Food Safety
Food Protection Division
The mission of the CDPH Food Protection Division is to educate food businesses, inspect food establishments, address food-related emergencies, and otherwise act in the public interest. Through the inspection of food establishments and education of the food service manager, we are able to promote public health in the areas of food safety and sanitation to prevent the spread of food-borne disease.
In carrying out these responsibilities, members of the Food Protection Division conduct periodic inspections of food establishments in the city of Chicago. There are approximately 16,000 food establishments licensed in the city. These food establishments include restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, hospitals, nursing homes, daycares, schools, seasonal facilities, wholesale food establishments, and temporary food events.
The Food Protection Division gets its mandate from the City of Chicago's Food Service Sanitation Municipal Code and the Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Chicago Board of Health in support of its mission to provide food safety training for food service managers responsible for food safety, to perform inspections of food establishments to ensure adherence to the aforementioned regulations, and to provide service and education to the general public.
Learn more in our full listing of Food Safety pages below.
To file a complaint against a restaurant, food establishment, or pushcart food vendor, call 311
(or 312.744.5000, if you are calling from outside of Chicago)
Food Safety Pages
- Food and Nutritional Information
Learn about the foods and nutrients we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. - Food Code Rules Update
Learn about proposed revisions to the Food Code Rules. - Food Establishment Inspection Reports
Learn about food establishment inspections and the metrics by which they measure food safety and sanitation. - Food Establishment Signs, Regulations & Forms
Find downloadable regulations, forms, and printable resources, - Food Protection Services
Learn about the requirements that all foodservice establishments must follow. - Food Protection Services - Special Events
Learn about requirements for outdoor special event food booths, mobile food facilities, and food sampling applications. - Food Safety at Home: FAQ
Learn about food poisoning prevention at home. - Food Service Sanitation Certificates
Learn how to get a Foodservice Sanitation Manager certificate. - Pushcart Food Vendor
Learn how to report health or sanitary problems with pushcart food vendors. - Register a Cottage Food Operation
Learn about the Cottage Food Operation law and how to operate a home-based food production facility. - Restaurant Inspection
Learn about the CDPH Food Protection Division and its mission to educate food businesses, inspect food establishments, and address food-related emergencies. - Understand Health Code Requirements for Food Establishments
Learn about the types of food establishment health inspection and how to prepare for them.
Program Summary
Contact Us
- Address:
- Chicago Department of Public Health
- Food Protection Division
- 2133 W. Lexington
- Chicago, IL 60612
- Phone: 312.746.8030
- Fax: 312.746.8099
- E-mail: cdphfood@cityofchicago.org
