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Food Service

Food Service

All entities that serve food for a charge are required by law to be licensed by the local health department. The Ohio Food Safety Regulations (Ohio Administrative Code 3717) can be viewed at: http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/3717-1 .  Licenses are valid from March 1 to Feb 28th.

There is a 25% late penalty for any renewal food application submitted after the first of March. License fees are recalculated every year based on the previous calendar year costs and any anticipated upcoming changes in costs for the programs.

The purpose of the food safety program is to reduce the risk of a food borne illness outbreak through inspecting and licensing while providing educational services to all food handlers and the general public. Food inspections are unannounced (not scheduled) except for the initial inspections conducted when opening a new/remodeled facility.

The food safety program consists of licensing and inspecting:

  1. Food Service Operations (FSO) – restaurants, cafeterias (food is handled and prepared)
  2. Retail Food Establishments (RFE) – grocery stores, gas stations (foods are primarily already prepackaged)
  3. Food Vending Machines – machines that dispense coffee or foods that must be held at a proper temperature (sandwiches, salads, etc.)
  4. Mobile Food Services – these are the self-contained operations found at most fairs and street festivals that are fully equipped to meet food safety requirements
  5. Temporary Food Operations – a group, organization or individual that will be selling food for a specific event or brief period of time (not to exceed 5 day)

Investigations of all food borne illnesses are conducted jointly by the Environmental Health and the Nursing divisions of the health department.

Any food facility that is either new or being remodeled must submit plans to the health department prior to any construction for review, approval and inspection.

Health Department Inspections

The Environmental Health Division promotes public health by addressing environmental factors that can affect human health.  The primary role of the environmental staff is to prevent human illness or injury through public education, regulation, and advocacy.  Staff sanitarians perform a wide variety of public health functions which include inspection, regulation, and enforcement of food facilities, public swimming pools/spas, campground/RV parks, manufactured home parks, private water supplies, private household sewage treatment systems, the county landfill, and tattoo/body piercing facilities.  To view inspections of food facilities within our jurisdiction, please click on the link provided.

View Inspections  

Downloads

Application for a food license

Application for a Mobile Food License

Temporary Food License (CCPH) Application

Temporary Food License (ODH) Applications 

Temporary Food Regulations

Mobile Food Facility Requirements (you also need to download the Application for a food license)

Plan Review Information for New or Remodelling Facilities

Plan Review Application Form for New or Remodelling Facilities

Power Outage Food Safety Info

Guidelines for Food Facilities During Boil Advisory or Water Interruption

A Volunteer’s Guide for Cooking for Large Groups

Level 2 Food Safety Course Sites

Important Sites
To view the Ohio Department of Agriculture food recall list click on: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/apps/odaNews/ODARecalls.aspx
To view the Ohio Department of Health food recall list click on: http://www.odh.ohio.gov/alerts/food/foodRecall.aspx

Other related links containing food safety information

ServSafe – for Managers and/or Food Handlers – www.servsafe.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- http://www.cdc.gov/
Partnership for Food Education, FIGHT BAC! – http://www.fightbac.org/