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A risk-based restaurant inspection system in Los Angeles County
1Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Acute Communicable Disease Control, California 90012, USA. buchholzu@rki.de
Journal of Food Protection
|February 19, 2002
Summary
Restaurant size and past foodborne illness reports predict future incidents. Focusing inspections on larger establishments and those with prior issues can improve public health and inspection efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Food safety
- Public health
- Environmental health
Background:
- Routine restaurant inspections are standard practice for local health departments.
- Los Angeles County (LAC) spends approximately $10 million annually on restaurant inspections.
- Limited data exists on restaurant characteristics associated with foodborne incident reports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific restaurant characteristics linked to a higher likelihood of foodborne incident reports.
- To inform targeted inspection strategies for improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the LAC Environmental Health Management Information System (EHMIS).
- Inclusion of 10,267 restaurants inspected between July 1, 1997, and November 15, 1997.
- Definition of 'case restaurants' as those with a routine inspection and a subsequent investigated foodborne incident (IFBI) within a defined period.
- Examination of factors including restaurant size, previous IFBIs, inspection scores, and specific violation codes.
Main Results:
- Middle-sized (61-150 seats) and large (>150 seats) restaurants were significantly more likely to become case restaurants compared to small ones.
- Increased likelihood of a case restaurant was associated with a higher number of IFBIs in the prior year.
- Key predictors for IFBIs included restaurant size, incorrect food storage, food reuse, and food protection violations.
Conclusions:
- Restaurant size and a history of foodborne incidents are significant predictors of future foodborne illness reports.
- Routine inspections should prioritize establishments with large seating capacities or poor inspection histories.
- Evaluating and translating inspection database findings into guidelines can enhance inspection program efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
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