Food Safety Updates
As of July 1, 2021, the Alexandria Health Department will no longer require the Northern Virginia Food Managers Card. All food businesses will still need to have a certified food protection manager on site at all times of operation, but the additional card will be eliminated.
Ticket: What to Do
Did you or your business receive a Notice of Violation from the Health Department? You have ten days to decide what to do next. The back of the ticket lists your choices.
Pay the Ticket
- Complete the back of your ticket copy and mark "Admit Violation" or "No Contest."
- Take it to City Hall at 301 King Street. For business hours, visit alexandriava.gov/Payment or call 703.746.3902.
Disagree with the Ticket
- We recommend you first call 703.746.4910 and speak to your Environmental Health Specialist.
- If you still disagree, complete the back of your ticket copy and mark "Contest Violation."
- Take it to the Health Department at 4850 Mark Center Drive within ten days. If you mail your ticket, call us so we know to expect it.
- The Environmental Health Manager will read the ticket and invite you to a hearing at the Health Department. This meeting is your chance to show that the violation did not happen.
- At the end of the hearing, the Manager will decide to uphold or waive the ticket.
Food Protection Manager
Food Safety Guides
For Permit Holders
A list of documents, guides, and forms that can help you operate your permitted establishment according to code. Unless indicated, all resources are provided in a PDF format.
- Canned Food
[English Guide]
Pictures of when to throw out dented or rusted cans. - Demonstration of Knowledge
[English Guide] [ Food Protection Manager]
Guide outlining what the food protection manager will be asked about during an inspection. - Employee Health Guidance
[English Guide]
Guide outlining what you should do when an employee is ill and asks to work. - Employee Health Policy Agreement
[English ] [Español]
Form template you can use with your employees to meet the employee health requirements in the food code. - Food Protection Manager
- Guidance for Power Outage / Storm
See alexandriava.gov/51358 for more information. - Handwashing Posters
[ English/Español] [ English/Other]
Bilingual posters that can be printed to place next to each hand sink in an establishment. - Non-Continuous Cooking Guidelines & Procedures
[English Guide]
Guide on how to safely stop the cooking process to begin at a future time. - Parasite Destruction Guidance
[English Guide]
For those that serve salmon, sushi, ceviche, sashimi, cold-smoked fish or other seafood in a raw or rare form. - Process HACCP Background Information
[English Guide]
Guide introducing the major components of a HACCP quality control plan for food service. - Terrorism
- Time as a Public Health Control
[English Form]
Form template you can used to set up a 'Time as a Public Health Control' procedures.
For Everyone
- Canned Food
[English Guide]
Pictures of when to throw out dented or rusted cans. - Cooking for Groups
[English Guide] [Español] [USDA Website]
USDA guide for volunteers, church groups, or families who serving large groups of people. - Food & Water Safety During a Storm
See alexandriava.gov/80073 for what to do during a storm. - Take-Out Safety
[Website]
USDA guide talks about safety concerns for take-out, left-overs, and doggie bags. - Helpful Websites
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you smoke in restaurants in Alexandria?
Smoking is banned in Virginia restaurants. However, a restaurant may create a smoking section if it requests permission from the health department and meets one of the exemptions listed under Article 2 of the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act.
The most common exemption used by restaurants in Alexandria is when the 'smoking section' is structurally separated and separately ventilated from the 'non-smoking section.' When a restaurant qualifies for this or another an exemption, the Health Department issues a notice (poster) outlining:
- which exemption the facility has met,
- the description of the area that the notice refers to, and,
- a city reference number that our office can refer to during any subsequent investigation.
See this guide or visit the Breathe Easy website for more information about the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act.
Are pets allowed in Alexandria restaurants?
If you are considering hosting a pet night at your restaurant or business, call Alexandria Health Department at 703.746.4910.
Operators need to apply for a variance from the food code and must renew this each year to allow pets into their restaurants.
What is Food Defense?
What is food defense?
Food defense means preventing or eliminating the intentional tampering or contamination of food. Tampering or contamination may be biological, chemical, physical, nuclear or radioactive. Deliberate tampering or contamination of food includes malicious, criminal and terrorist acts.
Why should you be concerned with Food Defense?
You and your employees are the front line in protecting the nation's food supply. Everyday thousands of people eat, drink and snack at food establishments in Alexandria. Retail food establishments like yours have been identified as a potential target for intentional tampering and contamination of food. An attack on the food supply in Alexandria could cause mass illness and panic and have a huge effect on our economy.
What should you do?
The FDA, USDA and Homeland Security have created a number of food defense tools for food establishment operators and employees. Ensure that all employees are trained in food defense and can identify potential threats to your food supply. You can start by implementing the Employees FIRST and ALERT initiatives.
- Employees FIRST
- ALERT initiatives
- Creating a Food Defense Plan
- If You See Something, Say Something!TM Flyer
Remember, you and your employees should trust your instincts. If something seems suspicious, it probably is.