Food Safety

What is the Food Safety Program?

Plumas County’s food safety program was created to help protect the public from food-borne illnesses in businesses that prepare and serve food. This includes all restaurants, bars, food vending vehicles, school cafeterias, food vending machines, bakeries, produce stands, and retail food markets. Our Environmental Health Specialists routinely inspect all food facilities to ensure that restaurant operators understand and are in compliance with the minimum food safety standards set by the California Retail Food Code (Cal Code), effective January 2019. Additionally, all complaints and concerns about food facilities are investigated and addressed by the Specialist.

To assist with the integrity of every business, our Specialists work to educate restaurant owners and staff with important practices, such as proper food handling and storage, how to prevent bug and rodent infestations, and how to ensure that they are serving unadulterated food from approved sources.

Power Outage Food Safety

Maintaining Food Safety at a Food Facility (PDF)

Maintaining Food Safety at Home (PDF)

**Important Updates**

Staying Certified

Food that is mishandled can cause very serious consequences for all - especially infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. For this reason, it is important that everyone who handles food, use proper care and follow current sanitary procedures.

Food Safety Certification

First and foremost, it is important to be aware that there are two (2) types of tests: A Food Safety Certificate and a California Food Handler Card.

CalCode requires a food facility to have a minimum of one owner or employee with a Food Safety Certificate. This certification is good for 5 years. As of July 1, 2011, each employee involved in the preparation, storage, or service of food is required to have a California Food Handler Card.
Classes and testing are available online and locally. Certifications are also accepted from other counties and states as long as the certification organization is accredited by the American National Standards as meeting the requirements of the Conference for Food Protection’s "Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs."

While Plumas County Environmental Health only offers test proctoring services for ServSafe, we are available to answer any questions that you may have regarding Food Safety Certification. Please contact us at (530) 283-6355.

Please see Training and Testing Information (PDF) for classes and accredited agencies to obtain certification.

For more information on Food Handler Card guidelines, please read CalCode113790 (PDF).

Applications and Forms

Other Information