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Food Safety

Restaurant inspector taking temperatures of food on a buffet

Restaurant & Food Establishment Inspections

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.

Food Safety Tools

DDPHE's Food Safety System Toolkit
State Food Safety Training Class (Available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Korean; Cost $10)
Food Safety Signage available from State Food Safety
DDPHE's Food Donation Guide(PDF, 2MB) and Supplemental Guidance(PDF, 341KB)
Educational Posters for Retail Food Employees from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) FDA in nine different languages (Arabic, English, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Retail food resources

What's New?

DDPHE's Basic Food Safety Class is online and available in English and Spanish
Food Business License Flow Chart(PDF, 199KB) - Determine the type of license you need to apply for when opening your food business in Denver
Guide for the Sale or Distribution of Hemp-Derived Products at Special Events(PDF, 277KB)
Changes to the Chapter 24 Fine Schedule(PDF, 804KB)
Foodborne Illness Complaint form - Complete and submit the form online!
Updated requirements for selling kava supplements in retail food establishments. Learn more about the requirements (PDF).
Food Donation Guidelines for Licensed Food Facilities (PDF)
Food Donation Guidelines Supplemental Information (PDF)

Contact Us

Public Health Investigations
101 W Colfax Ave., 8th Floor
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 720-913-1311
Fax: 720-865-5534
Email: phicomments@denvergov.org

Office Hours

Summer Hours (April through October):

Monday-Friday
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Winter Hours (November through March):

Monday-Friday
7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Need to file a complaint?

Complaints can be filed with the Public Health Investigations Division for issues related to:

Food Safety & Regulated Food Facilities (please use this form for general food safety complaints only)
Foodborne Illness (please use this form for Foodborne Illness [getting sick from a facility] complaints only)
Residential Housing
Body Art
Swimming Pools
Lead Poisoning
Child Care
Schools (grades K-12)
Noise
Cannabis

You can report any of the above complaints online, by calling 311 or by sending an email to phicomments@denvergov.org.

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.

To report suspected child abuse or neglect:

If you have concerns about possible child abuse or neglect call the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 844-CO-4-Kids, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your call is confidential.