Top 5: Critical food safety violations in Washtenaw County restaurants

More Information View the county's inspection reports for a particular restaurant Washtenaw County Environmental Health Division U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Code Report a Foodborne Illness (food poisoning) File a complaint

In that code, a "critical item" is one that, if not adhered to, "will more likely than other violations contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental health hazard," said Schweighoefer, an environmental health supervisor with the county.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates foodborne illness results in 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. These illnesses and deaths result in an annual cost of $22 billion due to medical expenses and loss of productivity. 

Restaurants typically have two routine inspections per year, usually about six months apart, Schweighoefer said. If a critical violation is found, it is either permanently or temporarily corrected on site before the inspector leaves, she said.

"For example, if the foods are not marked with a date, sanitarians educate the restaurant staff on the type of foods that require date marking, how to date mark foods, why they need to be date marked, and a process to ensure date marking occurs on a routine basis," she said. "The foods are then marked with a date at the time of inspection, correcting the violation."

If a critical violation isn't corrected on the spot, restaurants have 10 days to resolve it.

Below is a list of the top 5 critical violations cited most frequently in Washtenaw County, based on data from October 2008 through October 2009.

1. Not keeping required foods hot or cold enough - 495 citations.

2. Dirty equipment or utensils that have come into contact with food - 338 citations.

3. Foods that need to stay refrigerated or are not cooked before serving aren't marked with a discard date - 217 citations.

4. Poisonous or toxic materials found stored in a manner that may contaminate food, equipment, or utensils - 168 citations.

5. The method of dishwashing being used is not properly sanitizing dishes and utensils - 124 citations.