PREPARED BY: Environmental Health
DATE: 2026-02-05
SUBJECT: Food Inspection Dashboard Usage Update
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) conducts inspections of food premises under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act and in accordance with Food Safety Protocol, 2026. These inspections play a key role in preventing the incidence of foodborne illness in our community. After an inspection is completed by a Public Health Inspector, a written and signed report is provided to the operator. Inspection results on each routine, re-inspection and substantiated complaint-based inspection of food premises are made available to the public through the WECHU disclosure website within two weeks after the inspection.
In September 2025, as part of continuous quality improvement strategies, the WECHU launched a new user-friendly, interactive dashboard to improve public access to food safety information, enhance transparency and support informed decision-making for the public. The dashboard consolidates inspection results for restaurants and food establishments in Windsor and Essex County (WEC) together in one accessible interface and provides interactive features such as maps, filters, and infraction trend analysis.
To educate WEC residents about the new food safety dashboard and engage users, a comprehensive promotional campaign was conducted following the launch of the dashboard. Initial promotion was supported through Facebook boosted posts, metacarousel ads, Google display and radio advertisements which helped generate early views, capture community attention, and drive engagement with the dashboard. In addition to digital communications, the dashboard was promoted via Windsor transit bus advertisements and Adapt Media to help reach a broader audience.
DISCUSSION
At the end of December 2025, the dashboard generated a total of 11,693 page views (total times the page was viewed), 6596 total visits (unique visitors during a session), and more than 60,000 user interactions. These web visits demonstrate that users were interacting with various dashboard features, beyond simple page views, to inform their dining choices. It was noted that the majority of user views and engagement occurred during social media campaigns, likely due to the on-screen presence and interactive nature.
The food safety dashboard enables residents to view routine inspection results and complaint reports for all food premises within WEC. However, in addition to inspection summary, it also provides insights into common infractions and infraction trends across various food premises in WEC. These insights are being used to inform the development of educational learning modules aimed at supporting operators. These learning modules will equip food premises staff with ongoing capacity building on proper and safe food handling practices, sanitation and hygiene, with the intent of improving compliance, reducing infractions, and enhancing overall food safety for the community.
Overall, the dashboard has gained a steady growth of user activity since its launch that may indirectly encourage the application of food safety best practices in our community. As the WECHU continues to promote the dashboard and its importance to the community, improvements to the platform will be made to enhance user experience.