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The Fox Goes Free

339 Kingston Rd, Pickering ON L1V 1A1 · Food Safety Inspections

Official record from Durham Region →

Inspection summary

The Fox Goes Free has been inspected 11 times by Durham Region Health Department since November 26, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 31, 2026, found no infractions.

4 of 11 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 6 inspections with 19 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Chemicals and toxic substances, Pests and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.

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.

  • 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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on December 3, 2025. For example: Toxic / poisonous substances (chemicals / pesticides) to be stored separately from food

  • 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 across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 24, 2026. For example: Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents

  • 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 April 15, 2026. For example: Hand washing basin with supplies of hot and cold water, soap in a dispenser and single-use towels

  • 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 April 7, 2026. For example: Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration

  • 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 November 26, 2024. For example: Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer

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.

11 inspections

  1. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  2. Routine

    6 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
      • * Fail to ensure hand washing basin is easily accessible
      • Operator to ensure a designated hand washing basin is provided and/or accessible in each food preparation area
    • 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
    • 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
    • Adequate protection against the entrance of insects, vermin, and rodents
      • * Evidence of pests observed
    • 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
    • Walls clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure walls of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure walls of food premise are maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
  3. Re-Inspection

    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
    • 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
    • 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
    • Ceilings clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure ceiling of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure ceiling of the food premise is maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
    • General housekeeping is satisfactory
      • * Fail to remove all materials not associated with the daily operation of the food premise
      • Operator to remove all materials not associated with the daily operation of food premise
  4. Routine

    6 infractions

    • Food protected from potential contamination and/or adulteration
      • * Observed potentially hazardous food not covered to prevent contamination / 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
    • 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
    • Walls clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure walls of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure walls of food premise are maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
    • Ceilings clean and in good repair
      • * Fail to ensure ceiling of food premise kept clean and in good repair
      • Operator to ensure ceiling of the food premise is maintained in a sanitary condition and in good repair
    • General housekeeping is satisfactory
      • * Fail to remove all materials not associated with the daily operation of the food premise
      • * Fail to arrange furniture, equipment and appliances as to permit thorough cleaning and the maintaining of the room or place in a clean and sanitary condition
      • Operator to remove all materials not associated with the daily operation of food premise
      • Operator to ensure the furniture, equipment and appliances are arranged to permit thorough cleaning and the maintaining of the room or place in a clean and sanitary condition
  5. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  6. Routine

    2 infractions

    • 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
  7. Routine

    3 infractions

    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
  8. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  9. Routine

    5 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
      • * Fail to ensure hand washing basin is easily accessible
      • Operator to ensure a designated hand washing basin is provided and/or accessible in each food preparation area
    • 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
    • Minimum of 1 Certified Food Handler per hour of operation?
      • * Fail to provide a minimum of 1 certified food handler per hour of operation
      • Operator to ensure a minimum of 1 certified food handler is present during every hour of operation
    • Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)
      • * Fail to maintain utensils, multi-service articles and/or food contact surfaces in a clean and sanitary manner and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces, utensils and/or multi-service articles are cleaned and sanitized after each use and are maintained in good repair
    • 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
  10. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  11. Routine

    4 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
      • * Fail to ensure hand washing basin is easily accessible
      • Operator to ensure a designated hand washing basin is provided and/or accessible in each food preparation area
    • Food contact surfaces properly designed, constructed, installed, maintained, located (smooth, non-absorbent, cleanable, corrosion resistant and non-toxic)
      • * Fail to maintain utensils, multi-service articles and/or food contact surfaces in a clean and sanitary manner and/or in good repair
      • Operator to ensure all food contact surfaces, utensils and/or multi-service articles are cleaned and sanitized after each use and are maintained in good repair
    • 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
    • Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
      • * Fail to ensure adequate sanitizer concentration are achieved for sanitizing
      • Operator to ensure the appropriate chemicals and/or temperatures are used for proper washing and sanitizing

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