Partake Collective is Ready for Its Closeup, Commercial Producer Says

In many food preparation circles, the phrase “health inspection” strikes fear in people’s hearts. 

Partake Collective is here to take that fear away. I have provided a cocina comercial health inspection checklist of items that – if you do them correctly – will allow you to pass that inspection with flying colors. 

Let’s talk about that very first health inspection when you are getting your business up and running. This checklist assumes you are renting a kitchen or kitchen space at an established commercial or ghost kitchen. 

1. To apply for a health permit operating out of a permitted shared kitchen complex, a signed rental agreement is required. The facility must already have its own valid health permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Health (Partake Collective has one at both locations), and a copy must be submitted with your application. 
2. Other paperwork required for the application includes your business license, your company’s legal description, proof of liability insurance and a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate for you or someone on staff. You also must show a floor plan of your work space, your proposed menu, any specialty equipment being brought in, and sample food labels for packaged products. 
3. A key to an acceptable application, according to the LAC Department of Health, is transparency. That includes a step-by-step description of the food preparation process, where raw materials will be sourced from, and where the finished product will be sold. This also is called Standard Operating Procedures. 
4. All equipment you bring into the rental kitchen must be commercial grade and ANSI certified (the equipment provided in the rental agreement is covered by the facility’s health permit). An explanation of how you will clean and secure personal cooking tools and how you will store ingredients and finished food between working hours is required. 
5. Establish a system to document and verify that all ingredients come from licensed, permitted suppliers. Keep detailed records – if there is an outbreak of illness, being able to trace the source of the food will be critical. Show how all ingredients will be stored at the shared kitchen – in refrigerated space or dry storage areas. 
6. Show your plan for food temperature control systems. Cold foods must be maintained at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and hot foods at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Prepare monitoring logs for accurate documentation. 
7. You need to document whether your product or meals involve common allergens, including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. If so, set up procedures to prevent cross-contact between allergenic and non-allergenic ingredients. 
8. Prepare a proposed production schedule as part of your operation plan. Set up a log sheet to keep track of your food preparation activity – the health inspector will check. Also explain how you will maintain your certifications, your employees’ California Food Handler Cards and other required licenses, etc. 
9. If you are planning to prepare packaged food for retail sale, at least one more license and maybe another will be required before the health inspection. The California Department of Public Health issues a Processed Food Registration. The state also issues Canning Licenses for low-acid canned foods or hermetically sealed products. 
10. Let someone help. A spokesperson at the LAC Department of Health said they could review copies of application packets to find any issues and resolve them before the inspection meeting. Assistance may be available at the rental kitchen facility, too. (Partake Collective can do that.) 

Speaking of help, Partake Long Beach has a dedicated health inspector assigned to our site every Friday. This makes the inspection and approval process much more streamlined and easier to assess for new operators coming in. 

There is an application fee to be paid as well. But soon, you’ll have a health permit after following these steps. No more Health Department worries, right? 

Well … Physical inspections can take place as often as three times a year in Los Angeles County. Here’s a secret for you. Pass that first physical inspection with flying colors, and the next inspection won’t happen as soon. 

The trick to passing that first inspection is essentially to do what you promised to do in the original application. If procedures are being followed and documentation is up to date, inspectors smile. 

There are a few checkboxes in the physical inspection to be aware of: 

1. Proper hand washing procedures. 
2. Proper sanitizing of food contact surfaces. 
3. Proper sanitizer concentration. 
4. Proper hot and cold holding requirements of potentially hazardous food. 
5. Proper cooling or re-heating of potentially hazardous foods. 

When everything is said and done, a little preparation can save a lot of pain and worry when it comes to health permits. At Partake Collective, we love to help make that happen. 

Doing research always helps, and tours of both Partake locations are available. Partake Long Beach is at 456 Elm Ave. Partake Los Angeles (Glassell Park) is at 3716 Eagle Rock Blvd. To book a tour, go to partakecollective.com/book-a-tour.