<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0z3bXb_0wPvG0ig00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0z3bXb_0wPvG0ig00" width="600" height="338" ></figure>Assistant Health Director Marisa Morello reported to the Bedford Board of Health at its most recent meeting that for the first time since her arrival in July 2023, she found no violations during a round of restaurant inspections. Periodic food inspections transcend the restaurant sector, Morello said during an interview. “There are a lot of places that prepare food or offer food products. Those places have to be inspected as well. It’s all for the same goal: to keep the public safe,” she said.Morello inspects 75 establishments that sell food products, ranging from restaurants and food trucks to corporate dining halls, gas stations, and convenience stores. Her responsibilities also include clearing temporary food events, such as Bedford Day stands.The assistant director, who holds a master’s degree in public health, is a certified food protection manager and also has been trained in allergen awareness. “I have access to food specialists at all times,” she said. Her department “has a lot of support.”Morello said that under the sanitary code, there are five general categories that are subject to inspection. They are purchasing food from safe sources; ensuring that food is cooked at correct temperatures; holding food at the correct temperatures range that deters bacteria growth; cleaning equipment; and practicing good personal hygiene.“The five always have to be there,” she stressed. “If an establishment is not practicing all of those five items, the public can get very sick.” Each of the general areas has a more detailed checklist, she added. A routine inspection of a business that prepares food could take an hour, Morello said. She checks for correct temperatures, pest control, proper use of gloves, and more nuanced procedures such as avoiding cross-contamination between cutting boards.She said when she conducts restaurant inspections, “we actually want to go when they are busiest because we want to see how their processes are working in real time.” That’s usually lunch time for local establishments.Morello said the visits are not forewarned. “We don’t want to see something perfect. We like to see how the establishment is running so we can troubleshoot,” she said.The time it takes to conduct an inspection differs on a case-by-case basis, Morello said, but the quickest are usually the businesses that sell food, but don’t prepare it. “We’re checking expiration dates, looking at the overall cleanliness,” she said.Besides the periodic checks, Morello undertakes occasional “complaint inspections,” usually initiated by a customer. Those infractions are minor most of the time, she said, such as an open exterior door near a trash container or cleaning supplies left too close to food. There’s a special pre-operational inspection for a new restaurant, she noted.The frequency of inspection depends on the risk level, Morello said, though every business is checked at least annually. There are more visits “if there are recurring violations. We want to help correct them in the process to make sure they don’t fall back on their old habits.”“Most times we see small violations here and there. People are very busy when they are working,” Morello said. No matter what the type of food establishment, everybody gets the same type of inspection, the training,” Morello said. “Food safety is incredibly important and there’s a lot to know.”She said her relationship with proprietors is not adversarial. “It’s not that we’re trying to catch somebody. We want to educate, to help them. We have a common goal.”</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Restaurants One of Several Food Inspection Categories That Health Department Oversees

Assistant Health Director Marisa Morello reported to the Bedford Board of Health at its most recent meeting that for the first time since her arrival in July 2023, she found no violations during a round of restaurant inspections. Periodic food inspections transcend the restaurant sector, Morello said during an interview.

Restaurants One of Several Food Inspection Categories That Health Department Oversees

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