During an inspection, a sanitarian may notice activities or conditions that may increase the risk of injury or disease, and may document them as “violations”.  On an inspection report there are two types of violations, critical and non-critical.

 

Critical violations are conditions that if left uncorrected could lead to cross contamination, food spoilage, and possible foodborne illness.  In order for a facility to remain open all critical violations must be corrected prior to a sanitarian leaving the food establishment.  These violations are listed on the inspection report as Violation number 1 through 9.  Examples of critical violations are:

• Food products obtained from unapproved source (i.e. private homes or unlicensed establishments).
• Food products not protected from cross contamination, such as spills, contact with raw products, or contamination by food handlers or equipment.
• Poor employee hygiene or improper hand washing.
• Improper food temperatures for potentially hazardous food.
• No potable hot and cold drinking water.

 

 

Non-critical violations are activities or conditions that do not directly lead to foodborne illness, but if left uncorrected can escalate and may lead to critical violations.  If a sanitarian finds a non-critical violation the facility is typically given 30 days to make any necessary repairs or corrections.  These violations are number 10 through 35 on the inspection report.

 

Note:  Inspection reports represent violation findings that were present during that particular inspection process.   Findings on a particular report may not necessarily represent the overall daily operational conditions at a given facility.