Local health officials change inspection methods
Sanitarians at the County Board of Health began doing their restaurant inspections a little differently in 1996, after changes in Ohio food service laws made local boards of health focus more on risky food handling and storage practices.
All restaurants are now classified into three risk groups according to how often
they handle foods that are processed or held at temperatures allowing foodborne
disease organisms to grow.
Restaurant operators who attend a food handlers course sponsored by the Board of Health and state health department can be exempted from one regular inspection by Board of Health sanitarians. Fewer regular inspections can hold down restaurant inspection costs and allow sanitarians to focus on the restaurants with problems in their food handling and storage practices. Safe food handling and storage by Mahoning County restaurants has helped keep local foodborne disease rates below statewide averages. The Board of Health licensed 601 food service operations in 1996.