Various food-handling facilities, lodging facilities, and institutions are regulated by state laws and rules. The Environmental Health Services section of the Division Of Environmental Health, (Department Of Environment And Natural Resources (DENR)) provides statewide regulatory oversight of these establishements.

The Food And Lodging section administers state regulatory programs for the following: restaurants and other food-handling establishments, meat markets, public swimming pools (more information), child care centers, school lunchrooms, school buildings, tattoo establishments, lodging establishments, bed and breakfast homes, bed and breakfast inns, hospitals, nursing and rest homes, summer camps, local confinement facility, and residential care facilities. Staff are authorized agents of the State to enforce state laws and rules.

One function of the regulatory program is to make sanitation inspections of these facilities. You can review the latest inspection reports (for all North Carolina counties) by following this link*. These reports will show you the grade given and a list of items that need attention.

* WRAL-TV receives inspection report updates (approximately once per month) from Health Services Inspection Section (HSIS) and posts them on their website. In the future, the Brunswick County Environmental Health Services might elect to provide that information for Brunswick County here.

Child Care Center regulatory information can be found by visiting the Department Of Environment And Natural Resources (DENR) website for Children's Environmental Health.

The State also oversees the regulation of shellfish commerce. Shellfish sanitation rules have been established for the protection of the public from shellfish and crustacea that could cause illness. Shellfish sanitation rules can be found by visiting the Department Of Environment And Natural Resources (DENR) web page for shellfish commerce.

New restaurants must obtain a permit from the local Health Department. As part of the permit application process, prospective owners/managers of new restaurants must submit a plan for review by the Brunswick County Health Department. A Plan Review Application can be printed from the Department Of Environment And Natural Resources (DENR) website for Food & Lodging Plan Review.

Food safety is a critical concern, whether we eat at home or at a restaurant. A basic premise of food safety is keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This Temperature Guide For Food Protection" is a handy tool to print out and keep in your kitchen. For more information about food safety, visit the food safety website.