Wednesday, January 14, 2015

When an “A” is not good enough---  

Two years ago when Beyond the Bull, Central,  received its first inspection from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control  (SCDHEC) food safety inspector, I was bursting with pride to have received my first “A”, a grade of 100, as perfect as you can get, in South Carolina for food safety.  As a long time culinary educator and ServSafe food safety instructor, I took it to mean that I was doing everything right---everything that was necessary to keep my customers safe from food borne illness.  The grade of “A” displayed on the window meant just that. 

Fast forward two years including six months of searching for a new home for Beyond the Bull---just what does that grade mean?  Not much!

Although it is admirable that SCDHEC has recently adopted the FDA 2013 Food Code Model (in part), what does it matter if there is no one to execute or enforce it?  What good does it do to pass a law or adopt regulations if it is not possible to execute or enforce it?   

In my search for a new home for the Bull, from Liberty to Townville, Anderson to Salem, I have personally toured 27 kitchens in the upstate in Clemson, Central, Anderson, and Seneca, all currently operating restaurants in the upstate, all with the SCDHEC “A” on display at the entrance and this is what I saw:

No Food Safety Training
When servers scoop ice with glassware, the chef plates raw lamb, the dishes smell like soapy water, servers wear latex gloves to protect themselves from “germs”, there are stalactites of ice hanging from the entrance to the walk-in, inoperable kitchen exhaust fans, opened containers of food left after service and back doors propped open, you can be sure that there is no food safety training going on there.  Unless you have an overactive immune system, stay away.  What grade was on the door?  Answer:  “A”.

Handwashing sinks
The number one most effective way to ward off noro virus and hepatitis as well as a host of pathogens that cause foodborne illness is handwashing.  Most of these restaurants had handwashing sinks, but what good does that do if there is no soap or single use towels?  What grade was on the door?  Answer:  “A”.

Restrooms
Ditto

Time and temperature abuse
Leaving the bacon on the steam table from breakfast to lunch along with sauce and soups in unrefrigerated containers from lunch until dinner results in what is referred to as time and temperature abuse.  That means time for pathogens to reproduce from a few to millions---time for them to make you sick.  What grade was on the door?  Answer:  “A”.

Personal hygiene
Managers who sit in the back of the kitchen and smoke, cooks wearing piercings, chains and bracelets, long beards, uncovered heads, dirty aprons, no aprons, blue fingernail polish, dirty baseball caps, what more can I say?  What grade was on the door?  Answer:  “A”.

Food contact surfaces
Sticky tables, dirty glassware and utensils, no sanitizing solution--- What grade was on the door?  Answer:  “A”.

I worked hard to earn my culinary degree and worked harder to become Servsafe food safety certified.  I work diligently every day to provide a food safe environment for my customers and train my employees to do so as well.  With a score of 100, I earned the “A” designation that was displayed at the entrance to the Bull in Central and will do so again at our new location.  But, when my “A” is the same “A” that is displayed at these other restaurants where food is NOT safe, what is the point?   When the food inspector tells me that the follow up inspections consist only of taking temperatures of prepared food stored in the cooler or held on a steam table, what is the point?   

It is about time that the FDA 2013 Food Code was adopted, but now it is time to enforce it.  I want my “A” to mean something! 

To check up on your favorite restaurant and see how “safe” the food is go to http://www.scdhec.gov/FoodSafety/CheckSCFoodSanitationReports/


Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB

P.S.  For those of you who are following our progress, we have found not one, but two possible future locations for Beyond the Bull---the first  in Seneca, near the intersection of Rtes. 183 and 188 and the second in Clemson on Rte. 93.  Our final decision will be made next week so stay  in touch.






No comments: