the Circuit Court of Boone County in accordance with Chapter 536 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.