Board of Health Approves New Food Inspection Approach

Some restaurants and other food processing establishments may be catching a break under new inspection guidelines being adopted by the town.

The Board of Health, meeting Wednesday evening, heard about a new ‘risk-based’ inspection approach that will potentially reduce the inspection frequency for some establishments, based on an assessment of risk that the establishment provides, while others establishments could see a greater frequency of inspection.

The Board did vote to support the move. Chair Bridget Sweet suggested that Health Director Cathy Liberty research how similar programs are working for other communities and also alert establishments to the planned changes.

A similar program, in place in Concord, Mass. cites food safety hazards identified by the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC). CDC has identified 5 major risk factors that contribute to food borne outbreaks.

1. Improper Holding Temperatures
2. Inadequate Cooking
3. Poor personal hygiene
4. Contaminated Equipment
5. Unsafe food sources
6. Properly cooked potentially hazardous food
7. Proper holding temperatures potentially hazardous food
8. Proper cooling and reheating of potentially hazardous food
9. Personnel with infections restricted
10. Proper hygiene
11. Cross contamination
12. Wash, rinse and sanitize
13. Food from an approved source

Using these 5 risk factors identified by the CDC, Concord Health Department has developed 8
Critical Risk Factors that food inspectors will be focusing on during their inspection.