When Public Health investigates a food establishment

A food inspector may visit a food establishment for different reasons:

A food establishment receives one or two routine inspections per year, depending on how a restaurant is classified. The permit classification is determined by seating capacity and the kind of food and drinks that are served. In order to assess normal operation of a facility, routine inspections are unannounced.

Routine inspections include education, observation, evaluation and questions to assess the different stages of food handling:

• purchasing
• storing
• preparing
• serving

The inspection criteria are based on risk factors for disease or injury. These risk factors, called "violations," are given numerical values or points. These violations are listed on the back of the inspection form and divided into two categories, red and blue.

• "Red critical violations" have the highest numerical value because they represent the highest risk for food borne illness. These include violations in the temperatures for keeping hot or cold food, hand-washing practices, serving the customer, and other areas.
  
  
• "Blue violations" have much lower numerical values and refer to the sanitation of the establishment and employee hygiene.

Higher risk leads to a higher point value in the violation. Consequently, restaurant patrons, food establishments and Public Health aim to have a low score during an inspection.

Public Health must close the establishment if:

• the inspection score is 75 or more red critical points
• there are 101 or more combined red and blue points
• the establishment has the same red critical violations 3 times within 12 months
• the annual permit to operate is not up to date
• there is an imminent health hazard (for example, there is a sewage back-up or no running water)

Re-inspections, or follow-up inspections, are required when:

• the red critical violations found during an inspection total more than 45 points. An inspector may use her or his professional judgement and re-inspect an establishment even if it has fewer than 45 red critical points.
• re-opening an establishment that has been closed.

During the re-inspection, inspectors evaluate the red critical violations noted in the previous inspection.

Public Health - Seattle & King County responds to complaints by citizens who see or experience inappropriate food handling practices by food workers and/or unhealthy conditions. Usually, an inspector will visit the site in question, assess the problem, work with the site owner or manager to correct the problem, and educate staff to avoid problems in the future. How to file a complaint.

Public Health - Seattle & King County investigates an average of 1,200 cases of food borne illnesses each year.

If you or members of your party got sick after eating a food establishment in King County, call the Communicable Disease and Epidemiology office at 206-296-4774, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You will be briefly interviewed over the phone about what you ate and drank at the food service establishment and what symptoms you experienced. All information will be kept confidential. Your answers will help us determine if there is a problem with the establishment.

Food inspectors provide at least one education visit annually to establishments in order to help the kitchen staff and managers learn more about food safety. Educational visits are not inspections, and no violations are noted.