New color-coded placards informing diners about food-safety violations are about to appear in Hawaii restaurants. The rule was implemented in February, but the Hawaii Department of Health wanted to spend a few months educating restaurant workers before requiring them to comply. The placards are now expected to be posted by the end of July. Green placards are for when no more than one major violation is observed during a routine inspection. The violation must be corrected at the time of inspection. Yellow placards will be posted when a major violation remains uncorrected or when two or more major violations are observed, if corrected at the time of inspection. A follow-up inspection will be conducted within two business days to ensure compliance. If no major violations exist, a green placard will be posted. Red placards are posted when there’s an imminent health hazard observed or when a permit is suspended. Examples include sewage overflow, no hot water, rodent/vermin infestation, or severe unsanitary conditions. The red placard has to remain posted and the restaurant closed until a follow-up inspection confirms that the hazard no longer exists. The goals of the program are to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness, increase compliance with the food code, and inform the public of the most recent inspection results. Along with posting the placards, restaurants in Hawaii have other new rules to follow such as renewing their permits every year instead of every two years, not allowing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, and posting warnings for diners that consuming raw or undercooked foods can increase the risk of illness.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
An analysis of official controls in Norway and Iceland has revealed effective oversight overall with some recurring weaknesses.
Norway and Iceland are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Bongkrekic acid and the illegal use of a substance to give the appearance of fish freshness were examples of emerging risks discussed in a recent report about problems in Europe
The majority of countries are finding implementing food safety culture controls difficult, according to a European Commission survey.
The report looked at the state of food safety culture controls in
Ireland’s largest Listeria outbreak and plans to introduce a food hygiene rating system are among the highlights of the Irish food agency’s annual report.
According to the Food
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. is recalling select flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars because of consumer complaints about contamination with glass.
Products affected include Outshine Strawberry, Watermelon, Grape, Tangerine
Salata Dressings of Houston, TX, is recalling its Jalapeno Avocado Dressing because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recalled products were distributed in Texas HEB grocery
Grand Central Bakery of Seattle, WA, is recalling loaves of Potato Sourdough because they may contain the presence of pieces of metal.
The following products are subject to recall and
L-Nutra of Culver City, CA, is recalling Prolon brand Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread because it contains undeclared cashew, pistachio and hazelnut.
People who have an allergy or severe
