Description
Inspect food establishments, public facilities, and housing for compliance with health and sanitation codes; investigate complaints and outbreaks; enforce regulations to protect community health.
- • Determine health code violations, issue notices and orders, and participate in enforcement hearings as needed.
- • Review permits, licenses, plans, and applications for food, pool, lodging, and body art facilities for compliance.
- • Prepare, organize, and maintain inspection reports, photos, and case files.
- • Interview complainants, employees, and managers to document conditions and obtain evidence.
- • Prepare written and oral reports, including violation summaries and chain-of-custody documentation for samples.
- • Evaluate menus, packaging, consumer advisories, and date marking for regulatory compliance and allergen accuracy.
- • Inform health care providers, facility owners, and the public about risks from contaminated food, water, or environments.
- • Implement and monitor programs such as risk-based retail inspections, pool and spa safety, and vector control.
- • Perform field tests and basic lab analyses, including rapid screens, surface swabs, and pool chemistry tests.
- • Review and approve HACCP plans, variance requests, and specialized processes such as reduced oxygen packaging and sushi rice acidification.
- • Assess grease management, waste storage, and sewage disposal to prevent public health hazards and nuisances.
- • Respond to public inquiries regarding permits, inspection grades, closures, and reopening requirements.
- • Conduct follow-up inspections to verify corrective actions and document compliance.
- • Investigate complaints involving foodborne illness, unsanitary conditions, pests, sewage leaks, mold, or nuisance odors.
- • Inspect restaurants, retail food stores, mobile food units, commissaries, schools, and institutional kitchens for Food Code compliance.
- • Educate operators and staff on sanitation, temperature control, cross-contamination, allergen management, and illness reporting.
- • Determine sampling locations and methods; collect food, surface, and potable or pool water samples using proper preservation.
- • Verify safe handling, storage, labeling, and segregation of toxic cleaning chemicals and sanitizers.
- • Stay current with FDA Food Code, CDC guidance, and state and local public health regulations.
- • Prioritize inspections and investigations based on risk and complaints; coordinate with epidemiology and partner agencies.
- • Record conditions such as food temperatures, pH, sanitizer concentrations, chlorine residuals, and pest activity.
- • Follow safety practices, PPE use, and field protocols to prevent exposure and cross-contamination.
- • Recommend and document corrective actions; embargo, condemn, or destroy adulterated or unsafe foods when required.
- • Maintain and calibrate thermometers, test kits, and inspection equipment; ensure vehicles and supplies are serviceable.
- • Support outbreak investigations by collecting exposure histories, coordinating sample testing, and implementing control measures.
- • Assist with emergency response to boil-water advisories, power outages, floods, and other events affecting food safety.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
