The inspection process is extremely important. An inspector must look at every aspect of the establishment from the
ceiling to the floor and everything in between. The regulations for food establishments are divided into two categories, there are the
"Red" or critical items and "Blue" less
critical items.
Red items, when
out of compliance, have the greatest potential to cause illness or harm to the public.
Blue items have less potential to cause harm, however, they are still important.
Examples of Red Critical items include, food worker cards current for all food
workers, hands washed as required, raw meats below or away from "RTE" ready to eat
foods, proper cooling procedures, proper hot holding procedures, no room temperature
storage, etc.
Examples of Blue Critical items include, food received at proper temperature,
food properly labeled, plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained, adequate
ventilation and lighting, wiping cloths properly used, stored, etc
To get a better understanding of what actually happens during an inspection, we will
take you step by step through a typical restaurant inspection. Before we begin, here is the equipment the inspector will be
using for the inspection:
- The restaurant's file
- Inspection report sheets
- A white lab coat
- Thermocouple (probe thermometer) with alcohol wipes
- Digital Thermometer (as a back-up to the thermocouple)
- PH test strips
- Chlorine test strips
- Quat (a type of sanitizer) test strips
- A flash light (to look in dark crevices)
- Food establishment/Food worker hand-outs
The Inspection Step by Step Process
- The inspector walks into the establishment and introduces himself or herself to
the manager or PIC (person in charge.)
- On into the kitchen, the inspector will set his or her belongings down, put on
their white lab coat and gather their equipment (from list above.)
- Next, the inspector will find the hand sink and thoroughly wash his or her
hands; we must always set a good example.
- The inspector may now begin. He or she may take some time to look at the
overall layout and work flow of the kitchen. Observation is a key part in inspecting.
- On to the receiving area and dry food storage. Always be sure to look for any
rodent or insect activity.
Note: Dry goods should be placed properly
on shelves as to avoid any contamination by rodents.
- Next is the refrigerator. Most large restaurants have walk-in refrigerators.
The inspector will look to make sure that no raw meat products are above any
produce or ready to eat foods (RTE.) Also, the inspector will use the thermocouple
to take temperatures of various food items, and the overall temperature of the
refrigerator.
Note: Always look for properly labeled
containers/food items explaining what is in them and what date they will be discarded.
The inspector will be sure to observe what types of pans the restaurant is cooling
leftover food in and their overall procedure for cooling.
Note: Proper cooling procedure is to place
the food item in a two inch depth pan, place in refrigerator uncovered. Check food item
temperature with a thermometer to verify it has reached 41°F or less and then put cover on.
- After the refrigerator, the inspector will move onto the freezer. Here items
should be contained properly and the temperature should approximately be 10°F.
- If the restaurant has a specified food preparation area, the inspector will
observe to make sure there is no cross-contamination happening, also that
designated sinks (vegetable prep) are being used only for that purpose. Watching
also for frequent hand washing and glove use is critical.
- Moving onto the cooking area, the inspector will begin to take temperatures
of hot-holding items and/or cold holding items if applicable to the establishment.
Hot holding items may include soups or types of meats. Cold holding may be a type
of sandwich bar with different deli meats and cheeses or cooked meats, which are
refrigerated and stored until ready to use. In the cooking area, the inspector may
take temperatures of cooking foods, perhaps hamburgers or pieces of chicken. After
taking temperatures, the inspector again will observe the workflow of the cooking
area, being sure to watch for no bare-hand contact on ready to eat foods and proper
hand washing.
Note: Temperatures for hot holding are above 140°F,
temperatures for cold holding are below 41°F.
- After taking temperatures, the inspector will move to the dishwashing area.
Restaurants are able to have a dishwasher or a three-compartment sink, which has
designated areas for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing. If the establishment has a
dishwasher, the inspector will run the dishwasher through one cycle and test the
water with one of the sanitizing strips to see if the dishwasher is working
properly. If the restaurant does not have a dishwasher, only a three-compartment
sink, the inspector will verify the restaurant is using the sink properly. The
inspector may also test the sanitize buckets; these buckets are used to wipe down
equipment, and tables in the seating area.
- The last areas to check are the restrooms and the garbage area. Each restroom
(men and women's) should have hot water, cold water, soap and paper towels. The
garbage or dumpster should not be leaking and have a tight fighting lid. The area
around it should be rather clean with no excessive amounts of food or other garbage
on the ground.
- Finally, the inspector will head back inside to write up the inspection report.
Before writing the report, the inspector will ask for a menu. The purpose is to
make sure the restaurant has a "consumer advisory" if needed.
Note: A "consumer advisory" is required for establishments that serve
foods (i.e. meat, eggs) raw or undercooked at the customer's request.
After thoroughly reviewing the menu the inspector will complete the inspection
report being sure to write any violations, problems, or comments needed. This is
also for the operator's advantage to see exactly what areas they need to improve.
The inspector may give the operator handouts to help with making corrections, and
if needed schedule a follow-up inspection. Snohomish Health District believes in
educating the community and thus works with operators to create a safer food
establishment for the public.
To protect the health of the public, the Snohomish Health District Food Program orders
a restaurant to close only when the facility violates certain health and food safety
practices. These types of violations, called critical item violations, are the ones that health
inspectors look for most when inspecting food service establishments.
A restaurant is never allowed to reopen on the same day it was closed, and only when reinspection
confirms that all the violations leading to the closure have been corrected.
Restaurant closure can occur only when:
- An immediate health hazard exists, such as loss of electricity, a sewer backup,
a lack of running water, structural damage, or when a communicable disease in food
workers in the facility is confirmed which might cause a serious public health
hazard.
- Ongoing, severe and repeat violations warrant enforcement action after an
effort has been made to achieve voluntary compliance.
- Excessive hazard points occur following an office conference. This happens
if violation points exceed 100 total or 75 critical item points.
- The owner/operator fails to inspect, maintain and operate an on-site sewage
disposal system in accordance with WAC 246-272-15501(4).
- A valid food establishment permit does not exist.
Current Restaurant Closures
List of current Restaurant Closures:
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Establishment
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Kabah Mexican Grill
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Address
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13428 Hwy 99 S
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Everett WA, 98087
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Date Closed
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9-30-2011
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Time Closed
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03:30 pm
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Reason
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The Food Service Establishment had several critical violations of the food code. Hand washing facilities were inadequate & Potentially hazardous foods were left at room temperature amongst others.
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Status
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This establishment remains closed.
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Notes
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Date Reopen
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Display brief summaries of the restaurant inspection results: