Westfield Board of Health Discusses Food Safety Practices

To the Editor:  

The Westfield Board of Health joined with leaders and members of the boards of health from New Providence, Roselle Park and Summit on April 1 for an information sharing session. 

The State Department of Health Food and Drug Safety Program presented the methods for the state’s revised retail food inspection regulations. The Westfield Regional Health Department has been at the forefront of implementing this approach, which eventually will be standard practice throughout New Jersey.

The goal is to prevent the documented risk factors for food-borne illnesses that may not be evident on a simple visual inspection. In other words, the food handling practices of a restaurant are more important than the appearance of its facilities. This risk-based inspection approach requires that the establishment’'s on-site supervisor knows how to adequately manage a safe food business.

For example, our Registered Environmental Health Specialists focus on the following when conducting a restaurant or retail food establishment inspection:

o  Proper handwashing.

o  Holding foods at proper temperatures.

o  Adequate cooking.

o  Non-contaminating equipment.

o  Food from safe sources.

In addition, the board members provided guidance to each other regarding strategies to improve local public health practices. For example, we shared our method of oversight for restaurants with a conditionally satisfactory inspection.

Information about all of the Health Department'’s activities is available on its website http://www.westfieldnj.gov/health.  The next meeting of the Westfield Board of Health will be on May 6, which starts at 5:30 PM in the Municipal Building.  The public is invited to attend.

Lawrence D. Budnick, MD, MPH

President, Westfield Board of Health