The City of Wichita’s Food Protection program is an active participant in FDA’s Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. This website provides more information about this risk-based food safety program that aims to reduce the incidence of food borne illness and deaths from food produced at retail food establishments.

Inspections

Food inspections include monitoring food storage areas.

On September 22, 2008, oversight of state Food Service Establishments transferred from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA). KDA now regulates restaurants, schools, and other food service establishments, as well as retail food establishments, food manufacturers, dairies, and meat and poultry plants. Visit the KDA food safety website.

The City of Wichita Food Protection Program is contracted by KDA to inspect all food service establishments. As part of a local licensing program, the City of Wichita also inspects retail food establishments and other places where food intended for off-premises consumption is sold.

All food establishments are inspected a minimum of once per year, as well as prior to beginning operation and immediately upon receipt of a food safety complaint.

Food Protection 2010 Performance
Measure	2010 Final
Number of food establishments	2579
Food handlers instructed	11876
Inspections	3540
Food service and grocery inspections not requiring notice of noncompliance	91%

• Between 24 and 81 million people experience food-borne illness annually. (One in ten to one in three people)

• The annual cost of food-borne illness is between eight billion and twenty-three billion dollars.

• Food-borne illness costs each of us between $32.00 and $92.00 each year.

Food inspector uses electronic thermometer to check food temperature at buffet line.

The Office of Environmental Health Department regulates the following establishments in Sedgwick County:

• 2,000 food service establishments: restaurants, schools, cafeterias, delis, concession stands, mobile units, etc.

• 500 grocery establishments: grocery stores, bakeries, meat markets, warehouses, etc.

• 325 tobacco establishments.

Regulate the sale of tobacco products to underage customers.

Tobacco 2010 Performance
Measure	2010 Final
Compliance rate - refusal to sell to minors	89%
Compliance checks conducted	70
Citations issued	8

Review plans for new or remodeled establishments. Consultation with operators and potential operators. Provide information for individual citizens and groups including results of restaurant inspections and inspection guidelines.

Questions regarding grease interceptor installation, monthly fees if facility does not have an interceptor, or the annual permit fee, please call the Office of Environmental Health at (316) 268-8351.

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