Food Service Establishments

 *****NEW 2017 Food Code for Food Service Establishments*****

Effective October 1st, 2021 North Carolina has adopted and implemented the new 2017 Food Code as our food protection rules. This replaces the 2009 Food Code that was previously used. The new 2017 Food Code Manual, a summary of changes and new required policies and plans can be found in the links below: 

• 2017 Food Code Manual
• 2017 NC Food Code Adoption Summary of Changes Document    (Spanish)       (Chinese)
• Employee Health Policy-Food Employee Reporting Agreement      (Spanish)      (Chinese)
• Vomit and Diarrhea Clean-Up Plan          (Spanish)        (Chinese)
• Vomit and Diarrhea Clean-Up Poster
• Allergen Management Poster
• Demonstration of Knowledge (17 Questions)      (Spanish)     (Chinese)

Ensuring proper sanitation in food service establishments is important to public health and the prevention of food-borne illness. The Food and Lodging section enforces the state rules in the permitting and inspections of food handling establishments. The frequency of inspections varies for each establishment depending on the risk factors and how food is processed in the facility. Establishments can be inspected one to four times a year depending on this risk-based inspection category.

There are five major risk factors in prevention of a food-borne illness:

1. Poor personal hygiene
2. Inadequate cooking
3. Improper food temperatures
4. Cross contamination
5. Food from unapproved sources

The types of food service facilities inspected by this department include:

• Restaurants
• Food stands
• Delis and meat markets
• Public and private school cafeterias
• Mobile food units and push carts
• Elderly nutrition sites and institutional kitchens
• Limited food service establishments
• Temporary food service establishments
  
  

General Food Service Links

• View the current sanitation inspection reports
• List of Foods that Require a Permit
• Food Handling Recommendations
• Employee Health Policy
• NC Food Code Manual
• Time as a Public Health Control Form 
• Par-Cooking Agreement Form
• Commissary Agreement Form for Pushcarts and Mobile Food Units

Food Service Facilities

• Plan Review Application for New Construction of a Food Service Establishment 
• Rules Governing the Sanitation of Food Service Establishments