CSULB
restaurants inspected infrequently
CSULB
eateries are not being properly inspected,
according to the Long Beach Department of
Health and Human Services.
Health:
The campus restaurants faired well in comparison
to health violations in Long Beach restaurants.
By
Jeff Overley
On-line Forty-Niner
Many
people watch what they eat, but it may be
equally important for them to watch where
they eat. At Cal State Long Beach it is
difficult to know whether the clean counters
and tasty food at the many eateries belie
grimy, vermin-infested kitchens.
A
On-line Forty-Niner study of 17 restaurants
at CSULB found six recorded minor health
violations during their most recent surprise
inspections. In comparison, about 60 to
70 percent of more than 2,000 Long Beach
restaurants are cited for at least minor
infractions during routine inspections,
said Nelson Kerr, food program director
for the Long Beach Department of Health
and Human Services.
On
the surface, CSULB's restaurant cleanliness
seems well above the city's average.
But
the frequency of inspections, however, is
far below the goal of three to four inspections
a year established by the health department.
The study revealed that The Beach Hut restaurant
at Upper Campus has not been inspected since
October 2002, and that several other establishments
have not been reviewed since January or
February 2003. Thus, the true state of sanitation
is impossible to ascertain.
Kelly
Lewis, a cashier at The Beach Hut, said
that the restaurant's violation involved
a food warmer that functioned at too low
of a temperature. "But that was back
in October," she said, inadvertently
highlighting the potential problem.
CSULB
has not been properly inspected "because
of staff shortages" at the department,
Kerr said. "We moved somebody into
that area, and they are finishing up their
training next week. They should be out in
the field soon, inspecting the area including
[CSULB]," he said.
In
the meantime, CSULB takes some responsibility
for its own oversight. All restaurant managers
attend a state-sponsored hygiene program
known as Servsafe, and campus personnel
help to maintain kitchen equipment, said
Clint Campbell, director of retail food
operations at CSULB.
"We
do a good job. I don't see [the infrequency
of inspections] as an issue," Campbell
said.
Some
inspections are still taking place, with
a few restaurants having been visited by
the health department as recently as last
week.
Many
different aspects of overall hygiene are
scrutinized in the course of a department
inspection. They include examination of
food preparation and serving areas, evaluation
of employee practices such as hand washing
and assessment of required barriers that
block entry by vermin.
A
restaurant will be closed immediately if
it exhibits conditions that pose an imminent
risk to public health, Kerr said. Such dire
hazards include a lack of hot water, unsafe
food temperatures, pest infestation or the
presence of an employee with a serious communicable
disease, among other potential dangers.
The restaurant can only be reopened after
an inspector has verified correction of
the problem.
There have been 63 health related restaurant
closures in Long Beach over the past year.
At CSULB, the health department has found
only minor infractions. In such cases, restaurants
are not required to shut down, but instead
have ten days to fix the problem. An inspector
then revisits the site, confirms the corrective
action and posts an inspection summary report
in a conspicuous location of the restaurant.
Irrespective of the eatery's ultimate compliance,
the report will list the violations found
during the first inspection and will contain
a disclaimer notifying patrons that the
violations have been remedied. The report
must remain posted until the time of the
next inspection.
CSULB students expressed disparate opinions
of the inspection shortfall.
"I
work at a restaurant, and I think [the inspections
are] necessary for health reasons,"
said Mohammad Kamal, a business major.
"Personally,
I'm not concerned," said Mike Chavez,
a construction engineering management major.
"If it looks clean, it's all right.
You can usually tell if a place is unsanitary."
Then
there are those students who are wary of
restaurants even with regular inspections.
"I
bring my own food in hopes of avoiding filth,"
said Tiffany Anthony, a graduate English
student. "I don't really like public
food. There are too many horror stories.
My friend, who works [at a restaurant],
is always like, 'You wouldn't believe what
happens there,'" Anthony said.
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