Denver is the host to approximately 5,000 food businesses. These businesses include restaurants, bars, convenience stores, bakeries, dairies, grocery stores, and much more. The Food Safety Program is designed to reduce the incidence of food-borne disease, commonly called food poisoning, through inspection of food businesses, education of those working with food, investigation of complaints, enforcement of regulations that affect the safety of food, and education of consumers about food safety.
FDA Bad Bug Book - This handbook provides basic facts regarding food-borne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins. It brings together in one place information from the Food & Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, and the National Institutes of Health.
Food-borne Illness Investigations
Food borne illness is a result of eating contaminated food that harbors enough disease causing bacteria or viruses to make you ill.
The Public Health Investigations division offers many forms of educational resources.
2020 Basic Food Safety Classes
Classes are also available to be taught in your restaurant by request for a flat fee of $250.
An online food safety course is available for $10 at State Food Safety.com.
In addition, the documents below can help you develop and implement effective food safety systems in your establishment.
Food Safety System Tool Kit - English
Food Safety System Tool Kit - Spanish
Food Safety Visual Aids (Less Color)
Food Safety Visual Aide (More Color)
Food Security Preventive Measures
Food Safety Training Series: Rapid Cooling (English)
Food Safety Training Series: Cross Contamination Food Safety (English)
Food Safety Training Series: Proper Holding Temperatures (English)
Food Safety Training Series: Rapid Cooling (Vietnamese)
Food Safety Training Series: Cross Contamination (Vietnamese)
Food Safety Training Series: Proper Holding Temperatures (Vietnamese)
Food Safety Training Series: Rapid Cooling (Spanish)
Food Safety Training Series: Cross Contamination (Spanish)
Food Safety Training Series: Proper Holding Temperatures (Spanish)
*Now through April 30th, ServSafe is offering free food safety courses to help you provide food to your customers safely.
Reduced Oxygen Packaging HACCP example template
Time as a Public Health Control Application
HACCP Plan Requirements in a Retail Food Establishment
Sample Production Flow Chart for HACCP
Sample Critical Control Points Decision Tree for HACCP
Critial Control Point Summary Chart
Managing Food Safety - An Operators Manual for Applying HACCP
The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) mission is to empower Denver’s communities to live better, longer. The Public Health Inspections Division, a division of DDPHE, meets this mission by educating people who work in regulated industries and settings, investigating public health hazards, and enforcing public health laws. It is our goal to serve all citizens and customers with respect, transparency and professionalism in a timely manner. Your feedback is critical in helping us achieve our goals. Please take a moment to complete the PHI Customer Service Survey below.
Take an anonymous survey to let us know how your most recent inspection went.
Por favor, visite http://surveymonkey.com/s/foodinspectionsurveyespanol para completar una encuesta breve y proporcionarnos realimentación sobre esta inspección.
PHI's Mobile Food News quarterly newsletter is intended to keep the food truck and food cart industry informed about upcoming events, health and safety requirements, and helpful tips to keep mobile food units running safely.
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
101 W Colfax Ave., 8th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
720-913-1311
Fax: 720-865-5534
phicomments@denvergov.org
Complaints can be filed with the Public Health Investigations Division for issues related to :
An investigator will follow up with you to let you know the outcome of the investigation.
Please note that most complaints, as well as other inspection records and reports we generate, are considered public records.
Please call 720-944-3000 to be connected to the statewide Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline.