Measure of Excellence: How to prepare for an A health inspection

by Ron Harrison
Entomologist, Ph.D. Training Director
Orkin, Inc

.Five-star. It’s the rating to which all resorts and restaurants aspire because it represents the highest standard of excellence. But it’s not the only measure of quality in a resort. Restaurants and other foodservice operations also receive ratings that are critical to doing business.

These ratings come from health inspectors, who can arrive on-site at any time. To help resorts prepare their restaurants for an unexpected visit, Orkin’s Director of Training and The Orkin Training Center Ron Harrison, Ph.D., an entomologist and certified SafeServ instructor, discusses a few tips that will help resort restaurants receive an A on their next inspections.

Why do health inspectors examine resorts’ restaurants?

Above all, health inspectors are concerned with food safety. The undersecretary of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Richard Raymond, reports that nearly 14 people die from food poisoning every day.

It’s the inspector’s job to make sure restaurants take precautions against foodborne illnesses. Inspectors follow the flow of food throughout the establishment, from receiving to preparation to serving, examining areas such as food handling and preparation, personnel, sanitation, and facility maintenance.

Who decides what areas are included on health inspections?

In most cases, individual states write the regulations that drive inspections and to which restaurants must adhere. The Food and Drug Administration has its own Food Model Code, which provides universal guidelines for food safety, and updates it annually. In fact, the National Restaurant Association advocates that all restaurants adopt the FDA’s model and some states will adopt the Food Code in its entirety or a version of it. Restaurant managers can access a copy of the most recent FDA Food Model Code on the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Web site at www.cfsan.fda.gov.

Do health inspectors look at restaurants’ pest control programs?

Yes. In fact, a severe pest problem can result in a failed inspection. Most pests carry diseases that can be associated with foodborne illness, and since their presence indicates unsanitary conditions, inspectors do not want to see them in or around a restaurant.

Not only do health inspectors look for signs of a pest infestation – and the actual pests – but they also examine how the restaurant works to prevent and manage pests. For example, inspectors closely review any use of pesticides in the establishment to make sure the chemicals don’t threaten food safety. Inspectors will require documentation of the pest control program. This documentation should include a detailed list of all pesticides used; how, where and when the pesticides are applied; and a copy of the applicator’s pest control license. Which types of pests are most common in restaurants?

Some of the most common pests in restaurants are cockroaches (especially German cockroaches), flies, rodents, ants and stored-product pests. Restaurants attract the first four because they offer multiple food and water sources, as well as a warm habitat. Stored-product pests will thrive on grain products and flour and can contaminate other products if not properly controlled.

How should restaurants prepare for the inspection?

Conduct self-inspections throughout the year. From a pest control perspective, restaurants should focus on sanitation and maintenance, coupled with an ongoing pest management program, to help stop pest problems before they start.
What is the best food safety tool restaurants have?

Without a doubt it’s the restaurant’s staff. Employees are an integral part of both the sanitation and pest management programs. Restaurant managers need to make sure that employees understand how their efforts will make a difference. Even little things, like immediately cleaning up food spills, can make a huge difference in the end.

Does pest control matter throughout the rest of the
resort, too?

Of course. The fact that the health inspector only examines food service areas doesn’t mean that pests are acceptable in other areas of the resort. Many resorts undergo annual or biannual corporate quality assurance audits, which inspect the entire property.

The bottom line is, the more prepared the entire facility is for third-party inspection, the better prepared resorts’ restaurants will be, too.