Hot Button: Watching What You Eat

With more than one scary breach in our food safety net, just who is minding our local restaurant kitchens? 

Chris Skilton has probably set foot in more restaurants in King County than almost anyone else. His arrival can throw owners, chefs, prep cooks and dishwashers into a panic. But you won’t read his reviews of the places he visits on a blog, in a newspaper or hear them on the radio. What he has to say to the public about a food operation is most likely a warning to avoid the place, posted at the Seattle–King County Public Health Web site for restaurant closures. 

Skilton, whose official title is Seattle–King County Health and Environmental Investigator, is one of 35 county restaurant food inspectors responsible for keeping an eye on more than 10,000 establishments licensed by the county to serve food to the public. 

In any given year, there are several thousand deaths in the United States from food-related illnesses. Most of these, though, are not from illnesses contracted in restaurants, perhaps because of the efficacy of the inspection system. Nevertheless, King County received 669 food-borne illness complaints in 2007, completed 55 environmental health inspections of the food service establishment in question and determined that 38 of the complaints were “probable or confirmed outbreaks” of food-borne illnesses, commonly E. coli or salmonella contaminations. However, health inspectors rarely close a restaurant where an outbreak is suspected, says Todd Yerkes, Environmental Health Services supervisor at the county. “If imminent health hazards are not detected during the food-borne illness investigation, there is no reason to close the facility.”

Skilton and his 34 colleagues visit virtually every food establishment in the county at least once a year, assessing health risks and educating food service workers and owners about sanitary procedures. And they investigate consumer complaints about potential cases of food-borne illness. “We call ourselves ‘diarrhea detectives,’” says Skilton, whose current beat includes Pioneer Square, the International District and First Hill. “You do end up interviewing people about their symptoms, and you ask a lot of graphic questions.” 

King County inspectors are all college graduates, with a minimum of a four-year degree in a science-based field, according to Mark Rowe, food protection manager for Seattle–King County Public Health. “We continue to train them after they are licensed [by the National Environmental Health Association].” Rowe says that every establishment is triaged into one of three risk groups, depending on the size of the establishment and complexity of its menu. Your local latte shop, which serves only drinks and baked goods, is a Risk 1 establishment. Most restaurants, which handle raw food and menus that require more extensive preparation and storage, fall into the Risk 3 group. “The higher the risk category, the greater the number of inspections,” Rowe explains. 

Although inspectors work hard to gain the trust of restaurant workers and owners, they rely on a bit of secrecy to make their work effective—often arriving for inspections unannounced, says Skilton. When he gets to a restaurant, Skilton will immediately walk into the kitchen and wash his hands. “I do it for three reasons: to set an example, to minimize the number of pathogens on my hands and to get a sense of the place. Usually by the time I’m done washing my hands,” Skilton continues, “I know most of what I need to know.” He uses the hand-washing moment to gauge the response to his visit. “I see how they’re reacting—is there panic? And I can generally see how food is being handled.” 

 In the battle to keep food safe, Skilton’s primary weapon is his thermometer. There are two critical readings: Is wash water hot enough to sterilize plates, glasses, pots and so forth, and is food kept either hot enough or cold enough to prevent micro-organisms from having a party? A lack of hot water will result in immediate closure of the restaurant. Inspectors also look for cross-contamination of foods (for instance, uncooked meats stored above items that won’t be cooked), rodent or other infestation, food-handler permits for the staff and general cleanliness. Violations are scored in points, as two types: red, which are critical to preventing food-borne illness; and blue, which are less egregious. Red problems require immediate attention, and re-inspections ensure those are addressed. If a restaurant totals more than 120 points, or has more than 90 points in red violations, it is closed until the problems are cleared up. 

With that amount of control over their businesses, it’s not surprising that some restaurateurs live in fear of the inspector. Even veteran owner Christine Keff, of Belltown’s Flying Fish restaurant (which has never had serious issues in a health inspection), confesses to a bit of anxiety when the inspector arrives. “Any situation where someone’s going to give you a grade makes me nervous,” she says. Bruce Naftaly, also a long-term Seattle chef and the owner of Le Gourmand in Ballard, agrees. “I’m just relieved when they come and there aren’t any hassles.” Naftaly says his wariness dates from working at Rosellini’s Other Place (a noted Seattle restaurant that closed in 1986). “The downtown inspector was pretty much feared, because he could be very arbitrary and aggressive.”