Inspection Services
RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
The Division of Public Health issues permits to over 3,300 food establishments. A food establishment is an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends or otherwise provides food for human consumption. This can include take-out counters in grocery stores. These operations are inspected on a regular basis to monitor for compliance with the State of Delaware Food Code, a national model endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Food Code applies scientific requirements from the U.S. Public Health Services to assist facilities in developing active managerial control. This approach identifies the risk factors and key interventions most likely to impact the operation's ability to deliver safe food to the consumer, and then reduces the risk of food borne illness through timely corrective action. Food establishments using active managerial control provide a safer product to consumers by establishing methods to control risks associated with:
- Unsafe food sources - such as food not processed by a regulated, inspected plant
- Inadequate cooking - such as food not cooked to the required temperature
- Improper holding - such as food not kept hot or cold enough before being served
- Contaminated equipment - such as not sanitizing food contact surfaces
- Poor personal hygiene - such as food workers not properly washing their hands
To obtain information about a food establishment through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), please follow this link to the Request for information form .
Food Establishment Inspection Reports
To find out more about food establishment inspection reports, please follow this link to the Food Establishment Inspection Reports page. See the link at the bottom of the page to visit the searchable database that is updated on a weekly basis.
More Information
We have more information for Food Establishment Permit Applicants and Holders and Persons-in-Charge on the following topics:
- Food Establishment Plan Review and Permit Application (available in pdf or in text-only)
- Food Establishment Change of Ownership Permit Application (available in pdf or in text-only)
- Application for Exemption to Offer For Sale Baked Goods (available in pdf or in text-only)
- Application to Operate a Limited Frozen Dessert Stand (available in pdf or in text-only)
- Minimum Requirements for Operating a Temporary Food Establishment
- Temporary Food Establishment Permit Application (available in pdf or in text-only)
- Applicant/Food Employee Interview (available in pdf or text-only)
- Applicant/Food Employee Medical Referral (available in pdf or text-only)
- Applicant/Food Employee Reporting Agreement (available in pdf or text-only)
- Bare Hand Contact with Ready-To-Eat Food
- Food Safety for Temporary Food Establishments Brochure (available in pdf or text-only)
- Food Code: Employee Health Controls
- Food Code: Employee Health Specification Sheet
For more information, please contact the Office of Food Protection.
Please note: Some of the files available on this page are in Adobe PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded directly from Adobe . If you are using an assistive technology unable to read Adobe PDF, please either view the corresponding text only version (if available) or visit Adobe's Accessibility Tools page.
