Overview

The Food Safety Program is primarily responsible to protect the community against foodborne illnesses resulting from health code violations and improper handling of food. It is responsible for inspections of food service operations, food vending machines, mobile food operations, and food establishments. Schools, daycare centers, restaurants, and hospitals are just a few of the areas inspected on a regular basis by this section. Thanks to the ongoing, highly professional service provided by registered sanitarians, the incidence of foodborne illnesses is minimal in the Franklin County community.

Things we do:

  • License all food service operations and food establishments
  • Inspect food establishments and food services operations
  • Approve plans for all new and renovated food-related facilities
  • Investigate foodborne illnesses and reports of contaminated food
  • Investigate customer complaints
  • Procure and analyzes water samples from food establishments/food service operations with privately owned wells
  • Make in-service presentations
  • Investigate reports of food related violations
  • Inspect vending machines that dispense food products
  • Inspect Micro-Markets

We inspect all food facilities within Franklin County and the City of Pickerington with the exception of the cities of Columbus and Worthington. Any restaurants within the city limits of Columbus or Worthington are licensed and inspected by Columbus Public Health.

If you need information about a change of ownership inspection, please contact the designated inspector.

As of 1/1/2023 we are requiring all change of ownerships to go through plan review before licensing.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the designated inspector, or email the Food Safety Section.

For food safety information after you’ve experienced a fire, click here!

📝 Please email food@franklincountyohio.gov if you need a copy of your license renewal. 📝

Licenses do not transfer to new owners. Do not renew if license is under old owner. Apply for plan review to start.

 

 

ServSafe and Level 2 Certification

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Food Safety Division will not be hosting any in person courses for the foreseeable future. Please see the ODH website for a list of approved providers.

 

Online Class and Exam is available at ServSafe's website. Note that with this class, the participant must submit a form for reciprocity to the Ohio Department of Health for approval and receipt of the ODH Certificate.

2019 Food Code Updates

A new version of the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code will be effective on March 1, 2019. While most of the changes are minor, we want to inform you of several major changes that may affect your food service operation or retails food establishment. (Click on the image to view the PDF).

Inspectors and the Areas They Serve

Food Protection Program: (614) 525-7462, food@franklincountyohio.gov

Karin Kasper
Division Manager
Cell: (614) 653-2235
KarinKasper@franklincountyohio.gov

Becky Keller
Supervisor
Cell: (614) 561-3671
RebeccaKeller@franklincountyohio.gov

James Smith
Supervisor
Cell: (614) 653-2995
JamesSmith@franklincountyohio.gov

Bonita Fraley
Administrative Assistant
Office: (614) 525-5258
Cell: (614) 582-2338
BonitaFraley@franklincountyohio.gov

8:30 - 5:00 M-F
JonahBilek@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Grove City

Villages
Urbancrest

Townships
Jackson

8:00 - 4:30 M-F
Rudradhungana@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Gahanna

Villages

Townships
Clinton
East Clinton
Truro

7:30 - 4:00 M-F
DavidFischer@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Dublin

Villages

Townships

7:00 - 5:30 M-Th
MeganHayes@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Hilliard

Villages

Townships
Pleasant
Prairie

8:30 - 5:00 M-F
Hannahlower@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Westerville

Villages

Townships
Blendon
Plain
Sharon

8:00 - 4:30 M-F
AlNunez@franklincountyohio.gov

All School Health

Cities

Villages
Harrisburg
Obetz

Townships
Brown
Mifflin
Norwich
Washington

8:00 - 4:30 M-F
TaniaNur@franklincountyohio.gov

 

Cities
Bexley
Canal Winchester
Pickerington

Villages

Townships

7:00 - 5:30 M-Th
JosephStacy@franklincountyohio.gov

ALL VENDING (88)

Cities
Groveport
Whitehall

Villages
Brice
Lockbourne
Marble Cliff

Townships
Hamilton
Madison

7:00 - 5:30 M-Th
KarlStichert@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
New Albany
Reynoldsburg

Villages

Townships
Jefferson

food@franklincountyohio.gov

Cities
Grandview Heights
Upper Arlington

Villages
Minerva Park
Valleyview

Townships
Franklin
Perry
West Clinton

Restaurants in Worthington and Columbus are inspected by Columbus Public Health (614) 645-8191

Enforcement


Food Safety Inspection

The goal of the Food Safety Program’s enforcement guide is to have and maintain a progressive enforcement approach that includes outreach and education which ultimately ensures each facility is in compliance with the Ohio Uniform Food Code.

