Restaurant Inspections

Purpose

In Snohomish County, a health district inspector looks at every aspect of establishments, literally from the ceiling to the floor. Inspectors look for compliance in two categories: critical and non-critical violations.

Critical items have the greatest potential to cause illness or harm to the public, including:

• Current food worker training for all workers
• Proper hand-washing facilities
• Raw meats stored below or away from ready to eat foods
• Proper food cooling and hot holding procedures
• Use of gloves to prevent bare hand contact with food

Restaurant inspection reports are available online.

Risk Factors

Biggest risk factors observed during an inspection:

• Bare hand contact
• Cold holding
• Cooking
• Cooling
• Cross-contamination
• Fruit and vegetable washing
• Hand-washing
• Hot holding
• Ill food workers
• Reheating

Snohomish Health District believes in educating the community and thus works with operators to create a safer food establishment for the public.