A video-based food safety compliance system for use in a food area of a building includes a video camera having a field of view that encompasses at least part of the food area, a user interface and a controller that is operably coupled to the video camera and to the user interface. The controller is configured to receive video from the video camera and to analyze the video to determine when one or more food safety compliance rules are violated. The controller outputs an alert in response to determining that one or more of the food safety compliance rules have been violated.