Can restaurant grading systems like the one in New York keep people out of the hospital? Reducing food poisoning from E. coli, other bacteria and unsanitary conditions is one of the goals of the these systems.
With letter grading systems, restaurants have more of an incentive to use good food safety measures. New York’s program requires restaurants to post the letter grade of their health inspection in their front window. The city began using the letter grading system in July 2010.
Poor hygiene, improper food handling and storage and temperature abuse are the most common causes of bacterial and viral foodborne illnesses. Outbreaks are often linked to cross-contamination in kitchens, sick employees, employees who don’t wash hands before touching food, pest infestations, unsanitary kitchen surfaces and food that has been left of too long.
Every year, 20,000 New Yorkers visit emergency rooms and 6,000 are hospitalized because of food poisoning. But many more illnesses go unreported.
Nationwide one in six Americans contracts food poisoning each year. ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevntion (CDC), Norovirus
Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens Campylobacter and Staphylococcus aureus account for the most illnesses. The most hospitalizations are caused by Salmonella, Norovirus, Campylobacter, Toxoplasma gondii and E.coli.
