Food Safety
Food Safety
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Food Establishment Licenses
While Benton County Environmental Health issues all of the licenses for food establishments licenses operating in Benton County, different rules govern different types of businesses.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please call our office at 541-766-6841.
New Restaurants
If you intend to open a brand-new eating facility, please review the Food Sanitation Rules and complete the Restaurant Plan Review Packet.
Click here for guides and forms
Previously Licensed Restaurants
If you are buying a currently licensed restaurant, you will need to obtain a new license. Please note that licenses are not transferable. To apply for a license, download and fill out the Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast License Application
Click here for guides and forms
Temporary Restaurants
To operate and serve food at a public event within Benton County you will need a Temporary Restaurant License from us. Please review the Temporary Restaurant Operation Guide.
To apply for a single event temporary license, download and fill out the Temporary Restaurant License Application.
To apply for a Temporary Restaurant License for a longer-term download and fill out the Intermittent (30 day) or Seasonal (90 day) Temporary Restaurant Operational Plan Review Application. The completed operational plan review needs to be submitted to our office at least 10 days prior to the first event. A temporary restaurant application is required each 90 days.
Click here for guides and forms
If you have a Mobile Unit licensed in another county and are traveling to Benton County to participate in a temporary event, please use our Mobile Unit Movement Application. Click here.
Mobile Food Units
To operate a Mobile Unit in Benton County you will need to apply for a Mobile Unit license. If you are buying a currently licensed mobile unit, please note that licenses are not transferable, and you will need to obtain a new license.
For a new mobile unit, please review the Mobile Unit Guide, Oregon Administrative Rule 333.162 and compete the Mobile Unit Plan Review packet. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call our office.
If you have a Mobile Unit licensed in another county and wish to relocate to Benton County temporarily, please see the Temporary Restaurants section, above.
Click here for guides and forms
Environmental Health Fees
Payments
Renewal invoice payments can now be paid online through MyHealthDepartment.com.
If you have a licensed facility invoice, click here to login and pay. If you are unsure whether your invoice is eligible for online payment, please call us at 541-766-6841.
Food Handlers
Anyone who wants to serve food publicly is required to have a valid food handler permit, issued by a County Health Department. This permit, called a Food Handler Card, is valid anywhere in Oregon for three years.
Study the Food Handler booklet
You can read and download the booklet below, check it out from a local library, or come by our office for a copy.
Take the Food Handler Training and Testing
The training and test are available online here:
Pay the Food Handler Card Fee
There is no charge for training or testing, only for issuing the official card. The cost of the Food Handlers Card is $10.00. Upon payment, the card can be issued the same day you pass the test.
You can view and download the Food Handlers’ Safety Booklet here.
Click here for a printable guide on hot & cold food holding requirements, including a list of commercial refrigerator servicers.
Customer Complaints
Any questions or complaints about a restaurant should be made to Environmental Health at 541-766-6841.
If you have a foodborne illness, we will want to know:
- what specific foods you ate
- the locations of where you ate
- the dates with times of each meal
This is all helpful information when reporting potential foodborne illnesses to an Environmental Health Specialist.
Inspection Reports
restaurants, mobile food units, swimming pools, spas, hotels, motels, organizational camps and other licensed facilities in Benton County are inspected on a regular basis. You can see the results of these inspections by clicking here:
Please note that there is a 14-day delay before inspection reports are posted online. If an inspection report isn’t available, please check back.