Food Safety: What Customers Should Know

A permitted home kitchen follows the same food-safety basics as a restaurant: a certified cook, County inspection, temperature control, and same-day cooking.

Who is cooking

• The permit holder must pass a Food Safety Manager exam — the same certification a restaurant manager holds.

• Anyone else who handles food must hold a Food Handler card.

• The cook filed written procedures with the County covering every dish on the menu: how it is cooked, held, cooled, packaged, and delivered.

What the County checks

Inspectors look at where food comes from, how it is stored, hand washing, cooking and holding temperatures, thermometers, cleaning and sanitizing, equipment, and whether children and pets are kept out during service. Are Home Kitchens Inspected? How to Check explains when inspections happen and how to look up results.

What you can do

• Look up the kitchen’s latest inspection on SD Food Info (steps in Are Home Kitchens Inspected? How to Check).

• Read the cook’s storage or reheating instructions.

• Ask about ingredients and preparation when you want to know more.

• Refrigerate promptly if you are not eating right away, as you would with any takeout.

If you have a concern

For a suspected foodborne illness or an unsafe condition, contact the County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ): (858) 505-6900 or fhdutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov. For anything about the meal itself, talk to the cook.

Inspection is a real safeguard. No inspection system — for restaurants or home kitchens — can promise that every meal is risk-free.