You'll soon know if a restaurant is safe to eat at before you even go in the door.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is making it easier for you to know a food establishment’s inspection results with Check&GO!, a colour coded signage program launching June 3.
Upon completion of an inspection by a Public Health Inspector the restaurant will receive one of three signs, either "PASS, CONDITIONAL PASS or CLOSED." The operator will be expected to post the sign at, or near the main public entrance, in a location clearly visible to customers.
Signage will only be posted at food premises in the Health Unit’s region that are inspected on or after Monday, June 3.
A green sign means:
- Mostly in compliance with the Ontario Food Premises Regulation.
- Few critical infractions or some non-critical infractions can result in a Pass (Green) sign.
- Food handling practices do not represent an immediate risk to public health.
- A follow-up inspection may occur if items need to be corrected. Sometimes minor issues may not be addressed until the next routine inspection.
A yellow sign means:
- Significant non-compliance with the Ontario Food Premises Regulation.
- The number and/or type of infractions could lead to food-borne illness.
- Sometimes, significant non-critical infractions can result in a Conditional Pass (Yellow) sign being issued.
- A follow-up inspection will happen within 24-72 hours (1-3 business days).
The dreaded red sign means:
- Food establishment poses a health hazard (i.e. major insect/rodent infestation, no hot/cold running water, sewage back-up, fire, flood, and/or power outage).
- Food establishment will close and not prepare, serve and/or sell food to the public.
The food establishment must earn a Pass (Green) to be re-opened.
“The purpose of Check&Go! is to help individuals make informed decisions to protect their health and to share information about health inspection results,” said David Perrault, Senior Public Health Inspector. “When individuals see the sign at a local establishment they know the establishment has been inspected and what the results of the inspection are.”
The Health Unit has created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to help answer questions that you may have around food premise inspections and the new signage.
“It is important for individuals to make informed dining decisions. Our FAQ page helps individuals to understand the inspection process in greater detail,” said Perrault.
You can view a restaurant's inspection results online.
