Shelton eateries maintain passing health grades
SHELTON — The city’s eateries continue to earn high grades in the latest rounds of health inspections.
According to Naugatuck Valley Health District records, every restaurant passed its health inspection and only 10 establishments among the more than 150 that were checked earned below an A in the past few weeks.
The NVHD, using an A, B, C and D rating system, inspects each establishment quarterly, and posts the results on its website. In its most current rankings, the district graded some 150 food establishments with an A. There were seven establishments which scored a B, one other had a C in inspections done through early January.
According to the district, the following eateries earned a B: J.C.’s Sports Bar & Grill, 330 Howe Ave., inspected Aug. 24; Common Ground, 502 Howe Ave., inspected on Oct. 26; Piccolo’s Sunnyside Deli, 425 River Road, inspected on Oct. 25; Shelton Pizza Palace, 539 Howe Ave., inspected on Dec. 6; Torito Mexican Restaurant, 706 Bridgeport Ave., inspected on July 28; Adams IGA Supermarket, 200 Leavenworth Road, inspected on Oct. 20.; Baingan, 94 River Road, inspected on Dec. 8; and Shelton Kitchen, 509A Howe Ave., inspected on Dec. 29.
Market Place, 811 Bridgeport Ave., inspected on Jan. 3, and Wooster Street Market, 70 Wooster St., inspected on July 29, each have a C.
To earn an A rating, a food service establishment must have an inspection score of 93 to 100 with no critical four-point violations and not more than one risk-factor violation.
Critical violations include lack of hand washing facilities, food held at unsafe temperatures, and improper storage of toxic items such as cleaning supplies.
Risk factor violations, less serious than critical violations, can be anything from storing food containers on the floor to the presence of rodents on the premises.
The A rating also means that a qualified food operator, designated alternate or other knowledgeable and trained staff was on site at the time of inspection, records of training are available, accurate and up to date. Safe food handling practices and procedures also must be observed at the time of inspection and the facility needs to be found in compliance with the public health code.
A B rating means a food service establishment has an inspection score of 8692 with no critical fourpoint violations and no more than two risk-factor violations. The establishment needs to be free of major structural defects and exhibit safe food handling practices and procedures at the time of inspection. For this grade, the facility was found to be substantially in compliance with the public health code.
A C rating means a food service establishment having an inspection score of 80-86 with no uncorrected critical four-point violations and no more than four risk factor violations. The establishment has conditions that need to be corrected such as structural defects or other violations or unsafe food handling practices likely to cause food-borne illness.