Food Safety for Retail Food Service Establishments

Restaurants, food stands and other places that prepare food for sale to the public must get a permit from the Health Department. These businesses are inspected 1 to 4 times per year, depending on the menu's complexity and the various cooking, cooling, and reheating processes. The goal of each inspection is to identify and correct any conditions that might lead to food-borne illnesses.

Orange County Quick Links

• Inspection Grades
• Restaurant Rules
• Report a Complaint
• How to start a food business with Food Service Establishment Forms and Applications
• HACCP and Variance Information
• Wild Mushroom Foraging & Safety 
• "The Health Inspector on Your Side"-WCOM's Say Yes To The Chef interviews an Environmental Health Specialist

Additional Food Safety Resources

• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services - Environmental Health Section
• Food and Drug Administration Food Code Reference System
• Restaurant Plan Review for Franchise Restaurants
• Free Food Safety and Hygiene Posters
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Food Safety
• North Carolina Safe Plates Food Safety Education and Certification
• National Restaurant Association Education Foundation Servsafe(R)- Find an Exam
• Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
• A Guide for Consumers About Food Safety
• Government Food Safety Information
• Commercial Kitchen Cleaning and Food Safety Information
• Preparedness for Food Service Establishments (PDF)
• Hold it Cold!