Tag Archives: grade

Scores on doors should be mandatory; can’t just choose to ignore a bad inspection grade; Wales will lead in UK

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Restaurants and takeaways in Wales could be required by law to publicly display food hygiene ratings on their premises.

It would be the first compulsory "scores-on-the-doors" scheme in the UK, the Welsh government says.

Ministers want customers to get more details about where they eat or buy food and say this will raise standards.

The proposals follow E. coli outbreaks in Wales which led to calls for a tougher stance.

Karen Morrisroe (right), who became seriously ill after an E. coli outbreak linked to a fish and chip shop at Llay, Wrexham two years ago, told BBC Wales, "I’m all in favour of a mandatory system. I know it could put some people out of business but if this is done properly it will provide customers with better protection."

During the outbreak it emerged that the fish bar had been given a 0 out of 5 rating by council officials after an earlier food hygiene inspection.

Under the scheme, businesses will be rated with a score of between zero to five based on standards on how the food is prepared, cooked, cooled and stored, as well as the condition of the premises.

All food businesses, including supermarkets, will be required to display their score in a prominent position or face fines of up to £1,000. Ratings will also be available online.

A statement from the Welsh government said a mandatory scheme has been backed by Prof Hugh Pennington who chaired a public inquiry into the 2005 E.coli outbreak in south Wales.

About 30,000 businesses in Wales would be covered by the scheme which could be in operation by 2014.

Currently, more than 13,500 have been rated under a voluntary scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), although it is estimated that only one in three display their rating.

A B C; New York City food carts should also be rated with ‘stupid letter grades’

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Restaurant owners in New York City want food carts to also be “embarrassed like we are with these stupid letter grades.”

Vinnie Mazzone, who owns Chicken Masters, also said, “If you are cooking, preparing and storing perishable items, there should be a letter grade on your cart. No question about it.”

George Constantinou, 35, co-owner of Bogata Latin Bistro, told Metro, “I think it’s only fair that they be graded like restaurants,” said in Park Slope. “The public can get sick if they eat at a restaurant, a food cart or even a convenience store.”

Food trucks are regularly inspected by the Health Department, but city restaurateurs are backing a bill that they say would level the playing field.

Queens state Sen. Jose Peralta plans to introduce a bill this week that would require the Health Department assign letter grades to food carts, letting New Yorkers know where the cleanest carts are — and which to avoid.

One cart owner said applying the same standards for five-star restaurants, which have larger staff and space, to vendors, "makes no sense.”

Rex Velasquez who runs a food cart downtown, called it a good idea. “At least you know if the cart is clean or not. I always keep my cart clean, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

NYC restaurant inspection grades get tossed over typos

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Spelling and grammar still counts.

Newsday reports that dozens of eateries had all of their health inspection violations tossed because of botched paperwork, automatically giving them an A and saving them thousands in fines, according to an amNewYork analysis of health tribunal hearings between July 2010, when the letter grading system began, and September 2011.

Kevin O’Donoghue, a partner at restaurant law firm Helbraun and Levey, said 90% of the cases he’d seen dismissed were due to an inspector error, like writing the restaurant’s name or address incorrectly.

“The judges will often just say, ‘There’s too much here and I can’t be sure this is the right,’“ said O’Donoghue, who has fought more than 100 inspections and has had a few totally dismissed. “A full dismissal is mostly going to come on the basis of there not being sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.”

Because it takes inspectors months to check all of Gotham’s eateries, more than a third of the restaurants that had their violations dismissed haven’ been re-inspected, leaving them with an A in their windows.

Of the 89 eateries to have their slates wiped clean, the data also shows that:

– Fifteen had failed those disputed inspections with a score of 28 or more.
– While 33 restaurants received an A during their next inspection, at least 23 failed their next time. Three were later closed for unsanitary conditions.
– Nineteen of them failed and fought other inspections during that time.

Judges who presided over the hearings did not return calls for comment. A spokeswoman for the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, which oversees the hearings, declined to comment on them, saying, “each case is unique.” A spokeswoman from the health department, which conducts the inspections, did not return calls for comment.

Name and shame for Canberra restaurants?

