City/County Ordinances

Bryan City Ordinance Ch 50 (sec 50 -33)

College Station City Ordinance Ch 7(5)(F)(2)

Each person working in a food establishment, handling food, shall obtain a valid food handler’s permit. It is an offense for an employee to begin to work or for an employer to hire any person who does not have a permit by the first day of employment. This permit is to be issued by the county health department in accordance with all requirements for such instruction and /or examinations for disease as the health authority may designate. The permit shall be valid for such a time as the health authority may designate, but not to exceed four years. The permit shall be kept on file by the county health authority, which shall in turn issue to the food handler a card attesting to the validity of the permit.

Why would the cities require this? It is because the food handler is of primary importance in preventing food-borne illness. Food that looks good may not be safe to eat. Hands that look clean may have harmful bacteria on them that can spread illness to others.