Why New York City restaurants aren’t being inspected as frequently as they used to
Why New York restaurants aren’t being inspected as frequently as they used to 02:03
NEW YORK — Sanitation inspections at New York City restaurants aren’t happening as frequently as they used to.
The recently released mayor’s 2023-24 management report found that restaurant inspections by the health department were down 17% from last year, meaning fewer restaurants were inspected for things like cleanliness and signs of rodents.
A health department spokesperson sent the following statement to CBS News New York:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our inspections in many ways, including the dedication of our staff to emergency response. Along with increasing our inspections, we are working with businesses to help them earn the highest ratings possible. Over the summer, we hosted food safety workshops, both online and in-person, to help restaurateurs refresh their knowledge of food safety best practices, and we also have resources available online. We are committed to protecting New Yorkers from foodborne illness and helping restaurants comply with hygiene regulations.”
A health department spokesperson also said the city is hiring and training additional staff to conduct the tests.
What do NYC restaurant letter grades mean?
Health experts say that generally, a restaurant gets an A rating if it has few or no violations, a B rating if it has minor infractions and a C rating if it has numerous or dangerous violations.
A “rating pending” sign often means the restaurant owner is working to resolve the issue.
“They want their inspectors to come back quickly and put better grades up in their windows. This is for the restaurant owners and operators, this is for the consumers. It’s so important that we increase these inspections quickly,” New York City Council Member Eric Bottcher said.
While some restaurateurs are fighting for better grades, city leaders want a better report card with more testing items on the menu.
Dave Carlin
