• Locations & Hours:
    Reibold Building
    117 S Main Street Dayton, Ohio 45422
    Office Hours
    • Monday8:00am - 11:30am
      12:30pm - 4:30pm
    • Tuesday8:00am - 11:30am
      12:30pm - 4:30pm
    • Wednesday8:00am - 11:30am
      12:30pm - 4:30pm
    • Thursday8:00am - 11:30am
      12:30pm - 4:30pm
    • Friday8:00am - 11:30am
      12:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Contact - Phone Number : 937-225-4460
  • Introduction:

    The Food Operation Inspection Service supervises the licensing and inspection of all restaurants, grocery stores, vending machines, mobile food operations, and temporary food operations. We conduct reviews of all new and remodeled facilities within the county.

    Starting a Food Business To start a food business there are regulatory requirements that you will need to meet. Some of these requirements apply to all food businesses, and some are specific to the particular food product or where you plan to operate your business.

  • Contact - Email: /contact

Food Operation Inspection Service

The Food Operation Inspection Service supervises the licensing and inspection of all restaurants, grocery stores, vending machines, mobile food operations, and temporary food operations. We conduct reviews of all new and remodeled facilities within the county.

Starting a Food Business To start a food business there are regulatory requirements that you will need to meet. Some of these requirements apply to all food businesses, and some are specific to the particular food product or where you plan to operate your business.

Food Protection
Reibold Building
117 S Main Street Dayton, Ohio 45422
Office Hours
  • Monday8:00am - 11:30am
    12:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Tuesday8:00am - 11:30am
    12:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Wednesday8:00am - 11:30am
    12:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Thursday8:00am - 11:30am
    12:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Friday8:00am - 11:30am
    12:30pm - 4:30pm

The Food Operation Inspection Service provides technical assistance in all aspects of food safety to local health department staff, the food service industry, and the general public. Technical experts are available to provide current information on food safety as it applies to licensable food service operations (e.g., restaurants, vending machine locations, mobile and temporary food service operations).

Restaurants and food establishments are inspected for compliance with Ohio’s Uniform Food Safety Code, including proper food storage, handling, preparation and serving. Food Code violations are broken down into two categories: critical and non-critical.

  • Critical violations are items that, if in noncompliance, are more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, illness or an environmental health hazard. Examples of critical violations include food obtained from an unsafe source, inadequate cooking, improper holding, contaminated equipment, and poor personal hygiene.
  • Non-critical violations cover such things as dirty floors, lack of hair restraints, and open waste receptacles.

Public Health staff have always practiced education over enforcement. In addition to required inspections, Public Health offers food safety training for licensed food service operators and retail food establishments to ensure that food service staff understand and follow proper food handling procedures.

Online Inspections Reports

Montgomery County residents are able to view inspection reports inspected by Public Health (Montgomery County, excluding the city of Oakwood). Visit the Online Inspections Reports website.

Keep in mind that any inspection report is a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection. On any other day, a operation could have fewer or more violations than noted on the day of the report. An inspection report may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions within a operation.

NOTE: Online inspection reports are available for a period of two (2) years. For older reports contact the Environmental Health office.

Frequently Asked Questions

License fees are determined by risk level. The higher the risk, the higher the license fee.

Risk Level I: Issues with sanitation, food labeling, sources of food, storage practices, or expiration dates.

Risk Level II: Issues with hand contact or employee health concerns but minimal possibility of pathogenic growth exists.

Risk Level III: Issues with proper cooking temperatures, proper cooling procedures, proper holding temperatures, contamination issues or improper heat treatment in association with longer holding times before consumption, or processing a raw food product requiring bacterial load reduction procedures in order to sell it as a ready-to-eat.

Risk Level IV: Issues with handling or preparing food using a procedure with several preparation steps that include reheating of a product or ingredient of a product where multiple temperature controls are needed to preclude bacterial growth; offering as ready-to-eat a raw, potentially hazardous meat, poultry product, fish, shellfish, or a food with these raw potentially hazardous items as ingredients; using freezing as a means to achieve parasite destruction; serving a primarily high-risk clientele including immuno-compromised or elderly individuals in a facility that provides either health care or assisted living; or using time in lieu of temperature as a public health control for potentially hazardous food.

