1. Home
  2. Food Facilities

Food Facilities

FOOD FACILITIES

FOOD FACILITIES: RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND GROCERY STORES

FAQ's

I want to open a new food facility. How do I get started?

To start the process, you will have to contact several agencies, including but not limited to Trinity County Planning Division (530) 623-1351, Trinity County Building Division (530) 623-1354, but for Environmental Health go through the food facility plan check list to see if your facility will meet the California Health and Safety Code requirements <<Food Facility Plan Check>>. All equipment used in a commercial kitchen must be certified by an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) credited institution (§ 114130 California Retail Food Code), such as the National Sanitation Foundation Institute (NSF). NSF equipment will bear the NSF Certification mark.

If you plan on serving alcohol, you must also contact California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) at 1900 Churn Creek Rd., Suite 215, Redding CA, 96002, Phone:(530) 224-4830 Fax:(530) 224-9338, Email:Redding@abc.ca.gov, and obtain the proper permitting.

A potable water source is required. If you have a public water source, just submit proof (bill or connection letter). If part of a smaller system, you will be required to submit proof of potable water and quarterly reports.

After the plan check is approved, you can then start building or remodeling the kitchen (make sure required items have been permitted with Trinity County Building Division).

When staffing the facility, it’s important to know that all staff must have a valid food handler’s certificate and at least 1 food manager, with safety certification staffed at all times of operation, and completed within 60 days of opening a new facility. A list of approved testing in the area can be found here.

What is a food facility? 

A food facility is defined in The California Health & Safety Code under Part 7, The California Retail Food Code CHAPTER 2. Definitions [113728 - 113941] (Chapter 2 added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2.) California Health & Safety Code § 113789

 

(a) “Food facility” means an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption at the retail level, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. An operation where food is consumed on or off the premises, regardless of whether there is a charge for the food.
  2. A place used in conjunction with the operations described in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, storage facilities for food-related utensils, equipment, and materials.

 

(b) “Food facility” includes permanent and nonpermanent food facilities, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Public and private school cafeterias.
  2. Restricted food service facilities.
  3. Licensed health care facilities, except as provided in paragraph (12) of subdivision (c).
  4. Commissaries.
  5. Mobile food facilities.
  6. Mobile support units.
  7. Temporary food facilities.
  8. Vending machines.
  9. Certified farmers’ markets, for purposes of permitting and enforcement pursuant to Section 114370.
  10. Farm stands, for purposes of permitting and enforcement pursuant to Section 114375.
  11. Fishermen’s markets.
  12. Microenterprise home kitchen operations.
  13. Catering operation.
  14. Host facility.

 

(c) “Food facility” does not include any of the following:

  1. A cooperative arrangement wherein no permanent facilities are used for storing or handling food.
  2. A private home when used for private, noncommercial purposes or when used as a cottage food operation that is registered or has a permit pursuant to Section 114365.
  3. A church, private club, or other nonprofit association that gives or sells food to its members and guests, and not to the general public, at an event that occurs not more than three days in any 90-day period.
  4. A for-profit entity that gives or sells food at an event that occurs not more than three days in a 90-day period for the benefit of a nonprofit association, if the for-profit entity receives no monetary benefit, other than that resulting from recognition from participating in an event.
  5. Premises set aside for wine tasting, as that term is used in Section 23356.1 of the Business and Professions Code, or premises set aside by a beer manufacturer, as defined in Section 25000.2 of the Business and Professions Code, and in the regulations adopted pursuant to those sections, that comply with Section 118375, regardless of whether there is a charge for the wine or beer tasting, if no other beverage, except for bottles of wine or beer and prepackaged nonpotentially hazardous beverages, is offered for sale or for onsite consumption and no food, except for crackers, pretzels, or prepackaged food that is not potentially hazardous food is offered for sale or for onsite consumption.
  6. An outlet or location, including, but not limited to, premises, operated by a producer, selling or offering for sale only whole produce grown by the producer or shell eggs, or both, provided the sales are conducted at an outlet or location controlled by the producer.
  7. A commercial food processing establishment, as defined in Section 111955.
  8. A child day care facility, as defined in Section 1596.750.
  9. A community care facility, as defined in Section 1502.
  10. A residential care facility for the elderly, as defined in Section 1569.2.
  11. A residential care facility for the chronically ill, which has the same meaning as a residential care facility, as defined in Section 1568.01.

(A) An intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled, as defined in subdivisions (e), (h), and (m) of Section 1250, with a capacity of six beds or fewer.

(B) A facility described in subparagraph (A) shall report any foodborne illness or outbreak to the local health department and to the State Department of Public Health within 24 hours of the illness or outbreak.

  1.  A community food producer, as defined in Section 113752.
  2. A limited service charitable feeding operation, as defined in Section 113819.

 

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 493, Sec. 2.3. (AB 2524) Effective January

 

Cottage Food Operations (CFOs)

Cottage Food Operations (CFOs) are Food Facilities where the food products are created in an individual's approved private home kitchen. 

A “Class A” COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION shall not be open for business unless it is registered with the local ENFORCEMENT AGENCY and has submitted a completed, self-certification checklist approved by the local ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. The self-certification checklist shall verify that the COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION conforms to this chapter, including the following requirements:

(i) No COTTAGE FOOD PREPARATION, packaging, or handling may occur in the home kitchen concurrent with any other domestic activities, such as family meal preparation, dishwashing, clothes washing or ironing, kitchen cleaning, or guest entertainment.

(ii) No infants, small children, or pets may be in the home kitchen during the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage FOOD products.

(iii) Kitchen EQUIPMENT and UTENSILs used to produce cottage FOOD products shall be clean and maintained in a good state of repair.

(iv) All FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES, EQUIPMENT, and UTENSILs used for the preparation, packaging, or handling of any cottage FOOD products shall be washed, rinsed, and sanitized before each use.

(v) All FOOD preparation and FOOD and EQUIPMENT storage areas shall be maintained free of rodents and insects.

(vi) Smoking shall be prohibited in the portion of a private home used for the preparation, packaging, storage, or handling of cottage FOOD products and related ingredients or EQUIPMENT, or both, while cottage FOOD products are being prepared, packaged, stored, or handled.

Forms and Applications

Permanent Food Facilities

Mobile Food Facilities

Temporary Food Facilities

Catering Operations