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Two months after a senior health official told the Canberra Times that Canberrans must not be told which of the city’s restaurants were deemed too unhygienic to serve food, because naming them would undermine the rule of law, Canberra wants to introduce a name-and-shame program for restaurant inspection disclosure.

Like Washington, D.C., the Australian Capital Territory is a unique government structure all its own. Although located within the Australian state of New South
Wales, which includes Sydney, ACT and the federal capital of Canberra can apparently make its own rules – at least regarding restaurant inspection disclosure.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC News recommendations include forcing restaurants to display official shame notices in their windows.

"We’ve had a couple of examples where businesses have been required to close and a sign may go up saying business closed due to holiday or something like that. So we are trying to look at how we manage that. That is, if you are closed because of a food safety reason that you have to display that clearly so people can see the reason behind the closure."

Ms Gallagher says they are also considering a ‘scores on doors’ system, which she says works well overseas in Singapore and Canada.

"Restaurants get rated against an ‘A to E’ based on their food handling techniques and inspections that are done. Obviously everyone would aspire to having an ‘A’.

Can’t speak for Singapore, but that’s not quite how it works in Canada, where a mixture of colors, grades and websites are used in various counties.

Regardless, Ms Gallagher said – without talking to industry – that she expects the industry will welcome the ideas.

"It is about rewarding those that do the right thing. It is about identifying the poor performers, it’s not actually doing anything against those who are doing the right thing.”

Lousy restaurant grade? Hide it (but don’t get caught)

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More than a year after New york City first required restaurants to post Health Department inspection grades, some owners of Greenwich Village eateries are doing their best to hide less than perfect ratings.

Andrea Swalec of DNAinfo writes that Famous Ray’s Pizza of Greenwich Village racked up 54 violation points in a June 7 health inspection, but its posted C grade — the lowest mark a restaurant can get without being shut down — was nearly impossible to see when DNAinfo looked for it last week.

Only a pale outline of a C, which is usually bright gold, was visible at the Sixth Avenue pizzeria, at 11th Street.

"Why does it matter?" a Famous Ray’s manager who would not identify himself said by phone when DNAinfo called to ask why the sign wasn’t clearer.

Health Department rules require grade signs to be posted "on a front window, door or outside wall where it is easily seen by people passing by." The card must be placed within five feet of the entrance, from four to six feet off the ground.

The pizza joint was inspected again Aug. 11 and received 26 violation points — which earns it a B grade.

However, its offenses include "evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas," according to city Health Department restaurant inspection data.

At the Subway sandwich shop at 315 Sixth Avenue, DNAinfo noticed on Aug. 8 that its C grade was posted on an easy-to-miss side window, between bright promotional signs.

Subway moved the sign to the shop’s door after a reporter pointed out its placement.

"We have moved it. Thanks for letting us know," manager Mohammed Mazar said when asked to comment on the sign.

The sandwich shop was cited for evidence of mice, improper sanitation of food preparation surfaces and not keeping cold foods cold enough, records show.

The Health Department has issued 123 violations to restaurants that did not place grade signs in the required locations, according to a department report on the first year of the grading system.

Rule-breakers can be fined as much as $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 for subsequent offenses.

Nearly 90 percent of New Yorkers surveyed in July by Baruch College said they considered restaurant grades when deciding where to eat.

Mum of E. coli victim backs UK hygiene ratings

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Sharon Mills, whose young son Mason Jones died in an E. coli O157 outbreak six years ago, has welcomed a new law that aims to force takeaways and restaurants to disclose hygiene records.

The Welsh Government will put forward legislation making it compulsory for all food businesses to put scores on their doors.

Currently it is up to the individual business whether to display their hygiene ratings – introduced last October – which range from five (excellent) to zero (in urgent need of improvement).

Mills told Media Wales,

“Consumers deserve to have this at-a-glance information because it can be hard work trying to find it. It will raise public confidence – it’s important people are able to make a choice about where the best and safest place to eat is.

A Welsh Government spokesman said,

“Wales will be the first country in the UK to introduce a mandatory food hygiene rating scheme.”

New York mayor wants letter grades for food carts

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The New York Daily News reports that the new system of grading city restaurants has been such a success Mayor Bloomberg said Monday that he wants to expand it to the city’s roving fleet of food carts.

