The document summarizes food facility inspections conducted by the Howell County Health Department. It outlines the roles of various governmental agencies that regulate food safety, including the FDA, USDA, CDC, and state and local health departments. It then describes the types of food facilities inspected, inspection frequency, the focus of inspections on critical and non-critical violations, and the process for conducting inspections, including examining food preparation and storage areas, handwashing facilities, temperatures, employee hygiene, and facility conditions.

1. Food Facility Inspections
Howell County
Health Department

2. Justin Frazier, EPHS II
 Environmental Services
Supervisor
 Started with Dept. in 2003
 Contract with State of Missouri
and City of West Plains to provide
environmental health services.

3. Governmental Agencies
 FDA
- Regulates Imported food
- all food in interstate commerce
- Inspect food processing plants
-Provides technical assistance and support
to state food safety programs
- Provides funding
- Conducts surveys and evaluations of state
food safety programs

4.  USDA
- Regulates the sale of meat and
poultry products in interstate
commerce.
- Regulates meat production
facilities.
Governmental Agencies, cont.

5.  Center for Disease Control- CDC
-Coordinates and assists with
multistate foodborne disease
investigations.
-Compiles and analyzes
foodborne disease data.
Governmental Agencies, cont.

6.  Missouri Department of Health
and Senior Services- DHSS
- Regulates food products sold in state.
- Assists FDA, USDA with enforcement
- Assists LPHA’s with food safety activities
after a disaster.
-Develops food safety policies, including
Missouri Food Code.
-Inspect food processing plants.
Governmental Agencies

7.  Local Public Health Agencies-
LPHA’s
-Conduct inspections of food
establishments
-Temporary food
- Follow-up and complaint
inspections
- Assures food safety after disaster.
- Collects food samples
- Food safety training
Governmental Agencies

8. Types of Food Facilities
100% Pre-packaged
Mobile food facilities
Temporary food facilities
Full service

9. Inspection Frequency
 County Establishments- frequency
determined by public health
priority.
High Priority- 9 months
Medium- 12 months
Low- 18 months

10.  City of West Plains
City has ordinance that
requires all food establishments be
inspected every 6 months,
regardless of priority level.
Inspection Frequency

11. Inspection Focus
 Each inspection should be risk-based
– Consider risk factors
– What causes illness?
 Ask open-ended questions
 Critical/Priority violations
– Factors that lead directly to food borne illness
 Non-critical/ Core violations
– Contribute to unsanitary conditions and may
develop into a more serious problem.

12. Inspection Focus
CRITICAL/PRIORITY ITEM
3-501.16(A) Observed: Chicken, beef, and pork on
steam table at 120° F.
Required: Potentially hazardous foods
held hot must be maintained at 135° F or
above.
NON-CRITICAL/CORE ITEM
6-501.11 Observed: Multiple floor tiles are broken
throughout the kitchen floor.
Required: The physical facilities shall be
maintained in good repair.

13. The Inspection
 Before you begin…
– Are you prepared?
– Have you read the history?
 From the outside
– Dumpster enclosures, sewer clean-
outs, litter and junk, openings

14. The Inspection
 Introductions
– Ask to speak to the manager
– Provide I.D. and business card
– Explain your reason for being there
 Survey the kitchen
 Wash your hands and thermocouple

15.  Health Permit and other required
license.
 Food Handlers Certification or
Serv-Safe
 Consumer Advisory on menu if
required.
The Inspection

16.  Each restaurant is unique. All are
arranged differently, cook
different foods, have different
equipment, different number of
employees, and different training
methods.
 Each inspection will differ.
The Inspection

17. The Inspection
 Food Preparation Areas
– Watch employees work for
several minutes
•Cross- contamination
•Hand washing
•Bare-hand contact
•Personal hygiene
•Wiping cloth control
•Temperature control
•Thermometer usage
– Return if no active food preparation

18. The Inspection
 Food Preparation Areas
– Take temperatures of PHF’s
•Record food type and temperature
•Probe and refrigerator therms. in place
– Evaluate food protection
•Foods uncovered, stacked containers,
stored properly
– Overall cleanliness

19. The Inspection
 Handwashing Facilities
- Are required sinks present in
required areas
- Properly supplied with hot water,
single use towel , soap and waste
container
-Employee handwash signage
Ask employees when handwashing is
required?

20. The Inspection
 Safe Holding, cooking and cooling
temperatures
-Cold holding at 41˚F or lower
- Hot holding at 135 ˚F or higher
- Taking temps of stored foods
- Proper food cooling- 135 ˚F to
70 ˚F in two hours and from 70 ˚F to
41 ˚F or below in four hours.

21. The Inspection
 Employee Attire and Health
- Clean clothing with appropriate hair
restraint (Hat, Hairnet or visor)
- Do all employees appear healthy
No coughing, sneezing or fever
- Employees Eating or drinking in prep
areas.
Employees acting in responsible manner.

22. The Inspection
 Physical Facility- Floors, walls and
ceilings are smooth and easily
cleanable.
-Are they damaged
- Are they providing harborage to rodents
and insects
-Are they deteriorated to the point that
they are no longer easily cleanable.
-Exposed wood surfaces.

23. The Inspection
 Physical Facilities- Cont.-
Lighting
-Are the lights working
-Lights Shielded
- Adequate light in all prep
areas.

24. The Inspection
 Dry storage
– Closed, labeled containers
– Circulation
– Insects or rodents
 Walk-in refrigerators
– Temperature
– Food storage
– condensate

25.  Dishwashing Areas
– 3 compartment sink
•Wash/ rinse/sanitize/air
dry
– Mechanical
•High temperature
•Chemical
The Inspection

26. The Inspection
 Ice Machines
– Ice is food
– Vermin attraction
– Bins covered
– Condensate
– Storage inside

27. The Inspection
 Toxic Items and Cleaning supplies
– Must be stored in a manner that does
not place them over, next to or in a
position to contaminate food or food
prep surfaces
– Toxics labeled
– Storage should be on lowest shelf, in
a separate room if possible

28. The Inspection
 Write
– Organize notes in order of greatest risk
– Write report and score
 Review
– Review the report with manager
– Point out major violations

29. The Inspection
 Follow-up Inspections
-Follow-up will be conducted when a
critical violation is observed but cannot
be corrected during the inspection.
 Complaint Inspections
-will be conducted immediately upon
receipt of complaint or within a few days,
depending on allegations made.

30. What Not to do…..

31. What Not to do…..

32. What Not to do…..

34. www.howellcountyhealthdepartment.com

35. Questions?

36. Thank You
 Justin Frazier
 Howell County Health Department
 417-256-7078 ext. 223
 frazij@lpha.mopublic.org
 www.howellcountyhealthdepartment.com