Safety Inspections Not Done on School Cafeterias

Shannon Weidemann

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

Starting with the 2005-06 school year Congress required all school cafeterias to have two health inspections a year. 30 percent of schools in the last year only received one inspection. Health inspections are important to check for conditions where germs may grow, to make sure employees are washing their hands, and other food safety violations.

Schools in the Long Beach Unified School District are subject to the same health standards that the city sets for restaurants, said district spokesman Chris Eftychiou. Cafeterias are inspected by the city health department.

"They do those reviews and make sure that everything is in compliance," he said. "We have an outstanding food service operation with a great safety record."

Jackie Hampton, food program supervisor in the department, said the Long Beach Health Department has met with the LBUSD to discuss the federal inspection requirements.

The health department is "on target" to inspect school facilities twice this school year, she said.

Sixty one percent of schools were in compliance with the new regulations and received two health inspections. It is not the responsibility of the school district to be inspected, but the local health department.