Summit County restaurant inspections: Which places had the most violations in September?

Summit County Public Health inspected hundreds of facilities that serve food during the month of September, including restaurants, nursing homes, grocery stores and gas stations, according to health data obtained by the Akron Beacon Journal .

Food establishments are inspected one to four times per year, depending on the likelihood of a foodborne illness. Inspectors determine whether or not these establishments are compliant with the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code , which ensures food is safe for public consumption.

Establishments with multiple uncorrected violations can have their licenses revoked or suspended, or in a severe case, the establishment could be forced to close permanently.

Which Summit County establishments had the most critical violations in September?

• Old Carolina Barbeque Co., 4326 Kent Road, Stow: Inspectors found 11 critical violations, including the presence of live pests, improper storage of toxic/poisonous materials (corrected during inspection) and food-contact surfaces being uncleaned.
• Fisher's Cafe And Pub, 1607 Main Street, Peninsula : Inspectors found 10 critical violations including the handwashing sink used for purposes other than handwashing, chlorine sanitizing solution at incorrect temperature (corrected during inspection) and consumer not properly advised of the risk of consuming raw or undercooked animal foods (observed a consumer advisory statement on the menu, but no asterisk was present linking food items that could be ordered undercooked).
• Lemongrass Grill , 20 N Main Street, Munroe Falls : Inspectors found 10 critical violations including person-in-charge not ensuring employees are effectively washing their hands, unclean food-contact equipment/surfaces and food not being cold held at the proper temperature.
• Oak and Embers Tavern , 7774 Darrow Road, Hudson : Inspectors found nine critical violations including uncleaned food-contact surfaces and utensils (corrected during inspection), presence of live pests and food not properly protected from contamination by packaging, separation and segregation (corrected during inspection).
• Lake Forest Country Club, 100 Lake Forest Drive, Hudson : Inspectors found nine critical violations including food not being cold held at the proper temperature (corrected during inspection), the improper labeling of poisonous/toxic materials (corrected during inspection) and unclean food-contact surfaces and utensils.

What are the types of violations?

The two types of violations that health inspectors look for: critical and non-critical violations.

Critical violations are those violations that, if left uncorrected, are "more likely to contribute to food contamination or illness," according to the Summit County Health Department. Examples of critical violations include the improper cooking, reheating or refrigeration of food items.

Non-critical violations are not directly related to foodborne illnesses, but they could still impact the restaurant and lead to critical violations if not corrected. Examples include a lack of facility cleanliness and maintenance.

What types of inspections are there?

The following are the seven types of inspections, according to Summit County Public Health:

• Standard : This inspection is unannounced to the facility. A local health department sanitarian will conduct a complete inspection covering all items in the regulations for compliance.
• 30 Day Inspection: This is a standard inspection that must be conducted no more than 30 days after a license is issued to a new Food Service Operation or Retail Food Establishment.
• Pre-license Inspection: This inspection is not required, but may be conducted by the local health department prior to issuing a license to a new Food Service Operation or Retail Food Establishment. The purpose of this inspection is to provide consultation and education to the operator.
• Critical Control Point (CCP): This inspection may be scheduled or unannounced. A sanitarian will spend time reviewing a facility’s food processes that may directly contribute to food contamination or illness and educates the facility on proper procedures.
• Process Review (PR): This inspection may be scheduled or unannounced. This type of inspection is similar to a CCP inspection; however the inspections are conducted in facilities such as grocery stores or convenience stores. The inspection will focus on a specific process that may directly contribute to food contamination or illness.
• Follow-up Inspection: This is an inspection for the specific purpose of re-inspecting items that were not in compliance at the time of the standard, CCP and/or PR inspection. These inspections are scheduled.
• Complaint: This is an unannounced inspection conducted as a result of a complaint received by a local health department. The specifics of the complaint will be evaluated and discussed with the person in charge of the facility.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County restaurant inspections: Which places had the most violations in September?