When dining at our favorite restaurant, it’s typical that we acknowledge the lettered placard briefly, then ignore it. After entering, the chances of actually thinking of what the sign means is unlikely to happen, but little do we know that a lettered grade is not only to make the business look good but to save diners from food poisoning.
Restaurants earn grades from local inspectors based on things customers will not see, such as refrigerator temperatures, employee’s sanitation and potential contamination of food.
Inspectors are like teachers, who give pop quizzes and push you to be a better student. They perform unexpected inspections four to five times a year, not only to urge businesses into good health habits, but also to see how the restaurant is on a daily basis.
A great tip for someone looking for a healthy place to dine at is: pay attention to detail. Restaurants with an A will often deceive you with an idea that the establishment is perfect or has superior food handling and maintenance with just a glance. This may be true, but, the minor deductions made to receive an A can be simple things such as finding unclean utensils.
This goes as well for restaurants receiving a B or C, for good overall maintenance in food and the handling of it. Deductions made from both grades can be from critical things, like finding unwashed fruits and vegetables to severe like improper food storage temperatures.
It is bad when students fail exams, but it is even worse for restaurants. They will be forced into closure, possibly even being prosecuted.
Businesses with scores lower than 70 have been found to have severe health violations, including roach infestations or improper food storage temperature. The failure to display a lettered placard indicates that an inspector gave a score lower than 70.