News · Food businesses

Costa Rica Shut Down 39 Food Businesses in One Sweep: What Inspectors Check For and How to Prepare

Between May 28 and June 4, 2026, the nine Regional Directorates of Costa Rica's Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud) carried out a nationwide inspection sweep of food businesses. The results, as reported by Delfino.cr and Infobae: 777 businesses inspected, 371 sanitary orders, and 39 shutdowns, plus food seizures at several locations. The sweep was intensified after a salmonella outbreak in Ciudad Colón de Mora that affected more than 40 people and left one dead. If you run a restaurant, soda (Costa Rica's casual eateries), café, bakery, or any business that serves food, this article explains exactly what the inspector checks for regarding pests, and how to have your paperwork ready.

Why there were so many shutdowns

According to Delfino.cr's coverage, the main causes were poor hygiene, infrastructure problems, improper food storage and handling, refrigeration without temperature control, and missing or expired sanitary permits. A shutdown (clausura) means the business is closed and sealed, as authorized under the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud, No. 5395, Articles 355 to 363): days with zero revenue and, often, the business's name in the press.

What the law says about pests in your business

The Regulation for Public Food Service Establishments (Decreto Ejecutivo N.° 37308-S) applies to every public or private establishment that prepares or serves food. Its Article 61 states, in the part that matters here, that whoever is responsible for the business must "develop and have in place an active pest control plan," keep "a record of activities and applications that demonstrates compliance," use products "authorized by the Ministry of Health," and, if the service is outsourced, hire only companies that "must be authorized by the Ministry of Health."

In other words: the law doesn't ask whether you fumigate. It asks whether you have a documented plan, up-to-date records, and an authorized provider. All three get requested during the inspection.

The 7 pest-control points on the official inspection guide

Costa Rica's Ministry of Health publishes the Guía de Inspección para Servicios de Alimentación al Público (Inspection Guide for Public Food Services), the same document used by inspectors from the local Health Areas (Áreas Rectoras de Salud). On pest control, the guide checks for:

• That the business has an active pest control plan in place and keeps a log of activities and applications.
• That pesticide applications are carried out by trained staff or a company authorized by the Ministry of Health.
• That the pesticides used are registered with the Ministry of Health.
• That wastewater drains have grates that keep rodents from getting in.
• That there's an isolated, clean, pest-proof area for temporary waste storage.
• That windows in the processing area have screens or protection against insects and rodents.
• That the surrounding area is free of unused equipment or materials that could shelter insects and rodents.

How to have your paperwork ready before the inspector knocks

A professional pest control program for a food business should leave you with, at minimum: the written plan, an up-to-date application log (the Ministry even publishes an official record format), a service certificate, a numbered map of rodent bait stations, product safety data sheets, and proof that the pest control company is authorized. With that folder on-site, the pest-control part of the inspection gets answered by opening a binder.

EcoPlagas Technical Team

Pest control specialists · EcoPlagas

Content produced by EcoPlagas' technical team (Ecofumigadora Hermanos Paniagua S.R.L.), a pest control company licensed by the Ministry of Health, with chemical oversight and trained technicians. More than 10,000 customers served from 12 locations, green-label products. Learn more about us.