"Personally, I would love to see before I buy from a cart a sign up there telling whether or not the guy washed his hands before he reaches in and pulls out the hot dog, Bloomberg said at an event trumpeting the benefits of letter grades for city eateries.

"I love to eat from the street vendors too," he said.

However, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, "It is more complicated because (the carts) are not always out there," Farley said.

Bloomberg crowed that since the city instituted the letter-grading system a year ago, Big Apple restaurant have been spared $3 million in fines by earning A-grades.

While overall fines shot up from $32 million to $42 million, Bloomberg said the bite would have been worse if restaurants making fast improvements hadn’t had their fines waived.
 

I year after public grades, New Yorkers still eating out (actual anniversary edition)

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After the first year of public displays of letter grades, 69 percent of New York City’s 24,000 restaurants had been issued an A, 15 percent a B and 4 percent a C; 12 percent had “grade pending” designations.

Susan Craig, a health-department spokeswoman told the New York Times the health department made 73,749 inspections with a corps of between 115 and 140 inspectors. Ms. Craig added that 39,000 restaurant supervisors had been trained in the department’s food-protection courses, 10,000 more than in the previous year. And the department’s Web site, redesigned to make the tracking of letter-grade scores possible, attracted 74,000 cumulative page views from June 2010 to June 2011, experiencing a seven-fold increase in page views over the previous year.

“We think this has been a great way for food establishments to make their customers know that food safety is important to them,” Ms. Craig said. “and that their patrons’ health is important to them as well.’’

The Wall Street Journal notes what food safety types have maintained for years: fast-food restaurants are among the city’s most sanitary places to eat.

In the past year, only 384 establishments citywide achieved a perfect score, meaning they avoided notching a single food safety violation during unannounced inspections by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Chain restaurants dominated the list of 384 city restaurants that received zero points, including 21 Subways, 16 Starbucks and 10 McDonald’s.

"We pride ourselves on being proactive and for keeping food safety a top priority," emailed Steve Kerley, a McDonald’s vice president.

"There’s a myriad of things that have to be looked at," said Chris Beischer, the chef at Mercer Kitchen, which earned a perfect score on its most recent inspection. "We worked very, very hard and I actually learned quite a bit along the way about how to make my food safer."

Perfect scores go almost unnoticed publicly, though. Restaurants can rack up as many as 13 points and still earn an A grade, which diners see posted near the entrance. Establishments proudly displaying an A might still house rats or roaches (5 to 7 points), employ workers whose clothes are contaminated (5 to 7 points) or use banned chemicals (2 to 4 points), according to the Health Department.

According to an analysis of the Department of Health’s data by Metro, 73 percent of Staten Island’s graded restaurants earned an “A” — higher than the citywide average of 69 percent.

"There’s a game being played behind the letters," Jason Stevens, the owner of reBar in DUMBO, said. "I’ve never bribed an inspector — which is obvious, because I’ve never gotten an ‘A.’"

One city councilman wants food carts to start brandishing the conspicuous “A,” “B” and “C” grades.

City Councilman Daniel Garodnick has introduced legislation mandating food carts be subject to letter grading. The Department of Health found 2,517 violations so far this year on food carts, ranging from food being kept at the wrong temperature, a lack of hand washing by vendors to even live vermin.

“There should be no ambiguity as to whether the food you’re eating is safe and clean and free of vermin and other problems,” said Garodnick.

For those wondering about the whys of restaurant inspection disclosure, start with this review:

Filion, K. and Powell, D.A. 2009. The use of restaurant inspection disclosure systems as a means of communicating food safety information. Journal of Foodservice 20: 287-297.

Abstract
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30% of individuals in developed countries become ill from food or water each year. Up to 70% of these illnesses are estimated to be linked to food prepared at foodservice establishments. Consumer confidence in the safety of food prepared in restaurants is fragile, varying significantly from year to year, with many consumers attributing foodborne illness to foodservice. One of the key drivers of restaurant choice is consumer perception of the hygiene of a restaurant. Restaurant hygiene information is something consumers desire, and when available, may use to make dining decisions.
 

