Thursdays trivia - NYC Restaurant grading system from the Department of Health

NYC

In an attempt to stifle food-borne illness, the New York City's Department of Health (DOH) is considering rating restaurants based on sanitary conditions. Each restaurant would be forced to display their grade of A, B, or C after inspection. The DOH claims that at this point only 30 percent of New York City restaurants would qualify for an A grade, 40 percent would get B's and 26 percent would receive Cs. Any establishment receiving a B or C grade would be subject to more inspections from the DOH. 

"When Los Angeles instituted a letter grading system, the proportion of restaurants meeting the highest food-safety standards rose from 40% to more than 80%," says New York Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. Complaints about tainted food in New York City have gone up in recent years. Food poisoning causes not only missed work and school time, but also accounts for 10,000 emergency room visits and 5,000 hospitalizations every year.

Currently the city inspects 24,000 restaurants a year to make sure they are compliance with the city's health code. The DOH feels that too many restaurants are only marginally compliant. The inspection process itself is not going to change, but letter grades are intended to help consumers make decisions before sitting down to a meal at a restaurant. 

The DOH is soliciting for public commentary on the matter and planning to vote on the measure this March.

Press Release NYC.gov