Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County's (DOH-Charlotte) Environmental Public Health works with Charlotte County, Florida, food service establishments as defined by Section 381.0072, Florida Statutes to help ensure their products are not a source of foodborne illness.

Generally, this includes food service operations located in:

• Institutional settings (such as schools, assisted living facilities, hospice, detention facilities, adult day cares, in-patient drug, alcohol and mental health facilities etc.),
• Civic and fraternal organizations,
• Bars and lounges that don't prepare time temperature control (potentially hazardous) non-beverage foods, and
• Theaters that limit their food service to items customarily served at theaters (such as beverages, popcorn, hot dogs, and nachos).

DOH maintains inspection data for the above listed food establishments. The codes and standards for food service establishments are found in Chapter 64E-11, Florida Administrative Code.

Inspections

The DOH-Charlotte's Food Safety and Sanitation Program inspections are risk-based. This means that those facilities in Charlotte County, Florida, that pose a greater risk to the public becoming sick from consuming their product are inspected more often than those that pose a lesser risk.

The amount of risk is determined by risk factors. These risk factors include the types of food served, the amount of preparation that is required, the population that is served, and the quantity of food that is prepared.

For more information about the Food Safety and Sanitation Program, visit the Florida Department of Health's Food Safety and Sanitation webpage.

Florida Department of Health Resources

• Florida Department of Health Food Service Facility Application
• Florida Department of Health Temporary Food Service Event Application
• Florida Department of Health Food Service Facility Plan Review Application
• Food Establishment Plan Review Guide
• Time as a Public Health Control Procedures

• Employee Training Guidance - Food Service Operations
• Food Manager Certification

• Clean-up and Disinfection for Norovirus ("Stomach Bug") fact sheet
• Employee Health poster and Employee Health Decision Tree
• Employee Health Responsibilities fact sheet
• Food handlers and food managers fact sheet
• Stop the Spread of Foodborne Illness poster

• Consumer Advisory poster about consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs

Other Resources

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) regulates restaurants, mobile food vehicles, caterers, and public food service events in Charlotte County, Florida. You can reach DBPR's Customer Contact Center by calling 850-487-1395 or submitting a DBPR contact form. To file a complaint about a restaurant or another type of DBPR food facility, submit a complaint to DBPR.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) generally regulates whole-sale food operations, convenience stores, grocery stores, food processing operations, food storage/warehouse operations and non-alcoholic beverage operations (such as juice or smoothie bars and coffee houses). You can reach FDACS by submitting an FDACS contact form. To file a complaint about an FDACS facility or food product, visit FDACS' File a Complaint webpage.