Ben & Florentine

Inspection summary

Ben & Florentine has been inspected 3 times by Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (Food Safety Program) since June 26, 2024. The most recent inspection, on July 8, 2026, recorded 7 infractions.

2 of 3 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 7 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Food temperature control and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

• PestsHigher risk

  Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.

  Recorded 2 times on July 8, 2026. For example: 19(1)(e) A food establishment must be located, designed, constructed and maintained to ensure all of the following: (e) that there is effective protection to prevent the access and sheltering of insects, rodents and other pests.

• Food temperature controlHigher risk

  Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.

  Recorded 2 times on July 8, 2026. For example: 33(1) An operator must ensure that the temperature of food is controlled so that the food does not deteriorate or become inedible or unsafe.

• Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

  Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

  Recorded once on July 8, 2026. For example: 19(2)(b) A food establishment must provide all of the following in accordance with applicable legislation or as considered acceptable by the Administrator: (b) adequately designed and appropriately located hand-washing facilities;

• Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

  Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

  Recorded once on July 8, 2026. For example: 23(1)(b) All equipment and utensils used to process, prepare, store, serve, sell or display food must be designed, constructed, installed and maintained to (b) allow adequate cleaning, sanitizing and maintenance.

• Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

  This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

  Recorded once on July 8, 2026. For example: 27(d) A food establishment must develop and demonstrate policies and procedures for personnel that ensure that a person entering a food handling area or engaging in an operation in a food establishment who comes into contact with food meets all of the following: (d) the person washes their hands as often as is necessary to prevent contamination of food;

About this data

These results come from Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (Food Safety Program), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

• View the official Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (Food Safety Program) disclosure site
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• How to read an inspection report