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Due to the wildfires in New Mexico, the ability to purchase or issue new insurance policies or increase coverage in affected areas may be limited. Please contact a Markel representative for more information regarding these restrictions. The health inspector is not there to shut a restaurant down, but to both enforce local food codes and educate staff on proper food handling practices. Listed below are some of the things an inspector will scrutinize when examining your restaurant. Critical itemsCritical items are those that are directly related to foodborne illness. Many counties denote these as “red” items on inspection sheets. Here are some examples of critical items:
Non-critical itemsNon-critical items are those that are not directly related to foodborne illnesses, but can become serious problems if not corrected. These items are usually denoted as “blue” items on an inspection sheet. Here are some examples of non-critical items:
Potentially hazardous foodsHealth inspectors pay special attention to potentially hazardous foods. These foods require precise time and temperature maintenance to prevent bacterial grown and food related illnesses. The health inspector will meticulously check cooking, holding and storage temperatures of all meat, poultry, seafood and ready made food products to assure they are at safe temperatures.They will also ask to see records to assure you are doing the same.Manager and staff knowledgeRestaurant owners are required to know their local health codes in order to operate a commercial food establishment. Management staff must have up-to-date training on food safety practices, and employees must demonstrate knowledge of safe food handling and preparation. The inspector will ask questions to test this knowledge. Employee healthWhen employees are sick do not let them continue to handle and prepare food. Send them home, or put them on a task where they are not handling food or utensils. Person to personcontact is a leading cause of foodborne illness, and sick employees can easily transfer their germs to your customers, no matter how cautious the workers may be. Note: This article is a generalization of the health inspection process. Please reference your local Food Code or health department for specific governing rules and procedures. Highlights
This document is intended for general information purposes only, and should not be construed as advice or opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. The content of this document is made available on an “as is” basis, without warranty of any kind. This document can’t be assumed to contain every acceptable safety and compliance procedures or that additional procedures might not be appropriate under the circumstances. Markel does not guarantee that this information is or can be relied on for compliance with any law or regulation, assurance against preventable losses, or freedom from legal liability. This publication is not intended to be legal, underwriting, or any other type of professional advice. Persons requiring advice should consult an independent adviser. Markel does not guarantee any particular outcome and makes no commitment to update any information herein, or remove any items that are no longer accurate or complete. Furthermore, Markel does not assume any liability to any person or organization for loss or damage caused by or resulting from any reliance placed on that content. *Markel Specialty is a business division of Markel Service, Incorporated, the underwriting manager for the Markel affiliated insurance companies.© 2022 Markel Service, Incorporated. All rights reserved. If your restaurant is selected for a random health inspection, it’s important not to panic. Venues that are diligent about their food safety shouldn’t have any problems, and you’ll be able to take pride in the results when you pass with flying colors. But it’s still a good idea to understand what happens during a health inspection, because even the smallest things can let you down. Knowing what inspectors look for will help you and your staff keep on top of your food safety obligations. What are health inspectors legally allowed to do?
TIP: Visit your local health department website and look up inspection reports for restaurants in your neighborhood. Find out what violations are common so you can pay particular attention to those areas. Make sure you ask them for their credentials before letting them into your kitchen. People have been caught impersonating health and safety inspectors, so if their behavior strikes you as suspicious, it’s all right to call your local health department to make sure they’re authorized. Train your staff so they know to do the same if you’re off site. You cannot and should not refuse a health inspection from a licensed officer. However, it’s fine to follow the inspector around, answer their questions, ask them to explain their findings, and make notes if they find violations. They may request access to certain areas, make copies of documents, take photos, film videos, collect samples, conduct tests and seize items. It’s important to remain cooperative throughout all of this and to quickly fix any issues they find. What is a health inspector looking for during an inspection?
To give you a general overview, here are their main focus areas. Food contaminationA health inspector will want to ensure that your food is being stored correctly, so that it’s protected against contamination. That means raw foods should be separated from ready-to-eat foods, and ingredients should be kept in food-grade containers with tight fitting lids. Storing questionable items near your food, like cleaning chemicals or personal belongings, will definitely get you into trouble. What will get you marked down
Temperature controlFood poisoning commonly occurs because your ingredients aren’t being stored at safe temperatures. Health inspectors will spend a lot of time checking the temperature of your food and storage areas. They will also ask for evidence that temperature checking regularly takes place, and for information about your temperature measuring devices. What will get you marked down
HygieneIf you’re spot on with your food safety, then handwashing probably seems like a no-brainer step to you, but it’s amazing how many venues fail their health inspections because they don’t have proper handwashing facilities. Inspectors will also want to ensure that your food handlers are practicing proper hygiene when preparing meals, which means no dirty aprons! What will get you marked down
General cleanlinessA dirty kitchen breeds bacteria. Make sure all floors, walls, ceilings, fittings, fixtures, equipment and food preparation surfaces are clean, and that there are no signs of pests or mold. It also needs to be clear that food waste is being disposed of appropriately. What will get you marked down
HealthIf your kitchen staff are handling food and there are signs that they are sick, your business is putting public health at risk, and you better believe you will be penalized for it. According to the CDC, 20% of food workers have admitted to working at least one shift while suffering from contagious symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea. Often, this will happen because food workers are unaware of sick leave policies. Don’t let your venue be included in this statistic. A health inspector will probably ask you questions about foodborne illnesses to make sure you understand the consequences of allowing employees to work while sick. What will get you marked down
What happens if you have a food safety breach?
If it’s something minor, it’s likely you’ll be given the chance to address the issue on the spot, or within a certain timeframe. Depending on the inspector’s criteria, you might not be penalized for these smaller items (though they will be recorded). However, you may face a follow-up inspection to see if the issues have been resolved. Use this time to reemphasize the importance of food safety to your team, and retrain them if necessary. If the violation is something more serious, you may be required to close your venue until it’s fixed. You could also be fined thousands of dollars. If you don’t comply with an improvement notice or you want to fight it, you could end up in court. In extreme cases, venues have been permanently closed. It’s important to note that your violations will be publicly listed on your health department’s website. And if your offences are particularly bad, a local journalist might decide to pick up the news, leading to some very bad PR for your venue. The moral of the story is, don’t get caught out like this. Be smart about your food storage and the cleanliness of your restaurant. Train your staff to clean their designated areas every day. Ensure you have a Food Safety Supervisor on your staff, and conduct regular (weekly) food safety checks. That way, when you’re hit with a surprise inspection, you’ll be ready for it.
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When inspecting a shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables a food handler should?70. An important safe food handling practice is cooking food to in its internal minimum temperatures. 71. When inspecting a shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables, a handler should check the boxes for evidence of insect contamination.
When a food recall occurs the operation must?Identify all recalled products. Remove the items from inventory, and place them in a secure and appropriate location. Store the items separately from food, utensils, equipment, linens, and single-use items. Label the items in a way that will prevent them from being placed back in inventory.
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