Alabama Food Manager Certification

Alabama’s food code requires that a certified food manager be present during all hours of operation at most food service establishments — specifically those that handle and cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood. This includes restaurants, diners, cafes, food trucks, catering companies, delis, school cafeterias, hospital cafeterias, nursing home kitchens, assisted living facility kitchens, correctional facility kitchens, military base dining facilities, and any operation that cooks, cools, or reheats food.

Higher-complexity operations like sushi restaurants, establishments that cure or smoke meats in-house, or those using specialized cooking techniques like sous vide are also required to have a certified manager on-site at all times.

If you own multiple permitted departments within the same building — such as a grocery store with a deli, bakery, and hot food counter — one certified manager can cover all departments.

Coffee shops, convenience stores, and establishments that only serve pre-packaged or minimally handled food are generally exempt.