Food Facility Inspections

The Harford County Health Department inspects restaurants and other food service facilities to routinely monitor food handling practices, and sanitary and physical conditions. Depending on the type of food service offered by the facility, routine random inspections are conducted up to three times a year. Complaints and food borne illness outbreak investigations prompt additional inspections.

Inspectors (Environmental Sanitarians) closely evaluate nine critical food safety items which most often contribute to foodborne illness. Critical Items are food safety requirements which must be followed to reduce the incidence of food-related illness and injury. If a critical food safety violation is discovered, it must be corrected immediately or the facility is closed until the violation is corrected. The Critical Items are as follows:

1. Food must be obtained from an approved source.
2. Food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.
3. Food workers with infection or diarrhea must be restricted.
4. Food workers must practice effective hand washing procedures.
5. Potentially hazardous food must be properly cooled.
6. Potentially hazardous food must be held at proper temperature.
        a. Food must be held at proper cold temperature
        b. Food must be held at proper hot temperature
7. Potentially hazardous food must be adequately -
        a. Cooked to the appropriate temperature.
        b. Reheated to the appropriate temperature.
8. Potable hot and cold running water must be provided.
9. Sewage disposal system must function properly.

In addition to the above Critical Items, environmental sanitarians also evaluate food service facilities for general food handling and facility maintenance, or Good Retail Practices (GRP’s).  GRP’s are preventative measures to control the introduction of pathogens, chemicals, and physical objects into foods. Facilities found in violation of GRP’s are not routinely closed. Instead, compliance within 30 days, or within a timeframe specified in a written compliance schedule, is required.  A reinspection is typically scheduled to verify that corrections have been made.

Currently, the Harford County Health Department licenses and inspects a total of 1,893 food service facilities (936 permanent food service facilities and 957 temporary food service facilities). 

Click here to view the entire report (October 09 to present) of food service facility inspections.

To see inspections completed during a specific month, click the month below:

Note:  If the inspection results are not shown during your search it could mean that the facility has not yet been inspected during this cycle.

Reading the Inspection Report

**Food Inspection Disclosure**

Inspections represent facility conditions at the time of inspection only. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment.

The Gold Star Facility Recognition Initiative is a program aimed at increasing food safety in Harford County’s food service establishments. It provides the incentive to achieve and maintain the highest standards in food safety. Food service facility operators have an opportunity to participate in the development phase of this initiative. Criteria for the award will be based on similar programs offered throughout the State of Maryland, as well as input from food facility operators and Health Department staff. Our goal is to provide a thoughtfully conceived notification/rewards initiative that will benefit the public and the food service industry.

Written comments for the recognition program may be submitted to the Harford County Health Department through November 15, 2007.

Click here to view presentation to licensed facility operators

ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS: