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Your Reliable Source for Food Safety
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Keep it clean, and make sure it's safe.
Food establishments must provide a sanitizer, and many use chlorine bleach. Bleach can come in different strengths, depending on the brand and intended use.
Make sure your bleach sanitizer is at a concentration between 50–100ppm chlorine. If your concentration is too low, it won’t kill germs. If it’s too high, it will leave a bleach residue on the food contact surface. Both could make people sick.
Make sure your bleach sanitizer is effective and safe for food contact surfaces.
Only use unscented chlorine bleach.
- Non-chlorine bleach does not have the active ingredient that kills bacteria and viruses.
- Scented bleach can leave chemicals in food.
Check the concentration of the chlorine bleach.
- On the label, under the active ingredients find the percent of sodium hypochlorite.
- How to make a concentration of 50–100ppm chlorine:
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Percent of sodium hypochlorite
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Directions
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5.25–6.05%
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Mix 1 teaspoon (tsp) of bleach with 1 gallon of cool water.
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7.5–8.25%
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Mix ½ teaspoon (tsp) of bleach with 1 gallon of cool water.
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Always measure when making sanitizer. Use chlorine test strips to test the solution and change the sanitizer every 2 hours or sooner when cloudy or used heavily.
You must close your food establishment when it has one or more of these health hazards:
- Lack of refrigeration.
- Lack of hot water.
- No water at all.
- Sewage backup.
- No power.
- Brown water or contaminated water advisory.
- Flood.
- Fire.
Let us know immediately by calling (253) 649-1417.
We can provide help and make sure your facility is safe to resume operations.
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What's inside
Making changes?
Planning to change your menu, remodel, add catering or change your commissary kitchen?
Contact our plan review staff at food@tpchd.org or (253) 649-1706.
 Do you or your staff prefer a language other than English?
Ask for a free interpreter during your inspection!
We want food safety inspections to be easy to understand. Prefer a language other than English? You can ask for an interpreter in more than 200 languages. And, it’s free!
Let your staff know they can ask for this free service during any food safety inspection. You can also post this flyer in your establishment.
Questions? Contact us at food@tpchd.org or (253) 649-1417.
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Companies recall food items because of a concern that it could cause injury or make customers sick. Many companies recall products voluntarily. But, in some situations, government agencies may issue a recall. Recalls can include raw meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fresh produce, and processed foods.
Food recalls happen for many reasons, including:
- Presence of:
- Bacteria like Listeria or
- Viruses like Norovirus or Hepatitis A.
- Parasites like Giardia.
- Foreign objects found in the product like glass shards or metal fragments.
- Major allergens present in the food that are not listed on the product label.
Recall notices will often tell you what steps to take if you currently have any of the recalled product. They might direct you to throw the food away or return it to the distributor.
Stay current on food safety recalls to keep your customers safe.
Find real-time recalls and safety alerts on our Existing Food Businesses webpage.
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Keep your cold foods cold and prevent foodborne illness!
When temperatures rise outdoors, the kitchen often feels twice as hot. Follow these tips to keep your cold foods cold at 41°F or below and prevent bacteria from growing.
- Regularly maintain your refrigeration. (See Help you refrigeration stay cool article below.)
- Assign staff to check refrigerator temperatures often throughout the day. If temperature is above 41°F, let your manager know and call a repair service. If you have another refrigerator, move food to it. You want to find issues early. If it’s too late, you might need to throw away food or your customers could become sick.
- Temperature regulated mechanical refrigeration is much better than ice for keeping foods cold. We only approve establishments with mechanical refrigeration. This is because ice melts quickly in a hot kitchen. It can be hard for staff to refill and keep ice at the proper level throughout the day.
- Preparation top refrigerators are super helpful but can be tricky. Pro tips include:
- Use metal pans for cold holding because they conduct and transfer cold to the food better than plastic.
- Add lids to help keep your cold foods cold while in the top rail.
- Don’t overfill your pans—only to the chill line. Any food heaped above the chill line will not stay cold.
- Some food is harder to keep cold. Keep less in the pans and restock more frequently.
- Make sure your food is already cold at 41°F or below before putting it in the top rail.
Remember—when in doubt, throw it out!
Is your refrigerator out of temperature range? Not sure when it broke? Take temperatures. Toss any Temperature Control for Safety foods above 41°F. Losing some food is less costly than the risk of making any customers sick.
Help your refrigerator stay cool.
When it gets hot outside, your commercial refrigerator has to work harder to keep your foods cold. A little care and maintenance can go a long way to prevent a breakdown.
Help your refrigerator keep it’s cool during hot weather.
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Clean—Regularly clean dust and debris from air intake grills and around condenser coils for proper air flow. Make sure to clean refrigerators with outdoor or rooftop condensers, like walk-in coolers.
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Space—Leave a few inches between the wall and the refrigerator so air can move around better.
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Airtight—Check the seals on your refrigerator doors for leaks often. Replace when needed. Over time, the seal can become loose, letting cold air out and making the refrigerator work harder.
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Capacity—Do not stuff your refrigerator with items. Make sure air can still move between shelves and around items.
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Temperature—Set and keep your refrigerator temperature between 35°F and 38°F so foods inside stay at 41°F or below.
Always contact a professional to fix or repair your refrigeration.
Remember! If your biggest piece of refrigeration, like a walk-in or cook line, breaks down, you must close. Stop preparing food until it’s fixed and holding at 41°F or below.
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Checking hazards and taking temps! Our food safety inspectors help make dining out a safe experience for everyone in Pierce County.
Want to join our team?
We're looking for food safety inspectors who:
- Make sure restaurants prepare food safely.
- Educate food operators and workers on regulations.
 You’ll get great pay and benefits. Learn more about working with us at tpchd.org/jobs.
Don’t see a current opening?
Fill out a job interest card for Food Services and you’ll get a heads up when new jobs open.
Planning a remodel or new construction? Need to replace an aging piece of equipment? Check your utility company for equipment and energy rebates. They could reduce your energy costs by 20–40% and save you money.
But remember! Before making any changes to your equipment or starting construction, contact our plan review team for a free consultation. Your project may need review and approval before you can start.
Contact your utility company for the latest incentives:
Puget Sound Energy
Save on energy-efficient commercial kitchen equipment, HVAC, lighting, new construction, thermostats and more.
Tacoma Power
Find rebates and energy incentives for lighting, HVAC, new construction, commercial kitchen equipment and more.
Other utilities offering rebates include:
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