My husband jokes that I go a little nuts with food safety \u2013 although he\u2019ll also admit he\u2019s happy I do.\u00a0 I clean the fridge out monthly, insist on throwing out leftovers that are more than a couple days old, and love to wipe down my countertops with disinfectant spray.\u00a0 I wash my hands constantly while I\u2019m in the kitchen.\u00a0 Not just before I start cooking, but also as I\u2019m cooking and moving from one task to the next.\u00a0 I use a thermometer to make sure poultry and meat is cooked to the proper temperature, I don\u2019t just cut into to it to look at the color.<\/p>\n
Practicing safe food handling is just a natural part of providing nutritious and safe food for my family.\u00a0 So before we go to a restaurant, I like to check out how clean a restaurant keeps their kitchen.<\/p>\n
Restaurants are inspected on a routine basis by the local health department.\u00a0 States like California require restaurants to display their inspection rating prominently in the front of the restaurant.\u00a0 The letter \u201cA\u201d, \u201cB\u201d or \u201cC\u201d empowers the public to decide whether to eat there or not. \u00a0\u00a0My sister who lives in California said there\u2019s little hope for a restaurant with less than an \u201cA\u201d rating to last in her area.\u00a0 The prominence of the rating places pressure on restaurants to operate a clean kitchen.<\/p>\n
For the year we lived in Cleveland, Ohio, I was disappointed the local health department didn\u2019t provide this information online.\u00a0 I was thrilled when we moved to Pennsylvania to see how sophisticated the online database of the entire state\u2019s restaurant inspection information was.\u00a0 They have a central web site where you can search any restaurant in the state and view specific details on the inspection and any violations.\u00a0 I always check it before we eat out.\u00a0 Again, we\u2019re driving the extra distance to get takeout pizza because the place just around the corner had too many violations for my comfort.<\/span>In the Omaha, Nebraska area, the Douglas County Health Department maintains an online list of restaurants and their inspection rating (SUPERIOR, EXCELLENT, STANDARD, FAIR).\u00a0 The “SUPERIOR” rating is new this year and indicates that a manager at the restaurant is ServSafe certified, meaning he or she has passed a rigorous food safety course, and at least 75% of the staff are trained in food safety.\u00a0 When we lived in Omaha, my husband and I would drive the extra few miles to the Subway rated \u201cEXCELLENT\u201d even though there was another Subway just a few blocks away from our house.\u00a0 The longer drive was worth it to us.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever had food poisoning, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree.<\/p>\n
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