Answers to most common questions
1. Who regulates food operations?
Food Safety in Florida is regulated by multiple agencies. The main three are:
the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Additionally, the
following agencies regulate food services for some of their licensees:
Department of Children and Families (child care facilities, child caring
agencies, etc.), Agency for Health Care Administration (hospitals and nursing
homes), Agency for Persons with Disabilities (group homes that support and
provide services for persons with disabilities).
(i) Generally, the Department of Health regulates food service establishments
located in institutional settings (such as schools, assisted living facilities,
adult day cares, detention facilities), civic and fraternal organizations, bars and lounges
that don't prepare foods, and theaters that limit their food service to items
customarily served at theaters (such as beverages, pop corn, hot dogs and
nachos). For more information about our food
hygiene program, please visit our website at, http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/food/index.html
or contact one of our local health departments or call (850) 245-4277.
(ii) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services generally regulates
whole-sale food operations, convenience stores, grocery stores, food processing
operations, food storage/warehouse operation and non-alcoholic beverage
operations (such as juice or smoothie bars and coffee houses). Their website is
located at
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/inspectn.html,
and they can be reached by telephone at (850) 245-5520.
(iii) The Department of Business and Professional Regulation regulates
restaurants, most mobile food vehicles and caterers, and most public food
service events. Their website is located at
http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/hr/index.shtml
or you can reach their Customer Contact Center by calling (850) 487-1395.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do
not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request,
do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by
phone or in writing (F.S. 668.6076). You may email them at:
Call.Center@dbpr.state.fl.us.
2. Can I conduct a food operation from my home?
No, you can not conduct a food operation from your private residence. This
prohibition applies to all of the food regulatory agencies in Florida
(Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Business and
Professional Regulation, Department of Health.
3. Is my not-for-profit organization required to be licensed in order to start a
food operation?
In most incidences, not-for-profit organization must have a license in order to provide food to the public. If you will provide services that are regulated by the Department of
Health(1((i) or the Department of Agriculture, your activities require a
license. If they do not, please contact the Department of Business and
Professional Regulation regarding possible licensing requirements by
email or by calling (850) 487-1395. For churches and other not-for-profit
religious organizations, typically, your food service activities are not
regulated by a food regulating agency; however, bakeries and food activity that
go beyond immediate onsite portioning food service, such as processing, are
regulated by the Department of Agriculture.
4. I want to start a cake baking business, so what do I need to do?
Bakeries and baked goods operations are under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Please click the link
for more information
5. I have an existing food operation and I want to begin to bottle and sale
my product to other food operations.
An operation that sells food items to another establishment, who in turn
re-sales that item to the consumer is considered wholesale operation. Wholesale
operations are under the licensing and inspection authority of the Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can call them at (850) 245-5520 or click
here for their licensing criteria
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/permitrq.html
6. I currently have a hardware and appliance store but I would like to begin
to sell some packaged food items, such as candy, potato chips, soft drinks,
etc. How do I get started?
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services generally regulates food
operations that only sell packaged food items. They also regulate whole-sale
food operations, convenience stores, grocery stores, food processing operations,
food storage/warehouse operation and non-alcoholic beverage operations (such as
juice or smoothie bars and coffee houses). Their website is located at
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/inspectn.html
and they can be telephone at (850) 245-5520.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want
your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not
send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in
writing (F.S. 668.6076). You may email them at:
foodinsp@doacs.state.fl.us.
7. How do I become a Certified Food Manager?
In order to become a Certified Food Manager for Department of Health
regulated facilities, you must pass an examination provided by an approved
provider. Click here for more information and a listing of approved providers:
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/food/foodmanager.htm.
8. Where can I take the Food Manager Certification Examination?
The locations for the certified food manager examination is determine by the
examination provider. You may for more information and a listing of approved
providers:
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/food/foodmanager.htm.
9. What is food worker training?
Public food worker training
http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/hr/food-lodging/employee-training.html
is required of establishment licensed by the Department of Business and
Professional Regulation public food service establishments
10. I would like to sell my product to at the wholesale level or to another
food operation. How do I get started?
An operation that sells food items to another establishment, who in turn
re-sales that item to the consumer is considered wholesale operation. Wholesale
operations are under the licensing and inspection authority of the Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can call them at (850) 245-5520 or click
here for their licensing criteria
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/fs/permitrq.html
11. How do I make a complaint about the cleanliness, employee practices,
and/or sanitation of a school, detention
facility, or other type of institutional cafeteria?
To make this complaint, click here or call one of your local health
departments
12. How do I make a complaint about the cleanliness, employee practices,
and/or sanitation of a restaurant?
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want
your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not
send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in
writing (F.S. 668.6076). To make this complaint, email (Call.Center@dbpr.state.fl.us) or call the
Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and
Restaurants at (850) 487-1395
13. I would like to make a complaint about the cleanliness, employee
practices, and/or sanitation of a grocery store or convenience store.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want
your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not
send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in
writing (F.S. 668.6076). To make this complaint, email (foodinsp@doacs.state.fl.us) or call the Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety at (850) 245-5520.
14. How do I report that I got sick from eating food at a food
operation or food event?
Please contact one of our local health departments.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want
your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not
send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in
writing (F.S. 668.6076). You may send
un an email
to
foodhygiene@doh.state.fl.us.
15. What is a temporary event?
For Department of Health regulated events, a temporary event is any event
offering food service on the premises of a food service establishment under the
licensing authority of the Department of Health. These events are at a fixed
location for a temporary period of time not to exceed any combination of 18 days
within a calendar year and in conjunction with a single event or celebration.
16. How do I find out information on food borne illnesses?
Food borne illness data is routinely collected. Please click here for more
information
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/foodsurveillance/FoodandWaterborneDiseaseProgramFinalIndexPage.html.