A facility may be placed into the enforcement program when there are critical or repeat violations that go uncorrected. If at any given inspection, uncorrected critical violations exist, a follow-up inspection may be performed. If at the time of the follow-up inspection, those violations or additional violations are present, the facility may be placed into the enforcement program. This may include increased inspections, an administrative hearing, or referral to the Board of Health for additional enforcement actions which may include suspension, revocation or placing restrictions on the food license.

Please contact the food safety program or designated inspector for specific questions regarding our enforcement procedures.

COTTAGE FOOD ITEMS, FARM & FARMERS' MARKET INFORMATION

Definitions Cottage Food Production Operation This is defined in Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code to mean a person who, in the person’s home, produces food items that are not potentially hazardous foods, including bakery products, jams, jellies, candy, fruit butter, and similar products specified in the rule. These foods must be labeled properly or they will be considered misbranded or adulterated. Home This means the primary residence occupied by the residence's owner, on the condition that the residence contains only one stove or oven used for cooking, which may be a double oven, designed for common residence usage and not for commercial usage, and that the stove or oven be operated in an ordinary kitchen within the residence. COVID-19 Guidelines.

Includes:

  • Bakery products (such as cookies, breads, brownies, cakes, pies, etc.);
  • Candy (including no-bake cookies, chocolate covered pretzels or similar chocolate covered non-perishable items);
  • Jams;
  • Jellies and fruit butter, granola, granola bars, granola bars dipped in candy;
  • Popcorn, flavored popcorn, kettle corn, popcorn balls, caramel corn;
  • Unfilled baked donuts;
  • Waffle cones;
  • Pizzelles;
  • Dry cereal and nut snack mixes with seasonings;
  • Roasted coffee, whole beans or ground;
  • Dry baking mixes in a jar, including cookie mix in a jar;
  • Dry herbs and herb blends;
  • Dry seasoning blends; and
  • Dry tea blends.

View the FAQs-Farmer's Markets and Cottage Food Items

A “Cottage Food Production Operation” is required to label all of their food products and include the following information on the label of each unit of food product offered or distributed for sale:

  1. The name and address of the business of the “Cottage Food Production Operation”;
  2. The name of the food product;
  3. The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight;
  4. The net weight or net volume of the food product;
  5. The following statement in ten-point type: “This Product is Home Produced.”

Example of Label

Cottage Food Products may only be sold in Ohio. Cottage Food Products that are properly identified and labeled may be sold directly to the consumer from the site where the products are produced; sold through grocery stores, farm markets, farmers markets; and sold and/or used in preparing food in a restaurant.

Exemptions: Exemption List Document

Farm Market - is a producer operated facility where fresh fruits and vegetables and other food items are offered for sale.

Farmer’s Market - a location where producers congregate to offer food items for sale.

Food Safety Manual

Franklin County Public Health's Food Safety Manuals are available in downloadable PDF format. These are large files, with the file sizes noted next to each language version, so please be patient while downloading.

English  (41.8 MB)

Amharic (29 MB)

Arabic (28.1 MB)

Chinese (29.2 MB)

Chinese (Cantonese) (27.6 MB)

Hindi (26.4 MB)

Japanese (27.2 MB)

Korean (26.7 MB)

Lingala (26.4 MB)

Nepali (29 MB)

Somali (26.4 MB)

Spanish (27.6 MB)

Swahili (26.4 MB)

Telugu (26.5 MB)

Forms, Other Materials & Additional Links

Complete List of Forms
Food Safety at Home
Additional Links/Resources

Other Materials
Food Donation
Pandemic Resources