California Food Manager Certification – Health Department Approved
The Alameda County Food Manager Certification, offered through AAA Food Handler, provides a nationally accredited food manager certification through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). Our training and exams are fully online and flexible, making it easy for food managers in Alameda County to meet compliance requirements without disrupting busy schedules.
This ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) Accredited program fulfills the standards required to earn the Food Manager Certification, as recognized by local and state health authorities. Courses are available in both English and Spanish, giving every participant an equal opportunity to complete their Food Safety Certification.



















With our Conference for Food Protection (ANAB-CFP) aligned program, managers and staff can complete training and exams entirely online. Lessons are self-paced, accessible 24/7, and built to match the unique food safety expectations set by Alameda County and the State of California.
Learn how to anticipate problems before they escalate, protecting both customers and business operations from foodborne illness.
Strengthen your ability to identify risks quickly and make sound decisions during daily food safety oversight.
Replace outdated or unsafe practices with clear, proven methods that uphold safety standards across your kitchen.
Reduce the likelihood of violations and avoid setbacks by staying proactive with compliance and monitoring.
A well-trained leadership team ensures smoother workflows, consistent service, and fewer interruptions.
Staff and managers perform better when food safety protocols are second nature, leading to stronger teamwork and a safer work culture.
From neighborhood eateries in Oakland to large dining establishments in Berkeley and Fremont, AAA Food Handler’s Food Protection Manager Certification is valid across Alameda County. Employers and employees alike can count on streamlined compliance, ensuring their certification is accepted by every health jurisdiction in the county.
Numerous professionals nationwide have already earned and renewed their card with AAA Food Handler — a trusted name in food safety training.
Know Before You Train
The Alameda County Food Manager Certification shows that a food service manager has successfully passed a state-approved food safety exam and is qualified to oversee safe food handling in any establishment. California law requires every food business in Alameda County to have at least one Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) on staff. This ensures operations meet county health and safety regulations.
Any person in charge of a food facility—such as a restaurant, café, catering company, food truck, or school cafeteria—must hold a valid Food Manager Certification. If your role involves managing employees who handle unpackaged or perishable food, you are required by law to be certified.
You can earn your Alameda County Food Manager Certification by passing an ANAB-accredited Food Protection Manager Exam. With AAA Food Handler, the process is straightforward—our training materials prepare you for the exam, which you can complete online with an approved proctor. Once you pass, your certificate is valid for five years.
In Alameda County, Food Manager Certification is valid for five years. After that, managers must retake and pass the approved exam to renew their certification and remain compliant.
Yes. AAA Food Handler offers the Alameda County Food Manager exam online through secure remote proctoring. This means you can take the test from anywhere with internet access, without needing to travel to a testing center.
According to the California Health & Safety Code, every food facility in Alameda County that prepares, handles, or serves unpackaged food must employ at least one Certified Food Protection Manager. Temporary food facilities are generally exempt. The certification must be issued by an ANAB-accredited program and be kept on file at the establishment for inspection purposes.
While the law allows either the owner or an employee to be certified, in practice, it is typically the general manager, head chef, or kitchen manager. Many employers in Alameda County require multiple managers or chefs to hold certification, even if only one is legally required.
Food managers play a critical role in protecting public health. They are responsible for:
By maintaining proper certification, food managers help prevent foodborne illnesses and keep their establishments inspection-ready.
Operating without a certified food manager in Alameda County can lead to health code violations, fines, or even the temporary closure of the establishment. Certification ensures compliance and builds trust with both customers and inspectors.
AAA Food Handler provides a county-approved pathway to certification with convenient online training and exams. Our program is accepted across Alameda County, making it simple for managers and staff to meet legal requirements without delays.
Food Manager Reviews
4.9
the course was very easy to understand and very detailed and provided a lot of information to become a food manager
I felt that this course covered everything I needed.
Training was pretty thorough. Kind of annoying at times having to keep hitting next module but I guess it’s good to keep it interactive. Aside from that it was a pretty good training program.
The coarse was was very easy to follow and informative. Will help me become an asset to any food facility.
I have completed multiple versions of a Food Manager certification course, and this one was the quickest and most efficient one so far. I was relieved to see no annoying, useless characters or cheesy videos to demonstrate common sense ideas, or deal with clunky, unedited language or bad UI that often results in unnecessary missed questions on quizzes or tests. This course was straight forward, easy to listen to, provided accurate captions, moved at a decent pace, and included relevant, real-world information about food safety and its application at work. My only complaint is that occasionally, the videos would not load until clicking the screen multiple times to “jog” it to load. I also wish I could review each lesson as a whole, without restarting a module, once it was initially completed– some sections had to be completely restarted because of how the section was formatted (for instance, if it had a pop quiz in the middle of the module). The section reviews stayed on topic and were relevant to the course material, and the course as a whole followed a logical pattern that built on each previous concept and didn’t jump around between topics too much. All in all, a great course to get the job done and walk away feeling informed. Thank you!
Highly recommended!!
I learned a lot. Very detailed information given.
This was a well written course. It flowed well.
n/a
The course is very thorough and informative. I can go with my own pace with helps me to understand the informations better. Highly recommended
Watch each section and answer a few questions and then there is your final test. You will definitely learn a lot.
it felt a bit long but very thorough.
The online food handling course was clear, informative, and easy to follow. It covered all the essential topics with practical examples, making it easy to understand even for beginners. I appreciated the flexibility to complete it at my own pace. Highly recommended for anyone needing certification or a refresher!
Very detailed for my needs at this time. Information is good
This training was done well. It was easy to follow and understand.
AAA FoodHandler provides a simple and clear training.