Retail Food Safety

The Retail Food Safety Program at NCHD is the Environmental Health Division's largest program. Our staff covers over 400 restaurants, grocery stores, schools and other facilities that store and/or serve food throughout our health district. We perform twice-yearly inspections on most facilities, or more frequently if a facility has had a history of critical violations or is the subject of complaints.

When we inspect facilities we are looking to ensure there are no violations that could contribute to a foodborne illness. We check to make sure foods are cooked and stored at appropriate temperatures, that facilities are clean and sanitization procedures are being followed, that food service staff are practicing good personal hygiene, and that all equipment is kept in working order. We also participate in the education of food service staff in northeast Colorado by offering ServSafe Food Handler and Manager trainings.

The State Board of Health unanimously voted to adopt the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's (US FDA) 2013 model Food Code and the 2013 Supplement with an implementation date of January 1, 2019. 

We continue to work with facilities to follow the current requirements within the 2013 model Food code.

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ServSafe Trainings

The Managers' Certification and Food Handlers' ServSafe Trainings are provided in northeast Colorado by CSU Cooperative Extension and NCHD. For more information or to register contact Joy Akey, (970) 332-4151.
 

Northeast Colorado Food Handler Course

This course encourages personal commitment to food safety principles and will prepare you to become a safe food handler.  The Food Handler Course does not meet the requirement of having a certified food protection manager, but gives food handling staff more knowledge on basic food safety principles.

This food handler course provides instruction on the following:

- Food hazards: biological, physical, and chemical

- Personal hygiene practices

- Cleaning and sanitizing processes

- Time and temperature controls

Temporary Events

Additional Resources

Excellence in Food Safety

Every April we recognize the food establishments within our jurisdiction for providing the public with safely prepared foods and maintaining a high standard of food safety. With the highly challenging times we have faced this past year, NCHD has decided it is not possible to determine Food Safety Award winners of the 2020 inspection year. The COVID-19 pandemic response did not allow NCHD staff to assess every facility within the jurisdiction, so determining award winners would not be a fair or equitable task. 

NCHD would like to commend our licensed facilities for working through these difficult times we have been faced with. The health and safety of the people of northeast Colorado is our highest priority, and we thank all facility owners who have continued to follow Public Health Orders. Following these orders ensures the health and safety of all communities within our six county region. We sincerely appreciate the hard work of all operators who put the health of their customers first. Thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will continue to do until we see ourselves on the other side of this pandemic.

If you'd like more information, please contact our Environmental Health Manager:

Melvin Bustos
(970) 867-4918 x2262
melb@nchd.org