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Health & Fitness

How Do We Know Our Restaurants Are Safe?

Follow up comments on a recent post suggested a restaurant with a squirrely problem, leading me to wonder how we know a given restaurant is "safe?"

My restaurant reviews are based on a simple premise….what would I tell friends after visiting a restaurant. Follow up comments on a recent post suggested a restaurant with a squirrely problem, leading me to wonder how we know a given restaurant is “safe?”

Paul McNulty, the , helped me answer this question.

Westborough has a very active program. Terry Gilchrist, CP-FS (Certified Professional, Food Safety) is the Health Inspector. She visits every licensed food establishment in town roughly every six months and does a very thorough review.

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In these reviews, areas are identified as critical or non-critical, with different timeframes for follow up:

 

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Critical

Non-Critical

Description

“Bad stuff”, such as no hot water, sewerage backup, sinks not working.  Rodents/squirrel infestations included.

“Technical” violations such as loose floor tiles, a hole in wall from moving things.

Response

Immediate, < 24 hours

Revisit in 10 days.  If not fixed, continue revisiting and charge $200 for the re-inspection.

 

Because of the town’s efforts, they almost always “find something.” The majority of the items are addressed in the 10 day timeframe. The town doesn’t publish these inspections (like on their website), however they are available for review in the Board of Health offices.

The Board of Health will force an establishment to close if the violation is particularly egregious. While rare, it does happen.

Each establishment must have a staff member who has taken a Certified Food Protection Manager course. Part of their role is to train new staff members on protocols. 

So the town visits every licensed food establishment twice a year minimum, and more if there are issues.

In the specific case of the squirrel report, the town immediately visited the establishment ensuring no chronic issue/infestation.

With folks like Terry and Paul on the job, our dining experiences can remain in the “front of the house.”

My personal thanks to Paul McNulty for taking the time to speak with me, and reviewing this post for accuracy.

The Author

Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis. You can follow him @glkelley or www.garylkelley.com

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