Region adds layer of public transparency to food safety program

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

When residents walk into restaurant, bar or other eateries in the region, they may notice a sign affixed on or near the front entrance.

This sign will include the logo of the Durham Public Health, dates and a label that is either green, yellow and red.

So exactly what does this mean?

This is an indication health inspectors recently reviewed the location through the DineSafe Durham program.

The DineSafe Program came into effect in March 2009, although inspectors had been keeping an eye on businesses before that.

But as Greg Annis, manager for health protection with Durham Public Health notes, prior to the current program, information wasn’t easy to access.

“There was an inspection process, but there wasn’t a piece that added disclosure,” he says. “Having an open and transparent system definitely increases everyone’s knowledge.”

While the public always had the opportunity to receive information, the impetus was on them to seek it out.

“That’s the transparency piece that was missing,” Annis says.

Toronto was the first in Ontario to develop a DineSafe program in 2000.

Soon after, municipalities across the province, including Durham, followed suit.

The DineSafe system is simple. After an inspection, a colour code is assigned to the establishment.

A green sign reflects a pass and indicates a majority of compliance with the Ontario Food Premises Regulation.

There may be minor issues, but food handling practices are not considered an immediate risk to public health.

A yellow sign means a conditional pass.

“This means there is significant [but not critical] non-compliance, and there can be a number, and types, of infractions,” he says.

In the case of a conditional pass, inspectors will follow up 24 to 72 hours later.

In receiving a red sign, a location represents a public health hazard and must close.

Annis says many issues can cause this, including a major insect/rodent infestation, no hot or cold running water, sewage back up, fire or flood damage.

In this case, the premises shuts down immediately and cannot prepare, serve or sell food to the public, and must achieve a pass before reopening.

Failure to meet these requirements can lead to tickets or legal action. Upon conviction, fines can run up to $5,000 for individuals and $25,000 for corporations.

The DineSafe Program does not apply just to restaurants, as in essence, any location that serves food is open to inspection.

The frequency and complexity of an inspection depends on the specific location.

Factors such as the type of food served, food preparation requirements, volume and demographics of customers, and past history of non-compliance are all taken into account.

Results of inspections are available to the public at durham.ca/dinesafe

Residents can view an interactive map or search for a specific location.

Inspection results remain online for two years and are removed if a business closes.

According to the health department’s 2017 performance report, 98 per cent of 7,000 DineSafe inspections resulted in a pass.

There were also 140 conditional passes and 21 closures.

Annis says these numbers relatively stay the same year-to-year.

The region laid a total of 129 charges against 84 offenders last year, resulting in a 100 per cent conviction rate.

Unfortunately, there are instances where offenders try to avoid their responsibilities by hiding or removing inspection notices.

“These signs are critical for the public to make informed decisions. We hold [offenders] to a high level of accountability,” Annis says.

For more information on DineSafe Durham, visit durham.ca/dinesafe

To register a complaint, call the Environmental Health Line at 905-723-3818 or fill out a form online at https://forms.durham.ca/Environmental-Health-Complaint-Form