National Restaurant Association figures show that 46% of adults patronize an eating establishment on any typical day. That means that approximately 50 billion meals are eaten out nationwide every day!
Clark County residents have steadily increased the frequency of eating foods prepared outside the home in places such as fast food and dine-in restaurants, convenience stores, delis, bakeries and take-out eateries. The total food spending in Clark County on food prepared outside of the home jumped from 25% in 1970 to 40% by 1995. Residents and visitors have the option to consume food prepared in any of more than 1,500 area establishments.
Safe food handling helps reduce the likelihood of food-borne illness resulting from poor practices in two areas: contamination of food by food workers' hands, other foods, or food preparation surfaces; and improper temperature control that encourages the growth of illness-causing bacteria. Clark County Health Department helps food service establishments avoid transmitting food-borne illness through programs of education and inspection.
The inspection connection
Health Department Specialists trained in safe food handling practices conduct inspections of all food service establishments in Clark County, evaluating and documenting food workers' practices in receiving, storing, and processing foods, and the temperatures at which they cook, cool, hold and reheat them. When an inspector observes unsafe food handling practices, a business may incur notice and publication of violation, repeat inspection and mandatory food handling training, or even closure to the public.
A report of Clark County restaurant inspection scores is published routinely in the local area newspaper, and a number local food service establishments participate on a local Food Technical Advisory Committee organized to maintain open, non-regulatory communication with the health department.
