Food Establishment Inspection Program Overview

All food establishments within the Village of Palatine are licensed; permitted; and subject to inspection by the Environmental Health Division.  All food establishments shall comply with the Palatine Code of Ordinances.  Our inspection staff consists of two full-time Sanitarians and a Field Director who are licensed by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation as Environmental Health Practitioners.

Food Establishment Inspections 

The new state food code follows best practices in food safety and falls in line with national standards, creating more uniformity in inspections. The system moves away from the older, traditional 100-point inspection scoring system and instead uses a risk-based inspection approach. This puts an emphasis on Foodborne Illness Risk Factors - the violations which are more likely to lead to consumers getting sick.  The CDC has identified 5 major risk factors which contribute to foodborne illness.  They are:

•   Improper hot and cold holding temperatures.
•   Improper cooking temperatures.
•   Poor employee health and hygiene.
•   Contaminated utensils and equipment.
•   Food from unsafe sources.

Food establishments in the Village are inspected routinely and unannounced depending on the risk assessment classification (Category I, II, or III) assigned to each food establishment. Risk assessments are based on the State of Illinois Food Service Sanitation Code and other applicable food safety regulations.

The general yearly inspection schedule is as follows:

• Category I Establishments - 3 inspections
• Category II Establishments - 2 inspections
• Category III Establishments - 1 inspection

A uniform inspection report was also adopted and all health departments in Illinois must implement the FDA Food Code and new inspection report in their jurisdiction by January 1, 2019. The new inspection report promotes a risk-based inspection, where the Foodborne Illness Risk Factors and Public Health Interventions are the primary focus of the inspection.

• To view a sample inspection report please select here.
• Additional guidance on reading the inspection report can be found here.