Facility and Process Review

The Center for Facility and Process Review (FAPR) conducts plan and process review for all food processing plants and prototypical f​ood service facilities in the State.  The Center works with the seafood and retail food rating programs and the Centers for Food Processing and Milk and Dairy Product Safety to provide consistency and quality assurance in all food programs. ​

Retail

Although many of the responsibilities for retail food are delegated to the local health departments, including facility licensing and inspection, the Center for Facility and Process Review has ​important roles in policy making, training, information sharing, and enforcement.  Retail food service facilities include: restaurants, coffee shops, short order cafes, luncheonettes, taverns, sandwich stands, soda fountains, vending machines, catering operations, retail markets, food operations in an institution, hospital, or school.  Special food service facilities, such as temporary and mobile operations, are also considered retail food service facilities. 

The Center reviews plans for prototypical food service facilities. A prototype is a chain or franchise operation planning to construct two or more facilities in the State from a uniform set of plans. All other food service facility plans are reviewed by the local health departments​.

The Center reviews plans for all processing (wholesale) operations in the State, including on-farm home processing, shellfish plants, crabmeat plants, canneries, food manufacturing plants, frozen food plants, ice manufacturing plants, confectionery plants, food warehouses, soft drink, and water bottling plants.




​​​This page last updated 10/7/2021​​​​

Contact Us

Maryland Department of Health 
Center for Facility and Process Review
6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301
Baltimore, MD  21202

Phone:  (410) 767-8400
Fax: (410) 333-8931​
E-mail:  mdh.foodplanreview@maryland.gov