Risk Level I or II: at least 1 standard inspection each licensing period.

Risk Level III: at least 2 standard inspections each licensing period.

Risk Level IV: at least 2 standard inspections and 2 critical control point inspections or process reviews each licensing period.

Additional inspections will be conducted as needed to address compliance or complaints.

A food service operation (FSO) is 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. A retail food establishment (RFE) is a premises or part of a premise where food is stored, processed, prepared, manufactured, or otherwise held or handled for retail sale.

Any new operation that has not been previously licensed by Public Health will be required to go through the plan review process. If the facility was previously licensed, open within the last year, and no alterations have occurred, plan review may not be required. Any substantial remodel will require plan review. Contact Public Health for further information.

No. All food that a licensed facility prepares or offers for sale must come from an approved source. No home prepared foods or home canned foods are allowed.

No. A license is only valid for the address listed. Each operation is required to have a separate license.

All equipment must meet the applicable standard of the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) or a recognized food service equipment testing company. All equipment must be of such material and so constructed and installed as to readily conform to the Ohio Administrative Code.

A potentially hazardous food is a food that is natural or synthetic that requires temperature control because it is in a form capable of supporting: the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms, the growth and toxin production of Clostridium botulinum; or in raw shell eggs, the growth of Salmonella Entertidis. Potentially hazardous includes food of animal origin that is raw or heat-treated; a food of plant origin that is heat-treated or consists of raw seed sprouts; garlic in oil mixtures, cut melons, cut tomatoes, or cut leafy greens. Examples: cooked carrots, beef, chili, soups, deli meats, or sour cream.

A ready to eat food is any food in a form that is edible without washing, cooking, or additional preparation by the food service operation, retail food establishment or the consumer that is reasonably expected to be consumed in that form.

No. At this time, food-handler cards are not required by Public Health.

FSO and RFE licenses must be renewed by March 1st of each year. Regardless of when the application is obtained, it must be renewed by March 1st. For example, an operation that begins business on October 1st must renew the license by March 1st. If you apply for a new license halfway through the licensing year, you are required to pay the full fee amount.

A temporary FSO license is good for five consecutive days at the same address at the same event.

Yes. Appropriate forms and fees must be submitted ten days prior to the event.

No. Food must be from an approved source. Food must be prepared on site or at a licensed kitchen facility. Contact Public Health for more information.

You may only obtain ten temporary food licenses per year within each jurisdiction.

No. A license is not required if the stand is on the premises of a private home and operated by children under the age of 12 — provided the food is not potentially hazardous.

No. Contact Public Health for more information regarding exemptions.

Check with event coordinators, city/township officials, property owners, and/or zoning to ensure all permits and proper permission are obtained. Each organization, property owner, or official will have different requirements for you to follow in addition to obtaining a temporary food service license.

  • Starting a Food Business To start a food business there are regulatory requirements that you will need to meet. Some of these requirements apply to all food businesses, and some are specific to the particular food product or where you plan to operate your business.
  • Consumer and food recall information - To provide better service in alerting the American public to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to a create a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls.
  • Food and Drug Administration - A scientific regulatory agency responsible for the safety of the nation's domestically produced and imported foods, cosmetics, drugs, biologics, medical devices, and radiological products.
  • Ohio Department of Health - Provides assistance in all aspects of food safety to local health department staff, the food service industry and the general public. Technical experts are available to provide current info on food safety as it applies to licensable food service operations
  • Ohio Department of Agriculture - Provides guidance to local health departments, industry and to the general public. Technical experts are available to provide current information on food safety as it applies to licensable retail food service operations.
  • Centers for Disease Control - The Food Safety Office (FS0) of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) helps lead the CDC in the prevention of illness, disability, and death due to foodborne diseases.
  • FDA- Bad Bug Book - From the U.S. FDA, a handbook of basic information about foodborne bacteria, viruses, parasites, prions, and naturally occurring toxins. The consumer sections focus on food safety, including tips on how to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.