Learn about regulations that apply to retail food establishment operations in Florida.

Retail food establishments in Florida are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

A retail food establishment operation is any part of a food establishment involved in the processing, packing, holding or preparing of food for sale directly to consumers. The term does not include a wholesale food operation.

Businesses that typically fall into the retail category include supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, coffee shops, retail bakeries, retail meat markets, retail seafood markets, juice and smoothie bars, and self-vending water and ice machines.

View information about Special Processes at Retail. 

Retail Food Establishment Permit 

Program Resources

• Acidified Foods at Retail Industry Guidance [ 1.3 MB ]
• Automated Juice Vending Machine Industry Guidance [ 201.2 kB ]
• Conference for Food Protection, Inc.—Home
• Consumer Advisory Sign [ 1.8 MB ]
• Cooking and Hot Holding Food (English) [ 2.1 MB ]
• Cooking and Hot Holding Food (Spanish) [ 1 MB ]
• Cooling Food (English) [ 1.4 MB ]
• Cooling Food (Spanish) [ 1.4 MB ]
• Deli Slicer Maintenance Tips [ 2.1 MB ]
• Deli Slicer Tips [ 4.1 MB ]
• Dishwashing Signage (English) [ 191.4 kB ]
• Dishwashing Signage (Spanish) [ 651.9 kB ]  
• Employee Health Guidance (English) [ 249.5 kB ]
• Employee Health Guidance (Spanish) [ 250.9 kB ]
• Food Allergens
• Food Employee Reporting Agreement (English) [ 13.8 kB ]
• Food Employee Reporting Agreement (Spanish) [ 56 kB ]  
• Food Establishment Minimum Construction Standards [ 273.9 kB ]  
• Food Stored Without Temperature Controls [ 232.2 kB ]
• Food Temperature Log [ 1.3 MB ]
• Handwash Signage  [ 2.3 MB ] — Multi-Language [ 2.3 MB ]
• Ice Packaging Requirements [ 160.2 kB ]
• Listeria Workshop Part 1 [ Windows Media Video ]
• Listeria Workshop Part 2 [ Windows Media Video ]
• Menu Labeling Requirements
• Non-Continuous Cooking at Retail Industry Guidance [ 1.4 MB ]
• Norovirus Cleanup and Disinfection (English) [ 929.3 kB ]
• Norovirus Cleanup and Disinfection (Spanish) [ 261.6 kB ]  
• Packaged Juice at Retail Industry Guidance [ 165.4 kB ]
• Pest Control Plan Checklist [ 149.4 kB ]
• Retail Sushi Guidance for Processors
• Sauerkraut Fermenting at Retail
• Specialty Breads at Retail Industry Guidance [ 1.4 MB ]
• Temperature Requirements [ 2.3 MB ]
• Thawing Food (English) [ 1.4 MB ]
• Thawing Food (Spanish) [ 1.4 MB ]
• Unattended Food Establishment at Retail Industry Guidance [ 174.4 kB ]  
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards
• Wild Game for Retail Sale [ 111.9 kB ]