How Does a Food Facility Obtain a Gold Seal?

If a food facility has been determined to be in substantial compliance with the California Retail Food Code following two unannounced routine inspections conducted by a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS), they may be eligible. At the conclusion of the second routine inspection, if the food facility has met the criteria, the inspector will sign and date the Gold Seal and issue it to the food facility. The seal will remain valid as long as the food facility continues to meet the criteria at each subsequent inspection. 

An Award of Excellence Gold Seal will be issued to those food establishments that meet all of the following criteria:

• Facility handles open food (restaurants and markets)
• No major Critical Risk Factor violations
• No violation for lack of Food Manager Certification or Food Handler Cards 
• No more than five (5) total minor and good retail practice violations on any inspection
• Had two routine inspections

Major Critical Risk Factors are considered violations that may pose an imminent health hazard and warrant immediate corrections or may require closure of the food facility in order to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  These include, but are not limited to:

• Improper handwashing and employee hygiene,
• Contaminated food items,
• Improper sanitizing procedures,
• Improper food temperatures, and/or
• Food from unapproved sources

The following violations may also be considered Major violations: adulterated food, prohibited food offered to highly susceptible populations, no water, lack of hot water, sewage, and/or vermin.

Minor Critical Fisk factors are those violations that do not pose an imminent health hazard, never the less warrants correction.  These include, but are not limited to (employees lack of demonstration of knowledge as applicable to their assigned duties, improper food storage/display, inadequate handwashing facilities supplied, and/or lack of consumer advisory provided for raw or undercooked foods).

Good Retail Practices (GRPs) are intended to control basic operational and sanitation conditions within a food facility.  These are the foundation of a successful food safety management system.  GRPs found to be out-of-compliance may give rise to conditions that may lead to foodborne illness.  Monitoring of basic sanitation conditions in the food facility allows the operator an excellent opportunity to detect weaknesses and initiate actions for improvement.  Basic operational and sanitation programs must be in place to:

• Protect food products from contamination by biological, chemical, and physical hazards,
• Control bacterial growth that can result from temperature abuse during storage,
• Maintain equipment, especially equipment used to maintain product temperature

The Gold Seal is withdrawn when the food facility no longer meets the above inspection report criteria. The seal will be replaced with the traditional Orange Seal.

For any questions regarding the Award of Excellence, please contact your Environmental Health Specialist at 714-433-6000.