The Fayette County Health District conducts
regular inspections of food service operations to assure compliance with
applicable laws and rules. These inspections and rules have been
established to protect the public from disease that may be transmitted by food.
Licenses are issued to operators of food
operations. Temporary licenses are issued to individuals and groups that
operate for up to five days. Other licenses in include those issued for
operation of vending machines serving potentially hazardous foods
Application to Conduct a Food Service Operation/Retail Food Establishment 
(Adobe PDF File)
Application to Conduct a Temporary Service Operation/Retail Food
Establishment
(Adobe PDF File
Food
Service Operations & Retail Food Establishments
Food Service Operations
Definition Ohio Revised Code Section (ORC) 3717
“Food service
operation” means a place, location, site, or separate area where food intended
to be served in individual portions is prepared or served for a charge or
required donation. As used in this division, “served” means a response made
to an order for one or more individual portions of food in a form that is edible
without washing, cooking, or additional preparation and “prepared” means any
action that affects a food other than receiving or maintaining it at the
temperature at which it was received.
Except when expressly
provided otherwise, “food service operation” includes a catering food
service operation, food delivery sales operation, mobile food service operation,
seasonal food service operation, temporary food service operation, and vending
machine location.
“Catering food
service operation” means a food service operation where food is prepared for
serving at a function or event held at an off-premises site, for a charge
determined on a per-function or per-event basis.
“Food delivery sales
operation” means a food service operation from which individual portions of
food are ordered by a customer, prepared at another food service operation or
a retail food establishment, and delivered to the customer by a person other
than an employee of the food service operation or retail food establishment
that prepared the food.
“Mobile food service
operation” means a food service operation that is operated from a movable
vehicle, portable structure, or watercraft and that routinely changes
location, except that if the operation remains at any one location for more
than forty consecutive days, the operation is no longer a mobile food service
operation. “Mobile food service operation” includes a food service
operation that does not remain at any one location for more than forty
consecutive days and serves, in a manner consistent with a FSO, only frozen
desserts; beverages, nuts, popcorn, candy, or similar confections; bakery
products identified in section 911.01 of the Revised Code; or any combination
of those items.
“Seasonal food
service operation” means a food service operation, other than a mobile food
service operation, that is operated for not more than six months in a
licensing period.
“Temporary food
service operation” means a food service operation that is operated at an
event for not more than five consecutive days, except when operated for more
than five consecutive days pursuant to division (E)(2) of section 3717.43 of
the Revised Code.
“Vending machine
location” means an area or room where one or more vending machines are
installed and operated, except that if the machines within an area are
separated by more than one hundred fifty feet, each area separated by that
distance constitutes a separate vending machine location. As used in this
division, “vending machine” means a self-service device that automatically
dispenses on the insertion of currency, tokens, or similar means a
predetermined unit serving of food, either in bulk or in package, without
having to be replenished after each use.
Retail Food
Establishment ORC 3717
Means a premises or part
of a premises where food is stored, processed, prepared, manufactured, or
otherwise held or handled for retail sale. Except when expressly provided
otherwise, “retail food establishment” includes a mobile retail food
establishment, seasonal retail food establishment, and temporary retail food
establishment.
Retail” means the
sale of food to a person who is the ultimate consumer.
Prepared means any
action that affects a food, including receiving and maintaining it at the
temperature at which it was received.
"Seasonal retail
food establishment” means a retail food establishment, other than a mobile
retail food establishment, that is operated for not more than six months in a
licensing period.
Primary Exclusions
Private homes where food is
prepared for non-paying guests
Residential facility with 16 or less residents; is regulated by the federal
government; prepares and serves food
to residents and staff only
Churches, schools, fraternal or veterans organizations, volunteer fire
organizations preparing or serving food
intended for individual portions on their premises for not more than
seven consecutive days or not more than
52 separate days per license period.
Those regulated by the federal government
For other exclusions,
contact the Environmental Health Department at the Fayette County Board of Health.
Plan Approval
Plan approval is required of all
new or extensively remodeled food service operations, except for Vending, Mobil
and Temporaries. An F.S.O. shall not be constructed, installed or extensively
altered until a set of plans have been submitted to and approved in
writing by the Board of Health. The plans, once submitted, shall be acted on
within 30 days.
FSO / RFE Plan Review Fee is
10% of the license fee. The plans and specifications submitted for approval
must be legible, drawn reasonably to scale, and must include:
1. The type of operation
proposed and foods to be prepared and served. "Menu or food
list";
2. The total area to be used for the food service operation;
3. All portions of the premises in which the food service operations are
to be conducted;
4. Entrances and exits;
5. Location, number and types of plumbing fixtures, including all water
supply facilities;
6. Plan of lighting, both natural and artificial, with footcandle
indicated for critical surfaces;
7. A floor plan showing the general layout of fixtures and other
equipment;
8. Building materials and surface finishes to be used;
9. An equipment list with equipment manufacturers and model numbers;
10. A list of food to be prepared or sold;
All new equipment used in a food
operation must be of a type approved by the Board of Health. All such
equipment must be of such material and so constructed and installed as to
readily conform with sanitation requirements. Any further questions regarding
submitting plans for approval should be directed to this office.
Once plans are approved an
approval letter will be sent to the responsible agent noted on the application
indicating that and should be made at least ten days before opening.
NOTE application for the FSO/RFE license can be made at the same time as plan
review. You need to determine your risk class to determine the fee. This can
be done by talking with the plan examiner during plan review.
• Contact the health district
(740.333.3590) to schedule a preliminary inspection as well as a final opening
inspection
Information Links:
Temporary Food Service Plan
Review Document
Cottage Food Production Document
FSO And RFE Plan Review
Document
Mobile Food Service
Operations Document
Wash
Hands Often Sign (Microsoft Word Document)
