Food, Institution and Sanitation
Phone: 919-856-7400
Fax: 919-743-4772

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 550
Raleigh, NC 27602

Director/Program Manager:
Frances Breedlove

Location:
Waverly F. Akins Wake County Office Building (Wake County Office Building )
(see department description for additional location information)
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Food, Institution and Sanitation


The Food, Institution and Sanitation Division is a formal-sounding name for a group of people who keeps our citizens healthy by inspecting restaurants, upholding local health codes, and making sure the hotels and motels we stay in are up to par! Its responsibilities include these major areas:

Plan Review Activities
State sanitation rules require that new food, lodging and institutional facilities have plans reviewed and approved through our office. Our plan review staff, consisting of a program manager and two field specialists, handles consultations associated with facility design, reviews the plans and proposals for construction submitted to the office, performs the field evaluations necessary to ensure proper construction and the final facility inspection prior to the issuance of the operations permit.

Field Activities
The field staff is responsible for routine and followup inspections of all food, lodging and institutional facilities as well as followup on complaints, educational and consultative activities, enforcement concerning illegal operations and re-permitting of existing facilities. The term "facilities" encompasses many different types of establishments including food services, hospitals, child day cares, residential care facilities, lodging facilities, schools and tattoo establishments. At present, approximately 2,900 facilities are operating in Wake County. Field services is also responsible for environmental followup and abatement of lead hazards associated with lead-poisoned children or lead hazards in facilities used by children under six years of age.