During my online chat with the Lawrence Journal-World on Thursday, Nov. 3, there were several questions about how the Kansas Department of Health and Environment conducts restaurant inspections. Due to the format, my response was inadequate and I’d like to take this opportunity to provide a more complete response. Two readers asked about KDHE’s approach to inspections, the imposition of fines, where the funds go, training for inspectors, how we work with restaurants to educate them regarding the processes and whether our processes are more geared toward institutions than restaurants.

KDHE’s restaurant inspection process is an educational/consultation process in addition to being a compliance check required to ensure the health and safety of Kansans. KDHE inspects Kansas food service establishments annually as well as when complaints are received. On average, each facility statewide has 1.7 inspections annually when including complaint inspections. This has been fairly consistent for the past two years. (Complaints against restaurants have dropped slightly in the past year).

We work closely with restaurants during the inspection process to educate the employees regarding any issues we find and regarding general food safety requirements. The first visit is used to consult with them on food safety issues, and then a followup visit is done to ensure they have implemented the necessary changes. If at that time, they have not, they are subject to a fine and additional actions if the problems continue to persist, therefore putting the public at risk.

Nearly 98 percent of the establishments in the state are in substantial compliance with food safety regulations statewide. We take administrative actions for slightly more than 2 percent of licensed establishments in Kansas. Specifically, in Douglas County there are 437 licensed food service establishments. During fiscal year 2005, there were seven civil penalties (fines) for food code violations, one civil penalty (fine) for operating without a license, and three suspensions. That is a total of 11 civil penalties or 2.5 percent of the facilities fined in fiscal year 2005. In the previous year, it was 2.3 percent. And Douglas County represents what is found throughout the state.

We have hired more inspectors in recent years to ensure we have enough staff to inspect the more than 12,000 facilities statewide annually, as well as for complaint calls. In addition, we have enhanced our training to ensure inspectors are better able to identify concerns that pose a risk to the public, as well as are consistently implementing the standards. New inspection staff receive a very specific and specialized eight-week training, and they must pass a field test before they conduct inspections on their own. The district managers also conduct joint inspections with staff throughout the year to ensure quality inspections. Our new inspector training is a model training program that we established about five years ago and has been requested and adopted by several other states.

New inspectors are expected to proceed through 18 months of continued education that ends with a field standardization exercise by FDA-certified staff. KDHE’s entire inspection program is based on national requirements for restaurant inspections and meets FDA national standards to ensure the safety of all Kansans.

If you have questions or concerns regarding restaurants and inspections, please contact our food service program at (785) 296-5600.

– Rod Bremby is the Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary.