Food Service Monitoring

The purpose of the food program at the Environmental Health divisions the prevention of food borne illness through a combination of routine inspections revisits investigations, education, and enforcement. The Environmental Health Division is responsible for the monitoring of approximately 3500 food service establishments, excluding the City of Detroit, in Wayne County.

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Both the Wayne County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Agriculture previously licensed certain facilities. These facilities included grocery stores, party stores, certain gas stations and convenience stores which offered food to their customers, are no longer inspected by the Wayne County Environmental Health Division. All questions concerning these facilities should be directed to:

:: michigan department of agriculture  » ::

Definitions of Food Establishments

Fixed food establishments are defined as any location where food for public consumption is prepared, stored, displayed, or served. This includes restaurants, bars, churches, and schools [which have kitchen facilities], halls, carry out food locations and seasonal food stands such as ice cream and yogurt facilities. Generally these facilities are inspected at least once a year. A license is required to operate and expires on April 30 of each year. The Wayne County Environmental health division will send out notification prior to the April 30 deadline to insure compliance and avoid closing down a food establishment.

All new or remodeled facilities prior to operating must submit to a plan review.

Temporary food facilities are most often found at festivals and carnivals. Food trailer or food tents must meet criteria, which is not as stringent as fixed food locations but still must be inspected to insure proper sanitation procedures. Temporary facilities are categorized as Type I, II, or II depending on the food which is to be served and the manner in which it will be prepared.

A temporary food license application must be completed by the sponsor of the event and submitted with the appropriate fee ten (10) days in advance of the event. Late fee charges will be added if the application arrives within the ten-day limit or the day of the event. Prior to any food service, a representative of the Wayne County Environmental Health Division will determine if all conditions of the license have been met. The license for the temporary stand will be issued on the day of the event and is valid for up to fourteen [14] consecutive days at the same location.

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Mobile food units include the hot and cold trucks and push carts that service a variety of businesses along a selected route. These units must be initially approved through Plan Review and are inspected and licensed annually. An approved unit will receive a numbered "Mobile Food Service Facility" decal that is attached to the upper left corner of the unit. Decals are produced in a different color each year for easy identification from the road.

NEW Special Transitory Food Unit [STFU] license is an option that is suited for the professional concessionaire who serves food at festivals and events across the state, caterers, and mobile operators who do not require a commissary. An STFU license allows for statewide operation without the need to obtain temporary food service establishment license and does not limit the time of operation at any one location.

Food Vending Machines must be licensed just as any other food location in Wayne County. Food vending machines are regulated to insure that perishable items are properly dated and labeled as to the name and location of the packager. Certain machines, which require careful cleaning of liquid spouts and reservoirs, are monitored during routine inspection.

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