General
Information
About
Food Inspections
The Food Protection
Division of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is committed to maintaining
the safety of food bought, sold, or prepared for public consumption in Chicago
by carrying out science-based inspections of all retail and wholesale food establishments.
These inspections promote public health in areas of food safety and sanitation
and prevent the occurrence of food-borne illness. CDPH's licensed, accredited
sanitarians inspect retail food establishments such as restaurants, grocery
stores, bakeries, convenience stores, hospitals, nursing homes, day care facilities,
shelters, schools, and temporary food service events. Inspections focus on food
handling practices, product temperatures, personal hygiene, facility maintenance,
and pest control. The department operates under the ordinances of the City
of Chicago’s Municipal Code, chapters 4-8, 7-38, 7-40, and 7-42
(PDF 200K) and the Chicago
Board of Health Rules and Regulations (PDF 282K).
Click
here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (needed to view/print the
previously referenced municipal codes).
Each establishment
must meet health code standards in order to remain compliant. At the time of
licensing, the risk type of the business is determined based on the complexity
of food handling practices and the type of food served. Subsequent inspections
are determined by risk type. Establishments are categorized as Risk 1, Risk
2, or Risk 3 depending on the type of operation and the potential for causing
a food-borne illness. Risk 1 establishments are considered
to be high-risk and have complex menus with more risky food
handling practices, whereas, Risk 3 establishments are considered
to be low-risk and have food that may be packaged in a commercially
inspected facility or are nonperishable. The frequency of inspections that an
establishment receives per year depends upon its risk type. As a general rule,
Risk 1 establishments are inspected at least twice per calendar year; Risk
2 establishments are inspected at least once per calendar year; and
Risk 3 establishments are inspected every two years. However, there are many
exceptions to this rule, such as additional inspections in response to complaints
or suspected food-borne illnesses.
The
status of an inspection can be Pass, Pass with Conditions,
or Fail.
- A status of Pass
is given if the business meets the minimum requirements of the municipal
code and does not have Serious or Critical violations present during the
inspection.
- A status of Pass
with Conditions is given if the business has Serious or Critical
violations that are corrected during the inspection or the certified Food
Service Sanitation Manager is not present at the time of inspection.
- A status of Fail
is given if the business has Serious violations that cannot be corrected
during the inspection. The business must correct the Serious violations
promptly and pass a re-inspection in order to remain open.
- A status of Fail
is also given if the business has Critical violations that cannot be corrected
during the inspection. In this situation, the business will have its license
suspended until it passes a re-inspection.
In addition,
each business is required to post a written Summary Report outlining the results
of its most recent inspection. This report must be posted prominently and in
plain view of all customers.
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How
to Get a New Retail Food Business License
All
retail food establishments seeking new food business licenses must first
contact:
City
of Chicago, Department of Business Affairs & Licensing
121 N. LaSalle, Room 800
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 74-GOBIZ [744-6249]
Once the application
has been made, the Department
of Business Affairs & Licensing will request an inspection from the
Department of Public Health. The Department of Public Health makes every effort
to inspect and re-inspect facilities in a timely manner. Retail food establishments
seeking the status of the inspection through the health department should call
the Department of Public Health Food Protection Division at (312) 746-8046.
A copy of the
municipal code is available on the Department
of Public Health’s section of the City of Chicago web site –
City
of Chicago’s Municipal Code, chapters 4-8, 7-38, 7-40, and 7-42
(PDF 200K) – or by calling the Department of Public Health
at (312) 746-8030.
Click
here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (needed
to view/print the previously referenced municipal codes).
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About
the Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification Program
The Food
Service Sanitation Manager Certification program administered by the Department
of Public Health is designed to offer food handlers and supervisors a
basic food science background and develop knowledge for the proper handling
of food and the sanitary maintenance of food establishments.
All
facilities categorized as Risk 1 or Risk 2 are required under the Food
Service Sanitation Manager Certification, City of Chicago Municipal Code, Chapter
7-38-012 to have a certified Food Service Sanitation Manager on duty
at all times when potentially hazardous food (e.g., eggs, shellfish, beef, and
poultry) is prepared or served. This person is to oversee the food-handling
process, ensuring that food is appropriately handled to prevent the occurrence
of food-borne illness. Each Food Service Sanitation Manager’s certificate
must be prominently posted in the food establishment and accessible for public
viewing.
Click
here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (needed
to view/print the previously referenced municipal codes).
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How
to Obtain a Food Service Sanitation Manager Certificate
To obtain a
Food Service Sanitation Manager Certificate you must attend and pass an approved
course. The course and instructor must be approved by the State of Illinois
and the City of Chicago. The fee for the certificate is $35. Please leave the
"Payable to" line blank if you are paying by check. Various providers
throughout Chicago offer the course, including Harold Washington College and
the Illinois Restaurant Association. After students pass the course their certificates
are generated through Harold
Washington College and the Illinois
Restaurant Association.
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About
This Website
Although all
food inspection records are public information under the Freedom of Information
Act, the Department of Public Health developed this web site in order to provide
easy access to basic information of particular interest to the public and to
increase public awareness of food inspections on restaurants, grocery stores,
bakeries, and convenience stores in Chicago. Every effort is taken to post timely
and accurate information on this web site. However, due to the complexity of
the process involved, the City of Chicago cannot be responsible for any discrepancies
between information posted on this web site and actual inspection reports.
If you note
any discrepancies, please send us your
feedback.
Violations
noted during the inspection are merely allegations and may be disputed
and dismissed at a City administrative hearing. The published information
may reflect inspections that have not yet been adjudicated.
The information
published describes conditions found only at the time of the last inspection
and is not intended to provide a historical picture of the establishment. In
a limited number of cases, the information published may not be from the most
recent inspection for some establishments. The date of inspection is noted for
each establishment. This web site only includes inspections conducted by Chicago
Department of Public Health sanitarians.
Additional
information not available on this web site regarding the following topics may
be obtained by contacting:
