Food premises and COVID-19
Please see our Community Reopening Toolkit for information intended to provide guidance to residents and businesses to prepare for safe reopening of our community.
Public health notices
- United States outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce with implications for Canadians
- Outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to raw chicken, including frozen raw breaded chicken products
Watch our public health inspector discuss breaded chicken and how to cook it properly.
Food safety investigation: Various beef and veal products may contain E. coli O157:H7
Food recalls
- Food Recall Warning - One Ocean brand Sliced Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes
- Food Recall Warning - Clover Leaf brand Sardines Boneless Fillets - Garlic & Chive in Oil and Sardines Boneless Fillets - Smoked Jalapeño in Oil recalled due to potential presence of dangerous bacteria
- Food Recall Warning - Harvest brand Polish Sausages may be unsafe due to undercooking
- Food Recall Warning - Belle Grove brand Whole White Mushrooms recalled due to potential presence of dangerous bacteria
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Food Recall Warnings
DineSafe Durham
DineSafe Durham gives information on inspections. It applies to all food premises in Durham Region.
Inspection results are:
- A pass
- A conditional pass
- A closed notice of inspections over two years
More online inspection results are here!
Durham Region Health Department's disclosure program provides online and on-site postings of health inspection results, confirmed infection prevention and control (IPAC) lapses, legal action and complaints of inspected facilities to help Durham Region residents make informed decisions and protect their health.
Community special events/farmers' markets applications
Please visit our Community Reopening Toolkit for the most up-to-date special events guidance during COVID-19.
The applications below are best viewed and completed using Internet Explorer.
Request a Health Department display or presentation.
Inspection information for new food premises
The Health Protection and Promotion Act demands public health inspectors inspect food premises.
Contact the Health Department, and your municipality, to open a new food-related business. Do the same to renovate a current one.
Public health inspectors can:
- Issue tickets.
- Issue summonses.
- Condemn and seize food products they think are hazardous.
- Condemn and seize equipment they think are hazardous.
- Order operators to do certain work.
- Temporarily close the food premise to reduce or remove hazards.
Tickets can cost up to $500 per offence. Summons convictions cost up to $25,000 per day.
Health Department requirements | ||||||||||
You need written approval from a health inspector if you want to make changes to your restaurant. |
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Private water and/or private sewage | ||||||||||
If you own or operate a food premises connected to a private well you have to contact the Health Department. The same applies to septic systems. Private sewage systems must meet the standards of Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code. You may be contacted by a Part 8 and/or safe water inspector. |
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Submitting a proposal for a food premises | ||||||||||
The following must be provided:
You can change your blueprints after the review, but they must be submitted again. When the process is complete, you can arrange to pick up your blueprints and other submitted materials from one of our offices. Offices are open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Locations are based on the establishment's location: Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa and Clarington
Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships
If you have any questions or concerns, contact a public health inspector or other staff at the Health Department. |
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Inspection process | ||||||||||
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Operator resources
Food Rap newsletter |
Food safety during a power outage
Watch our public health inspector discuss food safety tips during a power outage.
Your freezer |
Follow these tips to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
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Your refrigerator-freezer combination |
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