CHARLOTTE - Local health departments in North Carolina are using new inspection standards that officials say put more importance on practices that prevent customers from getting sick.
Health inspectors began using the new form a week ago after sending a letter to all restaurants in May.
The new form has 18 critical violations, which are things that have a high chance of making diners sick such as not washing hands or not keeping food at a proper temperature. The old form only had 11 critical violations.
The new form also docks more points for critical violations than violating what are called "good retail practices."
Those practices are primarily preventive measures such as making sure walls and floors are clean and storing food properly.
For example, on the old form, a restaurant that didn't cook food to a proper temperature would lose five points. The new maximum penalty for the same problem is 12 points, a critical difference when a restaurant can be shut down for scoring below a 70 out of 100 points.
"We need to be more concerned about issues concerning food handling than what condition the floor tiles are in," said Lynn Lathan, a health supervisor in Mecklenburg County who helped draft the new form.
Ho Ho Cherry House, a Chinese restaurant in Charlotte, was one of the first places inspected with the new form. It scored a 90, down from 94.5 on its last inspection, as the inspector Wednesday noted that the kitchen sink lacked paper towels, and a cook failed to wash his hands after smoking. Owner Jason Chen said that the new rules are "more stringent than ever before."
Tony Grippo, who manages BrickTop's in Charlotte, made sure he posted the new standards as soon as they were issued. The new standards match ones he has seen in restaurants that he has managed in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and help employees remember they can contaminate food not just when it's cooked, but also when it is cooled and reheated, Grippo said.
"It reminds us as operators that food can be fresh and cooked right," he said. "But it doesn't mean people are following the right practices once food is cooked."
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