Public Health's role is to carry out a community-wide program for food safety to promote health and prevent disease through education, training and regulation.
The role of public health is to carry out a community-wide program for food safety to promote health and prevent disease through education, training, and regulation. This system is designed to work in partnership with the people who make the day-to-day decisions that determine food safety - the operators and employees of food service establishments.
Public Health issues permits to operate food service establishments once they meet all the requirements of the King County Food Code. It then educates the managers and workers to help them operate safely. Continuing education on food safety is offered in several ways.
Each Food Establishment must have at least one person in charge present in the food establishment during all hours of operation. The person in charge must have the necessary knowledge to manage and maintain food safety and also have a valid Certified Food Manager Certificate. This is a 5-year certification. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/licensing-certified-food-manager-training-programs
All other Food Handlers must obtain the knowledge necessary to maintain food safety and become licensed as a Food Handler within 30 days of employment. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/licensing-food-handler-training-programs/accredited-food-handler-classroom-training-programs
Routine inspections address safe food handling practices. These are recognized by Public Health and the establishment as opportunities to educate the operators and their crews. As the Food Safety Inspector finds problems, recorded on the inspection form as red or blue points, she/he also demonstrates or explains the correct way to prepare and care for the food safely. The number of inspections made each year is based on the type of food served and how it is prepared.
Educational visits are not inspections, and no violations are noted.
Food safety inspectors close an establishment when:
