Food Safety Program

Our Food Safety Program is

• Committed to innovating through excellence
• Striving for continuous improvement
• Reaching out to the community
• Supporting a well-educated and professional staff
• Increasing transparency
• Making data-based decisions
• Ensuring the availability of safe food for the community through partnerships with the local food industry and community groups

Supporting Safe Food Vendors

Permitted vendors comply with laws and standards that keep your food safe. 

Sonoma County Environmental Health (EH) is committed to protecting public health by making sure the food served to our community is safe, clean, and reliably prepared. We regulate the sale and distribution of food to the public by issuing permits to food facilities—whether they’re permanent restaurants, temporary booths at approved community events, or mobile vendors like food trucks and carts.

When you see a permit from Environmental Health, you can feel confident that your favorite food vendors have been educated, inspected and received training to meet important food safety standards. On the other hand, unpermitted food vendors have not been educated, inspected, or trained to ensure that food safety standards are being maintained.

Buying food from permitted food vendors supports our local economy and helps to keep our community safe and healthy.

How can I recognize if a vendor is permitted?

• Look for our Sonoma County decal on the vendor’s cart or vehicle

Eating food from unpermitted vendors may increase your chances of getting sick.

What is the risk of eating food from an unpermitted food vendor?

• Lack of access to handwashing and restroom facilities
• Unknown where the food was purchased, prepared or stored
• Unknown if food was transported safely and if it is being reused from a previous day.
• Food may be held outside of temperature control, leading to the rapid growth of harmful bacteria that may make you sick
• Equipment used may be unsafe
  • Open flames can be dangerous
  • Materials not intended as food contact surfaces
    • Metal and plastic fragments
    • Food stored in containers that are not food safe and can contaminate the food
  • Cooking equipment and utensils may be dirty and unable to be cleaned on-site. Equipment that has not been cleaned and sanitized leads to the growth of harmful bacteria
    • Cutting boards, knives, tongs, and wiping cloths may not be clean
  • Food not protected from flies, dust and other contaminants
  • Lack of verified food safety training
  • May be operating in locations without the permission of the property owner or local municipality
  • May leave garbage, food debris, grease and wastewater behind
  • May discharge wastewater and grease into our storm drains

What are some ways to identify an unpermitted food vendor?

• Tent set-up on the roadside not part of an organized event or farmers’ market
• May be located on a street corner, sidewalk or parking lot.
• May be selling food from the back of a vehicle, shopping cart, or ice chest
• May be going door-to-door
• May be selling from their garage or backyard
• May be present outside a large venue or event, like a concert or show
• No permit sticker visible on their vehicle or cart

How to I obtain a permit to operate?

https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health-services/divisions/public-health/environmental-health/programs-and-services/food-safety-program

or call 707-565-4508

How do I report a potential unpermitted vendor?​

https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health-services/divisions/public-health/environmental-health/contact-us 

or call 707-565-6565