How to File a Complaint – Retail Food Establishments

To file a complaint against a Retail Food Establishment in Texas, please use the Texas Retail Food Establishments Jurisdiction interactive map to contact the appropriate health department. In many situations, a local health department has jurisdiction and the complaint must be filed with the local health department and not the DSHS Retail Food Establishments Program.

Texas Retail Food Establishments Jurisdiction Interactive Map

The Texas Retail Food Establishments Jurisdiction interactive map is an online resource that enables visitors to easily and quickly search health departments within the State of Texas. Texas allows “home-rule” charter government in the state. The charter is a document that establishes the governmental structure and provides for the distribution of powers and duties among the various branches of government. Home rule charters have the inherent authority to do anything that qualifies as a “public purpose” and is not contrary to the constitution or laws of the state. If a city or county have a charter in place they will have regulatory authority in those areas. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides the minimum standards for food safety in the state with the Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER). However, cities that have a charter in place have the ability to enforce more stringent rules and regulations.

For questions about the map, please see the step-by-step instructions below or contact the Retail Food Establishments Program.

Texas Retail Foods Jurisdiction Interactive Map Home Screen

Instructions

Texas Retail Food Establishments Jurisdiction Interactive Map User Guide

Please see the following step-by-step instructions for using the interactive map.

  1. Click the + button on the toolbar to zoom in and then click on the map to view information about geographic location.
  2. Click the star or triangle symbols to view DSHS Public Health Region office information.
  3. Click a city or county boundary to view jurisdiction contact information for the location.

If you have a complaint about a Food Establishment that is under a local jurisdiction, please contact the local jurisdiction directly – List of Local Health Departments.

If you have a complaint about a Food Establishment that is under the jurisdiction of the Texas Department of State Health Services, you may file a complaint to Retail Food Establishments Program.

OR

You may write to:
Policy, Standards, Quality Assurance Section
Public Sanitation and Retail Food Safety Unit, MC 1987
Texas Department of State Health Services
P. O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347