Colorado has implemented new restaurant inspection regulations that took effect Jan. 1.
The Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations are based on a national standard for retail food sales, said Melissa Mathews, environmental specialist with the Montezuma County Health Department. Mathews conducts inspections.
There are several changes.
First, every entity serving food to the public must have at least one staff person be a certified food protection manager. Every shift does not have to have the certified person working, however.
“The training requirement for the one staff member is intended to help educate the rest of the staff,” Mathews said.
Courses are typically two days with a test at the end. Opportunities to take the class are available locally by calling 970-565-3056.
Other changes are that restaurants and food faculties can now use, sturdy, noncommercial-grade equipment, have any size of hand-washing sink, and prepare food in the three-sink area previously restricted to washing dishes. Marking the date on stored foods and temperature control is also a new requirement.
A new revision allows the use of customer containers to place to-go food, but after the container is washed properly by the facility. Also, hand-washing between glove changes while doing the same task is no longer required, Mathews said. Hand-washing between glove changes when a different task is begun is still required.
Food facilities must also have procedures in place for cleaning up after vomiting and diarrheal events.
Criteria in the inspection form has also changed. There are no longer “critical” and “noncritical” violation categories. The new violation categories are “Priority,” “Priority Foundation” and “Core.”
Mathews said “Priority” and “Priority Foundation” are critical violations that might cause foodborne illnesses unless corrected. “Core” violations are noncritical and are important, but they have less risk of causing foodborne illnesses.
The new rules are science-based and easier to understand. They are not unreasonable,” Mathews said. “Studies have shown that when there is a certified food protection manager at staff, foodborne illnesses go down.”
She said inspections are taking longer because of the need to educate staff at facilities. They are encouraged to keep a hard copy handy or have it bookmarked on their computer desktop.
The Journal publishes local restaurant inspection reports provided monthly by the Montezuma County Health Department.
Inspections of all retail food facilities are done yearly, and in some cases, more than once per year.
Unannounced inspections are conducted for restaurants, school, hospital and nursing home cafeterias, grocery stores, convenience stores, fairgrounds, resorts, food trucks and any event or facility where food is sold to the public.
Mathews conducts about 145 retail food facility inspections every year for Montezuma and Dolores counties as the Health Department’s environmental health specialist.
The inspections are completed on-site and include compliance standards set by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.
Dolores County Senior Services8540 Road 7.2, Dove Creek
date: Jan. 31
Priority violations: 0
Priority foundation violations: 0
Core violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Kitchen personnel is not currently certified as a food protection manager. Individual is signed up for the June training in Cortez.
Stateline Bar & Grill69576 U.S. Highway 491, Dove Creek
date: Jan. 31
priority violations: 0
priority foundation violations: 0
core violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Facility does not have a certified food protection manager. Will take an online course and use the testing center for the exam.
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant332 W. Main St., Cortez
date: Jan. 25
priority violations: 0
priority foundation violations: 0
core violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Staff has not received the certification.
Cortez Dairy Queen1127 E. Main St., Cortez
date: Jan. 10
priority violations: 0
priority foundation violations: 1
1. Employee health category, procedures for responding to vomiting and diarrheal events.
inspector comments: No plan in place for cleanup procedures of vomiting and diarrheal events. Problem corrected. On a follow-up inspection Jan. 25, facility has adopted a cleanup procedure, and staff have been trained on the policy.
core violations: 0
Mesa Elementary School703 W. Seventh St., Cortez
Date: Jan. 23
priority violations: 0
priority foundation violations: 0
core violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Staff has not met the requirement for the certification.
P&D Grocery & Mancos Pizza230 E. Frontage Road, Mancos
date: Jan. 22
priority violations: 2
1. Proper hot holding temperatures category.
inspector comments: Hot hold on cooked chicken in buffet for customer grab-and-go was 116 degrees Fahrenheit. The food product is put into table at 11 a.m. and is removed by 3 p.m. if any is still there. The chicken is then disposed of. Problem was corrected on-site.
2. Proper cold holding temperatures category.
inspector comments: Observed brown gravy in a crockpot stored in the deli walk-in. The gravy was 44 degrees Fahrenheit and had been in there for more than a day. Product was discarded. Problem was corrected on-site.
Priority foundation violations: 0
core violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Staff is not currently certified as a food protection manager.
Jimmer’s Backcountry Bar-B-Q439 E. Main St., Cortez
date: Jan. 16, follow-up inspection.
Inspector Comments: Follow-up inspection to verify consumer advisory has been added to the menu. Disclosure statement and reminder are present. Menu items are marked correctly using and asterisk.
Jack and Janelle’s Country Kitchen801 E. Main St., Cortez
date: Jan. 16
priority violations: 0
Priority foundation violations: 0
Core Violations: 1
1. Supervision category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Facility does not have a certified food protection manager. Owner will be taking a class in February.
Gustavo’s125 E. Main St., Cortez
date: Jan. 14
Priority violations: 0
Priority Foundation Violations: 1
1. Employee health category, procedures for responding to vomiting and diarrheal events.
inspector comments: No procedure in place for cleanup. Problem was corrected during inspection.
Core violations: 1
1. Supervisor category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: Facility does not have a certified food protection manager.
Handy Mart South806 S. Broadway, Cortez
date: Jan. 14
priority violations:
priority foundation violations:
core violations: 1
1. Supervisor category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: No current certified food protection manager. Signed up for the February course.
Sonic Drive In436 S. Broadway St., Cortez
date: Jan. 10
Priority violations:
priority foundation violations: 1
1. Time/temperature control for safety category, proper date marking and disposition.
inspector comments: Ready-to-eat, refrigerated, TCS food prepared and held, or prepared and packaged in food processing plant and opened in the food establishment, shall be sold, consumed on premises, or discarded within seven calendar days. Green chiles from processing plant placed in a container not properly marked. Problem corrected during inspection.
core violations: 1
1. Supervisor category, certified food protection manager.
inspector comments: At least one employee who has a supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager. Certification has expired.