Alhambra, CA Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)

030 makes it unlawful for a food service manager to operate a food service operation unless the manager or at least one employee holds a valid certificate, defined as a food sanitation certificate issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services after passing a written exam or approved training course. "Employee" for this purpose means someone salaried by the establishment who works as a certificate holder on-site at least 32 hours per week, so a certified owner who is rarely present does not satisfy the rule on its own.

14 defines FOOD SERVICE OPERATION broadly to include restaurants, markets, bakeries, mobile food preparation units, commissaries, and food processing establishments that prepare potentially hazardous food, as defined by Cal. Health and Safety Code § 113845, for sale or gift to the public. 052 has gone further, requiring at least one certified food handler on the premises at all times during operating hours, not just on staff somewhere. 050; missing proof triggers immediate referral to code enforcement.