Do You Need a Food Handlers Card to Be a Hostess?

A food handlers card — also known as a food handlers certificate — proves that you have completed a course on food safety.

These courses teach about how to identify and prevent food hazards that can lead to foodborne illnesses or food poisoning.

To work in a foodservice establishment, many places require that you earn a food handlers card to prove that you know how to handle food safely.

However, you may wonder whether this same requirement applies to hostesses.

This article explains whether you need a food handlers card to be a hostess, and if so, how you can earn one.

Do you need a food handlers card to be a hostess?

Do you need a food handler card as a hostess?

A food handler refers to a foodservice worker who handles unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or food-contact surfaces.

Like cashiers, hostesses don’t fit this definition since their primary responsibilities involve greeting and welcoming guests and managing seating arrangements and reservations.

However, to provide backup support and for cost-efficiency, many restaurants cross-train hostesses to also work a server, bartender, or expeditor or runner — jobs that meet the definition of a food handler.

For this reason, you may need to earn a food handlers card as a hostess if where you live and work requires it.

States that require a food handler card include:

Usually you have up to 30 days to earn your food handlers card from your first day of employment.

If you don’t live in a state that requires a food handlers card, your county still might.

To this point, Arizona, Kansas, New York, North Dakota, and Missouri, among many others, don’t have state laws requiring a food handler card, but many of their counties do.

Moreover, employers can require a food handlers card as a necessary qualification of the job, even if there exists no state or local law requiring it.

Summary

While hostesses don’t meet the definition of a food handler, they’re often cross-trained to work other positions that do meet the definition. As such, you may need to earn a food handlers card as a hostess depending on where you live and work.

How to get a food handler card as a hostess

You can easily earn your food handler card as a hostess online in under two hours.

Simply enroll with a valid online training provider that your employeer or health department accepts.

Most places only recognize ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited food handler courses, like FoodSafePal’s.

Earn Your Food Handler Card + Certificate as a Hostess

ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-Accredited

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After enrolling, you can begin the course, which covers important food safety topics, such as:

how food hazards occur and spread
handwashing and good personal hygiene
cross-contamination prevention
cleaning and sanitizing procedures
food allergies and cross-contact prevention

You’ll need to pass a test at the end that covers this content so pay close attention as you progress through the course.

FoodSafePal’s food handler test consists of 40 questions, and you need to answer at least 28 (70%) correctly to pass and earn your food handlers card.

Once you earn your food handlers card, it belongs to you — not your employeer. This means it follows you if you change jobs, or that you can work two foodservice jobs concurrently without having to take another food handler course.

For this reason, unless you live in California, your employeer isn’t required to pay for your food handlers card since it belongs to you and not them, but many places still cover the cost.

Your food handler card will generally be good for three years, but some places require that you renew it sooner.

To renew your food handler card, you must take another valid food handler course and pass the test.

Summary

To earn your food handler card as a hostess, enroll with a valid online food handler training provider like FoodSafePal, complete the course, and pass the test.

The bottom line

While hostesses don’t meet the definition of a food handler, many food establishments cross-train them to work other positions that do meet the definition.

For this reason, you may need to earn a food handlers card as a hostesses, depending on where you live and work.

To earn your food handlers card as a hostess, enroll with a valid online training provider like FoodSafePal, complete the training, and pass the test.