Article 8 Food & Food Products
Limited Service Charitable Feeding Operations
Food Safety During Power Outages
Office: (415) 252-3800
Fax: (415) 252-3842
The Menu Labeling Final Rule went into effect in May 2018. This law applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments if they are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, offering for sale substantially the same menu items and offering for sale restaurant-type foods.
The Food Safety Program works with retail food facilities in the city and county of San Francisco to ensure food that is offered to the general public is safe and wholesome. Outreach, education, on-site training, regulation, and monitoring are some of the services we provide.
A Health Permit to Operate must be obtained from the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) to operate a retail food facility.
Food facilities include but are not limited to restaurants, markets, bars, bakeries, liquor stores, school cafeterias, catering facilities, commissaries, and vending machines.
SFDPH Environmental Health issues permits for the following types of retail food operations:
- Restaurants, Retail Markets, Bars, Bakeries, Catering Facilities/Commissaries, Cafeterias (Online Permit Application!)
- Caterers (Online Permit Application!)
- Cottage Food Operations (California Homemade Food Act - AB1616)
- Farmers Markets
- Mobile Food Facilities
- "Pop-ups" and other Non-traditional Food Facilities
- Temporary Food Facilities (TFFs) at Special Events
For any new construction or remodeling of a food facility, the Department of Public Health must perform a Plan Check to review construction plans to ensure that the physical requirements set by the California Health and Safety Code are met. The applicant should also check with the Department of Building Inspection to determine if a new Building Permit Application is required.
In addition to issuing permits and reviewing construction plans for restaurants, markets, and other retail food operations, SFDPH Environmental Health also conducts the following:
San Francisco Planning Department- New food establishments may require approval of the land use from the Planning Department.
Building Department - A building permit is required if new construction or remodeling occurs in a food facility.
Fire Department - A fire safety inspection of a new business is required to ensure that reasonable fire safety standards exist.
Public Works - Permit is required for use of public walkways, alleys and streets for chairs and seating.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) - permit may be required for coffee roasters, charbroilers, and smokehouses.
Call Environmental Health at (415) 252-3800 for: (1) foodborne illness complaints when three people or less are ill and/or (2) general complaints about food establishments. To learn more about foodborne illness investigations, click here.
Call Disease Control as soon as possible at (415) 554-2830 for foodborne illness complaints involving more than four (4) people.
If you would like to make a complaint regarding other Environmental Health issues, you may call 311.
- Service 24x7
San Francisco Department of Public Health Environmental Health Branch