1 year after letter grades New York people still eat out; Hawaii to launch color system

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Restaurant inspection may only be a snapshot in time, and the grading or disclosure systems may have bureaucratic rules and seem unfair, but disclosure helps build a food safety culture, for the buying public and the back kitchen.

Lisa Fickenscher of Crain’s New York reports Waldy Malouf, the chef-owner of Beacon, has been asked by several concerned patrons about the “Grade Pending” sign posted in the restaurant’s entryway. One customer wanted a detailed explanation before she would book a party at the well-regarded midtown spot.

With the city reaching the one-year anniversary of the letter grading system, on July 28, New Yorkers have come to rely on the prominently displayed signs. And many say the grades influence their decision whether to dine at an establishment.

This week, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley will mark the system’s first year by releasing results of the program. And if the agency’s previous findings are an indication, the majority of New York’s 24,000-plus restaurants will have earned an A.

The grades are “something the public wants,” said Anthony Dell’ Orto, owner of Manganaro’s Hero Boy. “You’d be antagonizing your own customers” to oppose the system, said Mr. Dell’Orto, whose Hell’s Kitchen eatery received an A.

The city has hailed the grades as a success by several measures. Officials point out that though just 27% of restaurants earned an A on the first inspection, in a second round for those with lower grades, a majority had improved enough to earn an A.

“We are more vigilant and diligent,” said Andrew Schnipper, co-owner of Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen, a cafeteria-style American food joint in Times Square that was recently awarded a top grade.

To gain his stripes, Mr. Schnipper ramped up efforts to keep his place immaculate and in compliance with the health code. That meant a checklist with items ranging from ensuring that refrigerators are equipped with thermometers to checking that bathrooms always have soap and paper towels.

Though forced to abide by the rules, most owners view the system as unfair. They argue that it is a cash cow for a revenue-starved city—in addition to a flawed snapshot of their businesses. Even operators who boast an A are skeptical about the grades’ effectiveness as an appropriate measure.

The Hawaii Tribune Herald reports big changes are coming to the way the state Department of Health inspects and evaluates food establishments. Soon, the public will know at a glance how a restaurant, school cafeteria or other food service establishment fared in its most recent inspection.

The grading system will be green, yellow and red cards – similar to the program used in Toronto — prominently posted in public view in the eating establishment.

The cards will be paired with an online restaurant inspection reporting system that will allow the public to see the inspection reports simply by selecting the name of a restaurant.

The Department of Health is formulating new rules and will hold public hearings on all the islands before they are adopted. The inspection system overhaul includes an update to the FDA’s 2009 food safety standards. Many governments are using the 2001 and 2005 food codes; Hawaii is using the 1991 code, Oshiro said.

If all goes as planned, the new system could be in place on Oahu by the beginning of next year, and on the Neighbor Islands by next spring.

The importance of restaurant inspections can’t be underestimated, said Douglas Powell, professor of food safety in the Kansas State University Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and one of the authors of barfblog.com, a blog about food safety.

"Public disclosure of inspection information helps foster a culture of food safety by encouraging dialogue about food safety concerns among both consumers, various levels of government and the food service industry," he said.

Toronto Public Health accepts Samuel Crumbine Consumer Protection Award at NEHA conference

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Would-be rock star, friend and colleague Sylvanus Thompson didn’t like the last picture I posted so he made sure he sent me a new one.

Toronto Public Health received the Crumbine Consumer Protection Award, consisting of a bronze Crumbine medallion and engraved plate, at the Annual Educational Conference of the National Environmental Health Association, on June 19 in Columbus, Ohio. This was the first time in its 56 year history that the award was presented to a local food safety jurisdiction outside of the United States. As a Crumbine Award winner, Toronto Public Health joins an elite group of local public health agencies that have demonstrated "unsurpassed achievements in providing outstanding food protection services in the community."

The selection jury noted that they were particularly impressed by:
? Innovative and new ideas in the realm of consumer protection with technically savvy items like a phone application for consumers
? Transparency, with daily website posts
? Internationally recognized program with strong impacts felt across the United States and elsewhere

Toronto won for its restaurant inspection disclosure system – red, yellow, green signs on the doors.