Food rules change for restaurants

August 31, 2012

For the first time in more than 30 years state health standards are changing. This means North Carolina restaurant ratings may look lower than usual. 

“Restaurant owners know that safe food is good business,” said Larry Michael, from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health. “By working together to implement these changes, we can reduce our incidence of food borne illness across the state.”

Restaurants no longer will be able to score higher than 100. In the past food safety training at restaurants was voluntary, but now with new certification requirements every employee is required to take separate food safety training.

“People who check food scores shouldn’t be worried when they see a score change,” said Kelly Schermerhorn, Catawba County Public Health

To read more of this story, pick up the print edition of Catawba County's community newspaper, The Observer News Enterprise, at newsstands throughout the county.