how to report unsafe food practices
Typically, I would say that the decision to report unsafe food handling practices should be weighed with the severity of the infraction. There is a sizable difference between a new employee in a fast food restaurant forgetting to wear his/her hair net properly, which is a minor problem that can be easily corrected by management, and a more severe infraction such as letting tuna salad sit at unsafe temeratures which has the potential to poison patrons. If the situation is one that could easily be corrected by the food service business managment, I would report it to them first. This gives them the opportunity to "do the right thing" and correct the issue without the involvement of the local health department. If the infractions are severe, or create a widespread threat to public health, I would encourage you to contact the local health department in the county where the establishment is licensed. In most jurisdictions, restaurants are required to post their licenses within public view. Many will post them on a wall at or near the cash registers. Many times you can remain annonymous during the process, however you probably won’t be making many friends. It’s been my experience that generally speaking, those who work in restaurants try to handle food safely. Usually if there is a problem with improper handling of food, it is either due to lack of supervision, lack of education or both.
