Our mission is to protect the health of the Turks and Caicos Islands by ensuring that food service establishments are in compliance with the respective laws while providing education to consumers.

Inspections

More than 500 food establishments (grocery stores,restaurant and food truck/food cart) inspections are conducted each year on a routine basis to monitor compliance with local regulations, such as the Public & Environmental Health Ordinance 2014 and the Food & Drug Ordinance 2016. Unannounced inspections are performed by a Certified Environmental Health Officer (CEHO). The CEHO provides the facility with a signed copy of the food facility inspection report at the end of the Inspection.

Our team of Environmental Health Officers conduct inspections using an Island wide standard "Food Inspection Report". The Food Inspection Report lists all possible violations, including Major Violations, Minor Violations and Good Retail Practices, and is an excellent tool for food facility operators to uphold the highest level of food safety. Officers receive continuous training on inspection procedures to ensure that food facilities across the Islands are held to the same high standard.Our inspection methodology prioritizes inspections based on relative risk and ensures the focus of inspections is on food preparation practices and public health interventions. For information please refer to our Food Standard Guide.

Inspection for Business License

Submit the following documents to the Environmental Health Department:

• Copy of business licence application - can be obtained from TCI Revenue Department
• Copy of past business licence (optional)
• Copy of owner's ID
• Financial Services Commission Compliance

Major Violations

When major violations are found, they are immediately corrected or a suitable alternative is implemented until they are corrected. Examples of major violations include unsafe temperatures of potentially hazardous food, improper hand-washing, food from an unapproved source, or improper cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces.

Notices & Closures

An Official Notice of Violation (NOV) is issued when the CEHO determines the facility is not in compliance with the law. The notice includes the list of violations along with a specified time to correct each violation.

The time period specified to correct the violation(s) depends on the type of violation. When an imminent health hazard is found, the facility is closed in the impacted areas. If the facility is required to close, the inspector will issue an official Notice of Closure (NOC), and list the reason for closure. A closed food facility must remain closed until written authorization to re-open is given by this department. All major violations must be corrected or a suitable alternative must be implemented before the facility is granted permission to re-open. Conditions that require closure of a food facility include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Sewage back-up
• Pests infestation
• Time and Temperature abuse
• Disease transmission/outbreak