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The Big Zen

7 4091 Thickson Rd N, Whitby ON L1R 2X3 · Food Safety Inspections

Official record from Durham Region →

Inspection summary

The Big Zen has been inspected 10 times by Durham Region Health Department since November 26, 2024. The most recent inspection, on September 11, 2026, found no infractions.

2 of 10 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 7 inspections with 19 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Chemicals and toxic substances.

The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.

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.

  • 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 4 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on September 10, 2026. For example: Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration

  • 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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on June 17, 2026. For example: Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels

  • Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk

    Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on June 17, 2026. For example: Toxic / poisonous substances (chemicals / pesticides) to be stored separately from food

  • 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 once on April 14, 2025. For example: Potentially hazardous food is held at 4°C (40°F) or lower

  • 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 April 14, 2025. For example: Food contact surfaces washed / rinsed / sanitized after each use and following any operations when contamination may have occurred

About this data

These results come from Durham Region Health Department, 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.

10 inspections

  1. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  2. Routine & Complaint

    6 infractions

    • Washing hands thoroughly before and after handling food
      • * Food handlers fail to wash hands as often as necessary to prevent the contamination of food or food areas
      • Food handlers must wash hands after they are contaminated and before handling food
    • Food handler (does not use tobacco while handling food, has clean outer garments, good personal hygiene, hair confined, free from infectious agent of a disease/skin disease, submit medical exams and tests as required)
      • * Operator / employee not free from infectious disease while working with food
      • Operator/employee to ensure they are free from infectious diseases while working with food
    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Observed food not being stored in a proper food storage area
      • * Observed scoops/utensils not being stored in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure scoops/utensils are stored and maintained in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all foods are stored off the floor
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
      • Operator to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
    • Liquid wastes handled and collected in sanitary manner
      • * Fail to dispose of liquid waste in sanitary manner
      • Operator to ensure liquid waste is handled and disposed in a sanitary manner
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  3. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  4. Routine & Complaint

    6 infractions

    • Food is prepared in a safe manner
      • * Potentially hazardous foods observed at an internal temperature between 4° C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F) for greater than 2 hours
      • Do not thaw hazardous foods at room temperature
      • Operator to ensure potentially hazardous foods are processed, prepared and manufactured at temperatures between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F) within 2 hours
    • Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels
      • * Fail to provide adequate supplies (single-use towels, soap in a dispenser) for the hand washing basin in the food preparation area
      • Operator to ensure hand washing basins are adequately supplied
    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Fail to protect food from contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all food is properly stored, displayed, transported and served to prevent contamination
    • Toxic / poisonous substances (chemicals / pesticides) to be stored separately from food
      • * Fail to keep toxic / poisonous substance in container bearing identifying label
      • Operator to ensure toxic/poisonous substances are stored in a manner preventing contamination
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  5. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  6. Routine

    5 infractions

    • Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels
      • * Fail to provide hot and cold water for hand washing in food preparation area
      • Operator to ensure hand washing basins are adequately supplied
    • Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?
      • * Fail to provide proof of a certified food handler certificate
      • Operator to provide proof of a certified food handler certificate
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
    • Sanitary maintenance of and provision of required supplies in staff / public washroom facilities
      • * Fail to equip facility with a method of hand drying that uses single-service towels or a hot air dryer
      • Operator to ensure the washroom facilities are properly supplied with soap/detergent, single-service towels or hot air dryer, toilet paper and hot and cold running water
    • Floors clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure floors of food premise are kept clean and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure floors are kept clean and in good repair
  7. Routine & Complaint

    1 infraction

    • Food is prepared in a safe manner
      • * Fail to ensure food is prepared in a safe manner
      • Do not thaw hazardous foods at room temperature
      • Observed potentially hazardous foods not being thawed in an appropriate and safe manner
      • Operator to ensure potentially hazardous foods are prepared in a safe manner
  8. Routine

    2 infractions

    • Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)
      • * Fail to properly store food in food grade storage bags/containers
      • Operator to ensure all food containers/coverings/wrappings are made from food-grade materials
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
      • Operator to maintain table covers/napkins/serviettes in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
  9. Routine

    3 infractions

    • Potentially hazardous food is held at 4°C (40°F) or lower
      • * Fail to ensure potentially hazardous foods are held at 4°C (40°F) or less
      • Potentially hazardous foods observed at an internal temperature above 4° C (40°F)
      • Operator to ensure potentially hazardous foods are held at 4°C (40°F) or lower
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
    • Food contact surfaces washed / rinsed / sanitized after each use and following any operations when contamination may have occurred
      • * Fail to ensure food contact surfaces are cleaned & sanitized after each use or as often as necessary
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces are properly cleaned & sanitized
  10. Routine

    5 infractions

    • Food handler (does not use tobacco while handling food, has clean outer garments, good personal hygiene, hair confined, free from infectious agent of a disease/skin disease, submit medical exams and tests as required)
      • * Food handler fail to take reasonable precautions to ensure that food is not contaminated by hair
      • Operator to ensure food handler’s hair is properly confined while handling food
    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Observed potentially hazardous food not covered to prevent contamination / adulteration
      • * Observed scoops/utensils not being stored in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure scoops/utensils are stored and maintained in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination and/or adulteration
      • Operator to ensure all foods are covered in storage
    • Equipment, non-food contact surfaces and linen are maintained, designed, constructed, installed and accessible for cleaning
      • * Fail to maintain all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are in clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
      • Operator to ensure that all equipment/non-food contact surfaces are maintained clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure filters in the ventilation system are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
    • Sanitary maintenance of and provision of required supplies in staff / public washroom facilities
      • * Fail to equip facility with durable, easy-to-clean garbage receptacle
      • Operator to provide durable, easy-to-clean garbage receptacle.
    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Fail to prevent the entrance of insect / rodent / pest
      • Operator to ensure food premise shall be protected against the entry of pest

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