St. Charles County eateries kept in check
February 5, 2008
St. Charles County
When dining out, it is discomforting to be given a dirty fork or see dead bugs on the floor. Restaurant patrons often wonder, if these slip-ups are visible, what kinds of things are happening out of sight, in the kitchen?
The St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment takes care of restaurant patrons by conducting regular inspections. Each food establishment starts with a score of 100 points. With each violation, deductions are made. The number of points deducted depends on the seriousness of the offense. Inspection details are open to the public at the department’s Boone’s Lick location.
A single inspection does not tell the whole story. A series of scores is a better indication of an establishment’s reputation. Most of the time, restaurants will be allowed to remain open while the problems are corrected. However, if there is a threat to consumers, the business will be closed.
The St. Charles County Department of Health and the Environment does not conduct inspections for those food establishments in St. Peters. The City of St. Peters Health Department inspects restaurants, caterers, schools, delicatessens, temporary and permanent food stands, taverns, day cares, bakeries and frozen dessert stands in St. Peters.
St. Peters’ 100-point system is similar to the one St. Charles County uses. Depending on seriousness, violations are assigned one to five points each (five is the worst). The violations are subtracted from 100.
According to the St. Peters Health Department website, a score of 85 points or above is considered an “A” rating, scores from 70 to 84 are a “B” rating, and a score of 69 or below is a “C” rating. A “+” is added to the score when the establishment has their employees immunized for hepatitis.
The health official has the authority to suspend the food service establishment’s license if there is a hazard to the public.
Look before you eat:
See St. Charles County food service establishment inspection scores here.
See St. Peters City food service establishment inspection scores here.
Copyright 2008 Neighbors About Town