Abstract

Restaurants in the United States are regularly inspected by health departments, but few data exist regarding the effect of restaurant inspections on food safety. We examined statewide inspection records from January 1993 through April 2000. Data were available from 167,574 restaurant inspections. From 1993 to 2000, mean scores rose steadily from 80.2 to 83.8. Mean inspection scores of individual inspectors were 69–92. None of the 12 most commonly cited violations were critical food safety hazards. Establishments scoring <60 had a mean improvement of 16 points on subsequent inspections. Mean scores of restaurants experiencing foodborne disease outbreaks did not differ from restaurants with no reported outbreaks. A variety of factors influence the uniformity of restaurant inspections. The restaurant inspection system should be examined to identify ways to ensure food safety.

Highlights

  • Restaurants in the United States are regularly inspected by health departments, but few data exist regarding the effect of restaurant inspections on food safety

  • More than 54 billion meals are served at 844,000 commercial food establishments in the United States each year [1]; 46% of the money Americans spend on food goes for restaurant meals [2]

  • Of a mean 550 foodborne disease outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year from 1993 through 1997, >40% were attributed to commercial food establishments [3]

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Summary

Introduction

Restaurants in the United States are regularly inspected by health departments, but few data exist regarding the effect of restaurant inspections on food safety. Establishments scoring 40% were attributed to commercial food establishments [3]. The guidelines of the U.S Food and Drug Administration state that “a principal goal to be achieved by a food establishment inspection is to prevent foodborne disease” [4]. Restaurant inspections are one of a number of measures intended to enhance food safety, they are a highly visible responsibility of local health departments. We examined data on restaurant inspections in the state of Tennessee to determine whether the system there demonstrated such characteristics

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