KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County begins posting restaurant closures online at http://www.metrokc.gov/health/foodsfty. This website also offers a wide array of food safety information for consumers and business owners alike.
"Our purpose in posting restaurant closures online is to keep the public informed about food safety problems at local restaurants," Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "Safe food handling practices - whether in restaurants or at home - are essential to preventing food borne illness."
"This is an example of government using new technology to do a better job at providing information to the public," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This information will help consumers make good choices for themselves and their families."
"Food safety is the number one priority for the restaurant industry in Washington State," said Gene Vosberg, president of the Washington Restaurant Association. "We agree that those restaurants who consistently violate public safety regulations should be exposed and the public should have direct access to that information."
Restaurant closures are based primarily on health risk, but are also made when establishments are operating without having appropriate facility plan review or operating permits. Reasons for closure due to health risk include identification of high numbers of violations during an inspection, failure to correct repeated violations involving improper food handling practices, or presence of imminent health hazards (like sewage back-up or no hot water in the establishment).
"Food safety regulations are often confusing and can be difficult to understand, especially when the primary means of notification is through the media," added Vosberg. "This new website will give the public a chance to learn about food safety directly. In most cases, violations are immediately corrected and the dining public is never put at risk."
Public Health's Restaurant Closure webpage will be updated daily, Monday - Friday. Each notice of closure will include the date/time that the restaurant was closed by Public Health as well as the reason(s) for the closure. Public Health will also indicate when the restaurant is permitted to reopen.
Notices of closure will remain online for one week after the restaurant is reopened. Public Health typically closes about 100 food service operations each year until their food safety problems are corrected.
Public Health food safety inspectors visit establishments 4 times per year. Three of these visits involve inspections while one is an educational visit. This system is designed as a partnership between Public Health staff and those who make the day-to-day decisions that actually determine food safety - the operators and employees of food service establishments.
Public Health monitors approximately 10,000 food service establishments and about 1,500 temporary food booths throughout King County. In addition to inspections, Public Health staff carry out hundreds of complaint and food borne illness investigations each year.
"We look forward to continuing to work with King County to build a website that offers the public information about more than just violations," Vosberg said.
Public Health plans to begin posting restaurant inspection reports online in early 2001.
