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News and Resources

The Orange County Board of Supervisors recently approved a plan to provide fee relief to Orange County restaurants as part of the settlement of lawsuit. Under this plan, Orange County restaurants that were invoiced for inspection fees by the Environmental Health Division of the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) between March 17, 2020 and June 15, 2021 (the “Settlement Period”) will receive a credit or fee refund based on the amount of fees that were invoiced to the restaurant during this period. The fee credits or refunds will be distributed as follows:

      1. If a restaurant has an outstanding balance of fees owed, then the restaurant will receive a credit against its outstanding balance.
      2. If a restaurant is currently operating and has no outstanding balance of unpaid fees, then a credit will be issued against their 2023/2024 anniversary fee invoice.
      3. If a restaurant is no longer operating and has no outstanding fee invoices, then a refund will be issued.

Click here to find more details about drinking water, recreational water and wastewater and COVID-19. 

Restaurant Inspections

Search the inspection records for food establishments in Orange County within the last 2 years. 

Restaurant Closures

Search the inspection records for food establishments in Orange County that were closed within the last 60 days.

Effective January 1, 2021, California AB 3336 requires food facilities to seal with tamper-evident methods any ready-to-eat food delivered by a third-party food delivery platform. This bill does not apply to food being transported as part of a charitable feeding program or food being donated to a food bank.

As of January 1, 2020, California retail food facilities shall use nonlatex utensils, including scoops, forks, tongs, paper wrappers, gloves, or other implements when handling food. Approved materials include, but are not limited to, nitrile, polyethylene, or vinyl. 

As of January 1, 2019, AB 2178 regarding Limited Service Charitable Feeding Operations (LSCFO) became law. The law was designed to make it easier for nonprofit charitable organizations to meet essential food safety rules while addressing food insecure members of our community.

More details on AB 2178 can be found here. 

As of January 1, 2019, AB 626, known as the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations Act, became law. The law authorizes local governing agencies to implement a program for the permitting of home kitchens for retail use. It is important to note the County of Orange has not authorized the permitting of home kitchens for retail food operations at this time. As such, anyone who operates a retail home kitchen from their residence in Orange County is in violation of California Retail Food Code. Violators are subject to closure and further enforcement actions. 

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency, Environmental Health Division is the lead agency for retail food operations and is working with the local governing bodies of the County and Citites on the implementation of AB 626. Please check back frequently as details on implementation as established. 

Full details on AB 626 can be found here. 

Click here for information from the California Department of Public Health on Industrial Help and Cannabidiol (CBD) in Food Products. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 48 million people get food poisoning every year in the United States. Children are at greater risk for food poisoning, because their immune systems are still developing. Help prevent food poisoning and follow these tips when preparing food for your family.

Food Safety Recall "Widget"

A food recall occurs when there is reason to believe that a food may cause consumers to become ill. A food manufacturer or distributor initiates the recall to take foods off the market. In some situations, food recalls are requested by government agencies (USDA or FDA).

Some reasons for recalling food include:

  • Discovery of an organism in a product which may make consumers sick
  • Discovery of a potential allergen in a product
  • Mislabeling or misbranding of food. For example, a food may contain an allergen, such as nuts or eggs, but those ingredients do not appear on the label.

Click here to access the widget provided by the Department of Health & Human Services.

Food Safety Tips

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