Under Ohio law, food service operations, including seasonal, are licensed and inspected according to their highest risk level of food service operation in accordance with the following criteria:
Risk Level I:
Poses risk to the public in terms of sanitation, food labeling, sources of food, storage practices and expiration dates. (such as coffee, self-serve fountain beverages, pre-packaged refrigerated or frozen
foods, baby food or formula).
Risk Level II:
Poses a higher risk than Level I because of hand contact or employee health concerns but minimal possibility of pathogenic growth. (such as handling, heating or preparing non-hazardous foods, or holding for sale foods that must maintain a proper serving temperature).
Risk Level III:
Poses a higher risk than Level II because of the following concerns: proper cooking temperatures, proper cooling procedures, proper holding temperatures, contamination issues, or processing a raw food product requiring bacterial reduction procedures in order to sell it ready-to-eat. (such as handling, cutting or grinding raw meat; cutting or slicing ready-to-eat meats and cheese; reheating individual portions; heating a product from a sealed package and holding it hot).
Risk Level IV:
Poses a higher risk than Level III because of the following concerns: handling and preparing where multiple preparation steps are needed to preclude bacterial growth, offering as ready-to-eat a raw potentially hazardous meat, poultry product, fish, or shellfish or a food with these raw items as an ingredient, serving a high-risk clientele, or performs a food service that deviates from the normal preparation process. (such as a serving a nursing home, health care or assisted living; serves raw items such as sushi, raw shellfish, raw eggs; catering services that prepare and transport food; reheating bulk quantities or leftover foods).
Temporary Food Service Operations
Temporary operations are operated at a single event such as fairs or carnivals for not more than five consecutive days.
Mobile Food Service Operations
Mobile food services operate from a moveable vehicle or portable structure that routinely changes location and do not remain at any one location for more than 40 consecutive days.
Vending Machine Locations
The Food Service department is also responsible for inspecting vending machines to ensure they are sanitary and maintain appropriate heating and cooling temperatures.