The Florida Department of Health releases its inspection reports for Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties each week, highlighting the restaurants with the most violations in the past 30 days.
Violations range from basic to intermediate to high-priority, with each based on the level of immediate threat to diners’ safety, according to state inspection criteria.
The following key can be used as a guide:
High-priority: Could contribute directly to a food-borne illness or injury.
Examples: Handwashing, correct heating/cooling temperatures, separation of raw animal foods, missing vacuum breaker (to prevent backflow), evidence of pests and live roaches.
Intermediate: If not addressed, could lead to risk factors that contribute to food-borne illness or injury.
Examples: Personnel training, documentation, record keeping and labeling, ice machine mold and stained cutting boards.
Basic: Best practices to implement.
Examples: Broken ceiling tiles, soiled floor, open dumpster lid, gouged cutting boards, hair not restrained during food preparation and dead roaches.