Consumer Food Protection

The staff in the Food Protection Program perform inspections of over 4,000 retail food facilities in Ventura County that serve or sell food to the public. Inspections are conducted to ensure that State sanitation standards at food facilities are maintained and the food service operators are trained in safe food handling practices. The food provided must be free from contamination, properly labeled, and stored and prepared under conditions that are safe, clean, and sanitary.

Food Protection Program staff also investigate public complaints related to retail food facilities and any suspected cases of foodborne illness. If you have a complaint about a retail food facility, or think you became ill after eating at a retail food facility, please call (805) 654-2813 or e-mail one of the Supervisors at the numbers below and leave your name, phone number, the name of the food facility, and a brief description of your complaint, including when you ate at the food facility.

State law requires that inspectors of retail food facilities be Registered Environmental Health Specialists. This Registration is obtained by passing a State examination. In order to qualify to sit for the State examination you must meet certain educational and/or experience requirements as set forth in the State Health and Safety Code. Click here for more information. California State University Northridge (CSUN) has an accredited program for Environmental Health Specialists. For more information on their program go to http://www.csun.edu/hhd/eoh