Food Safety
The goal of the Environmental Health Division’s Food Program is to protect the
public from unsafe food and foodborne illness. The Michigan Food Law of 2000
provides the guidance to accomplish this task.
Over 500 licensed facilities and vending locations throughout St. Clair County
are inspected twice a year. The components of an inspection review include food
handling, employee hygiene, sanitation, and building maintenance. Follow-up
inspections are done as needed to verify corrections of "critical violations"
found during a routine inspection. A "critical violation" is a condition that is
more likely than other violations to cause food contamination, illness, or
environmental hazards. Enforcement action is taken as necessary to minimize or
eliminate the threat to public health.
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Services we provide: |
- License and inspect commercial food establishments such as bars, restaurants,
caterers, vending machines, STFU’s, and mobile units
- License and inspect temporary food concessions
- Review plans for new or remodeled facilities
- Investigate food safety and foodborne illness complaints
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ServSafe Certification Course
The National Restaurant Association’s Serv-Safe Food Safety Training
Course is offered here at the Health Department. Michigan Food Law requires
that all establishments with a food service license have at least one staff
person with a valid Food Safety Certification.
This 5-week course is offered on Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. throughout
the year. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis and payment
of $150.00 must be submitted no later than one week prior to the class. Click
here for the ServSafe Course Registration
Form. For more information, please contact
Debbie Warshefski by
email or at (810) 987-5306.
Foodbourne Illness Complaints
Many food-related illnesses go unreported due to the mistaken belief that it is
the "24 hour flu". Common foodborne illness symptoms consist of nausea, vomiting
and diarrhea and on average last 24-48 hours.
If you believe you have a foodborne illness, who do you contact?
To report a foodborne illness, call the Environmental Health Division at (810)
987-5306, Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm.
I know what made me ill, why do I have to answer so many questions when
reporting an illness?
The onset of symptoms often takes more than 12 hours, so the last meal you ate
is not necessarily the one that made you ill. When reporting a foodborne
illness, health department staff will need a 72 hour meal history along with
your symptoms and time of illness onset to identify a suspect food item.
Resources
Date Marking Fact Sheet
Food Service FAQ
Food and Drug Administration - Recalls, Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
The Plan Review Application
Michigan Food Law, Act 92
1999 FDA Food Code
Emergency Action Plans for Food Service Establishments
Smoke Free Restaurants in Michigan
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