Through the Eyes of the Health Department

In this introductory article I want to help you begin to view your operations through the eyes of the health department, which can help prepare you for your next health inspection. Remember…the primary purpose of retail food regulations is to ensure that foods are safely prepared, thus reducing the likelihood of an outbreak of food-borne illness.

In recent years, most health departments have moved away from inspections which focused on “floors, walls, and ceilings” and are now properly emphasizing food temperatures, personal hygiene, the use of sanitizing solutions, and other critical factors. For you to protect your customers and to gain high health department ratings, these areas must be under consistent control by the restaurant manager and the entire staff.

A knowledgeable health inspector will readily notice important behavior and practices as he or she walks through your kitchen, before even beginning the inspection. As a sample, consider the following areas:

1. Is there bare hand contact with food which can be easily and reasonably avoided? Are employees handling any ready-to-eat foods (i.e., salads or foods ready to be plated) with their bare hands?

2. Are sanitizing solutions set up and easily accessible in all food preparation areas? Are the cloths stored in the solutions between uses?

3. Does any food requiring temperature control seem to be unattended? For example, is a sheet pan of cooked chicken quarters sitting on a table for no apparent reason?

4. Are there soap and towels at every hand-washing sink? Do the sinks appear to be regularly used, or are they dry? Is a nailbrush present?

5. Are ready-to-eat foods such as salads being prepared separately from items such as raw meats?

6. Is there an obvious presence of cockroaches, mice, or ants?

Notice that all of these questions can be answered as an inspector simply walks through your kitchen for a minute or two. An effective inspector is a trained observer, so they will be making a mental list.

I trust that you are visualizing your operation as you read these points – performing a simple self assessment such as this can help you identify problem areas before your next inspection. Remember to step back and see your kitchen through the eyes of the health department.

About Jim Austin,

Jim spent 13 years in local government environmental health in both Oklahoma and Colorado. In his last position, he directed the Food Safety Program for the City and County of Denver for six years. He now consults with restaurants and retail food stores on all health department matters related to food safety, and is particularly experienced in successfully assisting clients who are in enforcement proceedings with their local health department. Additionally, he performs customized assessments so that restaurant owners identify problem areas before their next inspection and keep those areas under consistent managerial control in a cost effective manner. He loves what he does and enjoys helping his customers stay profitable by implementing low cost solutions to their food safety concerns.

Jim Austin
Colorado Restaurant Consulting
303-804-0919
CORestaurantCon@aol.com