Food safety in Oxford County
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It's easier to list the ones that don't have them than the ones that do.
When it comes to critical food safety infractions, there are more food providers over the last couple of years that have them than do not.
Oxford County Public Health inspections at the hospitals, small-time fast food joints, nationwide chains and other restaurants show that many are guilty of making major food safety mistakes.
Many of the critical infractions – mistakes in managing food that could lead to food-borne illness – involved keeping food at proper temperatures, both hot and cold, potential cross contamination of ready-to-eat foods with raw ingredients or chemicals, insufficient hand washing and pest infestations.
Since 2011, public health has been openly publishing the results of its unannounced inspections on local eateries and food service providers at www.healthinspectoxford.ca.
They encourage local residents to visit the site and read their reports, where the results may be a bit of a shock to local diners.
More than 20 critical infractions were found in Woodstock food service providers during the last series of inspections – most since about last December – while Oxford County public health inspectors recorded over 60 noncritical infractions during the same period. Dozens more have been recorded on the site since 2011.
"It's a constant challenge," said Elaine Reddick, program supervisor for health protection. "I think we're always going to need food inspectors."
Many eateries have had a critical infraction – or multiple infractions – since the reports went online in 2011.
Despite the failing grades, many of the food service establishments pulled up their socks after a critical violation, often reporting no infractions during followup inspections.
While issuing tickets is rare, Reddick explained, it is another way to ensure compliancy.
"I admit we don't do that a lot of that in Oxford County, but we have the ability to," she said.
While every situation is "assessed," Reddick explained, "one of the main things that triggers enforcement is repeat offence."
Inspectors have issued six tickets since December 2013, ranging from $120-$300. Despite the number of critical infractions, Reddick said there have been no E. coli or salmonella outbreaks from local food sources since she began working at public health in 2007.
"Thankfully, we see very few outbreaks related to local food premises," she said.
Reddick explained inspectors categorize each establishment into three categories, which then determine how often the food provider is inspected.
High-risk food providers, with more complex operations, such as long-term care facilities, are inspected three times a year.
Less complicated food providers that perhaps do not handle raw food are inspected less.
In 2009, Oxford County public health's nine inspectors began to do their inspections electronically. Two years later, they began syncing their reports, so they could appear online over the next couple of years in an effort to educate local eaters.
But Reddick explains the inspections "are only a snapshot in time of conditions when the inspector is there."
"Public health inspectors are only there a small fraction of the time. We encourage the public to be a partner in food safety," she said. "If people see something they don't like, they should speak up. Tell the manager what they saw and why they are offended. And then call or e-mail us."
Public health, she said, will follow up.
There is also a link on the website called "feedback" where people can report problems.
While Oxford County inspectors are posting their results online through summary reports, other regions have embraced different procedures. Toronto public health uses a grading system called the Dine-Safe program. Restaurant inspections there will either result in a pass, conditional pass or an order to close if "crucial infractions" are not corrected immediately. In every establishment there, the most recent food inspection notice must be posted and visible to the public.
According to a Ministry of Health spokesperson, the inconsistency in food safety inspections across the province is being addressed.
"The ministry is currently working with public health units and the food service industry to improve consistency in disclosure of inspection results," said spokesperson David Jensen.
Currently, under the Food Safety Protocol, health units are required to establish procedures for public disclosure of restaurant results.
"At a minimum, the procedure must ensure public access to inspection results upon request," he said. "Reference to the process by which the public may obtain such information shall be posted on the board of health's website."
He noted programs that go above and beyond the minimum requirement, such as Oxford's, are implemented at the local level.
Reddick stressed that education is key when it comes to food handling.
Local health inspectors teach safe food handling in conjunction with Fanshawe College, and Reddick said inspectors encourage every food provider to have at least one employee who has taken that eight-hour course.
Last year, the course had 326 graduates.
"We don't enforce it, we promote it," Reddick said.
In London-Middlesex, a municipal bylaw has made it mandatory, but it's not law yet in Oxford County.
"Maybe one day the province will make it mandatory," she said.
IN COMPLIANCE
What does it take to pass?
Corey's Restaurant in Tillsonburg is recognized by hungry diners for its homemade home-style cooking, served with a side order of reasonable prices.
Customers say they especially appreciate its plentiful, tasty breakfasts, fish and chips and the upbeat owners who always greet them by name.
But the restaurant also has a reputation with Oxford County public health inspectors as being what is known as "in compliance."
In other words, the restaurant employees understand just what measures are needed to pass a standard health inspection and prevent food-borne illness.
"Corey's is an example of a very good operation due to their attention to sanitation, hand washing and good food-handling practices," said health inspector Allison McIntosh, whose territory is Tillsonburg and South-West Oxford.
While restaurant inspections are almost always unannounced, McIntosh's visit to Corey's with a reporter was prearranged in order to get permission from the owners for a reporter to tag along.
During the inspection, which took about half an hour but can take much longer, McIntosh ran through a checklist that included a proper hand-washing station, working thermometers in fridges, and general sanitation and cleanliness.
McIntosh checked to make sure filters weren't full of grease and that dishwashers were running at the right temperatures. Test strips showed Corey's was perfect.
She also looked to make sure the eggs were graded, which ensures traceability should there be an outbreak.
In the dining area, she checked to see the furniture wasn't worn out and side stands were clean. Downstairs, she checked the temperature of the freezers and looked for inspection stamps on meat, inspected for pest problems and checked to make sure supplies are stored properly.
In the end, she found they had no critical infractions that could lead to a food-borne illness. She also found no non-critical infractions.
"They are in compliance," she said after the inspection while entering her data into her laptop.
Often during inspections, she also watches a cook prepare a meal and then checks to make sure food items are at the right temperature.
"We ask how long things have been sitting out," she said. "It's important to talk to them about how they handle food."
Still, she concedes, because she can only inspect each restaurant three times a year, her results are only "a snapshot of what happens."
Had she found infractions, McIntosh said she would have worked with the operator to make sure the appropriate actions were taken.
The toughest part of her job, she explained, is balancing education and enforcement.
"We try to be education based," she said. " We want to support the establishment, but at the end of the day, we are enforcement. They have a job to do and i also have a job to do. They have a responsibility to provide safe food to the public."
Most operators, she said, want to have "the best possible inspection."
"Sometimes, even if they are in compliance, they ask 'what else can we do to be better?'" she said.
McIntosh, 35, who returned to school after working as an environmental consultant for several years, studied at the Ryerson School of Occupation and Public Health.
Ryerson University is the only school in Ontario that offers degree programs approved by the Canadian institute of Public Health inspectors, and only one of six in Canada that does.
Michael Forbes, manager of public affairs for Ryerson University, said the school was established in 1953 "in response to a societal need for trained public health professionals."
Ryerson's School of Occupational and Public Health, he said, was also the first undergraduate school in Canada to offer accredited degree programs in both occupational health and safety and public health.
"The Public Health and Safety stream of the degree focuses on injury and disease prevention," Forbes said. "A large majority of our graduates from this stream become public health inspectors, focused on promoting health and safety awareness and enforcing laws that protect human health."
Oxford County health inspectors are expected to do much more than just inspect dining establishments.
Their portfolios also include water programs – inspecting public pools and splash pads – as well as checking out septic systems, investigating animal bites, indoor air quality, and keep tabs on bed bugs and West Nile virus.