HTML Preview Thank You Inquiry Business Letter page number 1.
Dear Sir or Madam:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding starting a food business.
The following materials are enclosed: a step by step guide to starting your food business, the Virginia Food Laws, Good
Manufacturing Practices, and other appropriate information pertaining to your food business.
If after reading the materials you have any questions, please call the Richmond office at 804-786-3520. If you wish to
proceed further and are ready to send in the required information from Step 1 in the Starting Your Food Business guide,
please mail your packet to:
VDACS-Office of Food Safety
ATTN: Rick Barham
P.O. Box 1163
Richmond, VA 23218
Please be advised that section 3.2-5130 of the Virginia Food Laws requires that your firm be inspected prior to
starting your food operation. Be sure to include the Information Request Sheet with your packet so that your
assigned Food Safety Specialist will know how to contact you for a follow up inspection. An inspection of your
operation will not be conducted until all of the necessary information requested in the packet has been
received.
Also, it is important to mention that there is a $40.00 “inspection fee” required for all of our firms. You will not be
required to pay this fee at the time of your initial inspection; however, you will receive a bill during our next billing cycle.
Should you have questions about this inspection fee, you may visit our website at
http://www.vdacs.state.va.us/fdsafety/index.html and click on Food Safety Inspection Fees—Frequently Asked
Questions or you may contact our office at (804) 786-3520.
In addition, if your proposal involves acidified foods (pickled products, salsa, barbecue sauces, hot pepper jelly, salad
dressings, pumpkin butter, etc.), your process must be approved by a competent processing authority, as described in
the Starting Your Food Business guide. Please be sure to include a copy of your process approval letter when you
submit your packet of information.
Please remember that we are here to assist you in any way.
Sincerely,
Pamela W. Miles
Program Supervisor
Food Safety & Security Program
Enclosures