What does public health do for you? That’s probably a question you’ve never asked yourself. Yet public health, as invisible as it may be, is around you every day and providing benefits that are important to almost everyone. In Part I of “Invisible Public Health”, I’m going to look at food issues that have a daily impact on a number of residents who “eat out” and participate in activities common in the community.
Food Inspection
In any given year, almost everyone eats out at a restaurant. Whether it is fast food, a sit down restaurant, buying groceries or attending a catered event, you are protected by an invisible shield of public health activity in the background. Food is also prepared and sold or served in many other locations. Every business, profit or not-for profit, must have a permit to sell potentially hazardous food to the public. Potentially hazardous food is food that is capable of supporting the rapid growth of harmful organisms. Food can also become hazardous if contaminated by harmful organisms when handled during preparation or serving.
The St. Charles County Food Code, which is based on the FDA model food code, specifies how food must be stored, prepared and handled. If you are curious about what a food code looks like you can find the St. Charles County Food Code here: http://www.scchealth.org/docs/ph/ph_docs/phehs/codebook.html
Permanent food establishments and catering locations are inspected from two to four times a year in St. Charles County based on a risk assessment of the particular business. This includes many different settings. Food operations within some stores — for example, deli and seafood areas — are regularly inspected as food establishments under the code.
All licensed establishments are assessed for risk. For example, food that undergoes extensive preparation and handling in a commercial kitchen is a higher risk than frozen food that is simply heated and served in a convenience store setting. The risk level of any given licensed food establishment is also affected by previous inspections. Licensees with a history of problems are assessed at a higher risk than establishments that have an outstanding record demonstrating good food sanitation practice.
If you attend a fair or festival and purchase food from a food vendor, that vendor has had to apply for a temporary food permit. Part of that process is reviewing what food the vendor intends to sell and, in some cases, restricting the type of food that can be sold under the temporary permit. Ice cream trucks cruising neighborhoods in the summer, home-delivery food trucks, sno-cone stands and food free food samples at grocery or big box stores are all regulated, and therefore, must meet standards specified by the food code.
This huge amount of activity to ensure food safety takes place every day and is pretty much invisible to the consumer. But, because of this activity, foodborne illness outbreaks have been reduced to a very low frequency in communities across the country. Compared to 30 or 40 years ago, the difference is dramatic. This is public health prevention in action. And, it’s mostly invisible to the public.
Next month I will continue looking at “invisible” public health in action by examining epidemiology and disease control activities practiced by every health department.