Date: Fri 15-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

health-dept-food-inspection

Full Text:

Health Dept. Plans To Expand Scope Of Food Inspections

(with cut)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

If you eat at a restaurant in Newtown, or buy a sandwich at a deli, you take

for granted that the business has been inspected by the health department.

But what about the video store where you pick up candy or milk along with a

movie rental? Or the drug stores where rows of shelves now hold packaged food?

To make sure that the receiving, storage and display areas of these businesses

are clean, free from vermin and other potential health hazards, the Newtown

Health District plans to expand its inspections to include drug stores, video

stores, convenience stores and other establishments that sell only packaged

food.

Donna McCarthy, the health district's director of environmental health, sees

the plan as a logical step in the district's role as a watchdog of the public

health. Businesses that traditionally never sold food now realize that there

is money to be made in one-stop shopping. Because of this, the number of

businesses that sell food grows every year.

"The numbers of these type of stores are growing and growing. There are now

approximately 72 establishments in Newtown that sell food -- that's a lot," Ms

McCarthy said.

In 1995 the state adopted a new health code which brought sweeping changes in

local regulations. For example, it forced the end of such events as the

popular Middle School Food Fair. No longer could "potentially hazardous" food

-- that is, food that had to be kept hot or cold -- be prepared in private

homes or unlicensed kitchens and sold or used at temporary food events.

The new state regulations did not directly address the sale of packaged food

in places like video stores, but Ms McCarthy said the local inspections make

sense.

"The packaged food itself is safe, but we want to be sure that it is disposed

of, or returned [to the distributor] if the sell-by date is expired," she

explained. "The food shouldn't be exposed to outside elements, heat, or stored

next to things like chemicals or garbage."

These stores would become part of the district's Class 1 category, which

already includes businesses like the Amoco and Shell service stations, the

Newtown Convenience Store and the Pepperidge Farm store. Class 1

establishments must be inspected at least once a year.

Class 2 establishments, like Subway, The Ice Cream Shop, and Andrea's Bakery,

are inspected at least twice a year; Class 3, Dad's Deli, the cafeteria at

Pitney Bowes, Botsford Drive-In, three times annually; Class 4, all

restaurants and supermarkets, four times a year. It is not uncommon for the

inspectors to check more often, however.

"We more regularly inspect our food establishments than most towns in the

state," Ms McCarthy said. "I don't have a problem going more often than the

code requires. It's not an adversarial situation -- for the most part I think

we have good relations with the business owners in town. We want them to be

comfortable with asking questions. When there is a violation, they want to

work with us. They know we both are in the business of protecting people."

Businesses that sell food range from video stores to the Big Y where food is

prepared in eight different parts of the store, according to health district

senior sanitarian Martha Wright.

"Big Y probably is the biggest operation we have going in town," she said.

"But we don't anticipate any problems. They have a reputation of working very

hard to maintain their `world class' image."

Donna McCarthy discussed the plan to expand the Class 1 food inspections with

the health district board at its meeting last week.

"The plan is now in the concept stage but we want to have it online by July 1

when the [food] licenses are up for renewal," she said.

Dr Thomas F. Draper, the health district medical adviser, agreed with the plan

and said the businesses and the general public should be informed as soon as

possible.

The current license fee for all four classes is $100 a year. Ms McCarthy said

it is likely that a lower fee will be set for the new Class 1 establishments

because no food preparation is involved and the amount of time required to do

the inspection will be significantly less.

The fee will be set by the health board at a special meeting before July 1.