Food Hygiene

Food Establishments 

In Florida, five state agencies share responsibilities for ensuring that only safe, and wholesome food is provided to the public. Those agencies are the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) , the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the Agency for Health Care Administration, The Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Health.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducts inspection and testing programs for the more than 30,000 retail food stores, food processing plants, food storage and distribution points, and other locations in Florida where food is sold to the public.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation regulates and inspects public food service facilities including restaurants. You can look up a restaurant's last inspection.

The Agency for Health Care Administration regulates the food served at hospitals and nursing homes that they inspect.

The Department of Children and Families inspects food service at the childcare facilities they license.

The Department of Health in Lee County is responsible for regulating and inspecting food service establishments that include:

• institutions
• schools, public and private
• certain residential facilities
• civic or fraternal organizations
• bars and lounges
• and theaters that serve traditional theater foods (such as soft drinks, popcorn, hot dogs, etc.)

The Department of Health in Lee County inspects the operation, issues food certificates, and regulates any type of food service associated with these facilities. Depending on the type of population serviced and the type of food served, these facilities are inspected either one, two, three or four times per year. Unless exempted, these food operations are required to comply with food manager certification requirements.

Sanitation certificates for food service facilities regulated by the Department of Health in Lee County are issued by the Department after submitting the permit application and the Food Service Plan Review Guide) with the required fee. The fee is based on the type of food operation. A plan review will also be required. Please contact our office if you are planning on opening a new Department of Health regulated food operation.