When you’re eating out, you don’t want to worry that the food you eat will make you sick. That’s why we inspect places that serve food in Whatcom County. You can search the results of food safety inspections for any restaurant or other food service establishment that we inspect.
The Washington State Retail Food Code outlines the rules in Washington State for safely handling food that is served to the public. If a food establishment doesn’t follow these rules, it can put your health at risk. Some violations of the food code can put you at greater risk for foodborne illness (sometimes called food poisoning).
High-risk violations (red violations) are things that can contribute directly to foodborne illness. Examples include:
Low risk violations (blue violations) are items related to maintenance and sanitation. These items must be corrected but are less likely to cause illness.
The Washington State Board of Health adopted proposed changes to the Retail Food Code (246-215 WAC, Food Service). The majority of the provisions became effective on March 1, 2022. Please see the video and handout links below to learn more about specific topics:
Code Revision Topic | Video Materials | Printed Resources |
---|---|---|
Date Marking indicación de la fecha 변경 사항: 날짜 표기 ਤਾਰੀਖ਼ ਪਾਉਣਾ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | County Handout (PDF) DOH Toolkit (PDF) |
Employee Health salud de los empleados 워싱턴주 소매점 식품 규칙 변경 ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | County Handout (PDF) FDA Employee Health handbook |
Vomit and Diarrhea Cleanup limpieza de vómitos y diarrea 토사물 및 설사 청소 ਉਲਟੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਦਸਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਘਟਨਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਫ਼ਾਈ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | County Handout (PDF) DOH Toolkit (PDF) |
Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) gerente certificado en protección alimentaria 공인 식품안전관리사 ਸਰਟੀਫਾਈਡ ਫੂਡ ਪ੍ਰੋਟੈਕਸ਼ਨ ਮੈਨੇਜਰ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | County Handout (PDF) |
Food Specific Changes específicas de los alimentos 특정 식품 규칙 변경 사항 ਭੋਜਨ ਸੰਬੰਧੀ ਖਾਸ ਨਿਯਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਬਦੀਲੀਆਂ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | |
Using Refillable Containers recarga de envases reutilizables 재사용 가능 용기에 리필하기 ਮੁੜ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਯੋਗ ਕੰਟੇਨਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਭਰਨਾ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | DOH Toolkit (PDF) |
Dogs in Outside and Inside Seating Areas perros en áreas para sentarse en espacios cerrados y al aire libre 실외 및 실내 좌석 공간에 개 출입 ਬਾਹਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਅੰਦਰੂਨੀ ਬੈਠਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਖੇਤਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੁੱਤੇ | VideoPowerPoint with Notes (PDF) | County Handout (PDF) DOH Toolkit (PDF) |
Visit these websites for more information:
Food inspectors observe and record how food is handled on a Food Establishment Inspection Report. They look for:
Inspectors record any violations of the rules that they see, and the operator receives a summary of findings and required corrective actions.
An inspection result tells you how well the establishment performed in the inspection and if it was necessary to correct food safety violations. There are four types of inspection results:
If the complaint involves a retail food establishment or a food you purchased for your own use contact our office. If you purchased the food for resale, you can contact our office and we can help determine which other agency you need to contact.
Staff from the Whatcom County Health and Community Services Food Safety Program inspect all retail food establishments. State law requires the Health and Community Services Food Safety Program to inspect each food establishment at least once per year.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture, The United States Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration inspect facilities that sell foods at the wholesale level.
Email
Phone: 360-778-6000
Fax: 360-778-6001
Address
509 Girard Street
Bellingham, WA 98225