St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2, 2008

The Gold Standard in Food Safety

St. Charles County, MO -The St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment is pleased to recognize 12 local food service establishments for demonstrating excellence in sanitation and food safety, as well as successful employee education, in 2008. The facilities chosen for the second annual “24 Carrot Gold Food Safety Excellence Award” run the gamut from a rural vineyard to a high school cafeteria to great suburban eateries.

“This year’s list demonstrates that excellent food safety is practiced in every corner of St. Charles County,” said Pieter Sheehan, Environmental Health and Protection Chief for the department. “From Augusta to Orchard Farm, Wentzville to St. Charles, this year’s award recipients reflect the dynamic food industry here in our county.”

To be eligible for consideration, recipients of the "24 Carrot Gold Food Safety Excellence Award" cannot have any critical violations in the last twelve months, and no more than six non-critical violations in the same time period. In addition, at least ninety percent of the food facility managers at the establishment must have valid food safety certification. The facility must also have a valid St. Charles County Food Establishment Permit and be in good standing with the Department of Community Health and the Environment.

The following is a list of recipients of the department's second annual "24 Carrot Gold Food Safety Excellence Awards, along with comments on their nomination.

• Assumption Church School Cafeteria, 405 N. Main St., O’Fallon: Keeping the kitchen clean is a community task, because the space is shared by different groups in the parish.
  
  
• Louis P. Balducci Vineyards, 6601 Hwy. 94 South, Augusta: This establishment offers daily food service, as well as catering private events.
  
  
• Burger King, 2882 Hwy. K, O’Fallon: Store management emphasizes food safety practice systems, and the manager has been with the store for eleven years.
  
  
• Denny’s, 1423 S. Fifth St., St. Charles: Staff and management make sure food is safe 100% of the time, and the restaurant reached out to local schools with a holiday window decorating contest.
  
  
• O’Charley’s, 2204 Hwy. K, O’Fallon: This restaurant uses innovative training and development in food safety.

• Orchard Farm High School, 2165 Hwy. V, St. Charles: This cafeteria is an example of excellent food service in a more rural setting.

• Prairie View Elementary School, 1550 Feise Rd., O’Fallon: This facility, one of 13 self-operated cafeterias in the Wentzville School District, serves about 800 meals daily.
  
  
• SSM St. Joseph Health Center, 300 First Capitol Dr., St. Charles: Food safety and cleanliness for hospital patients, visitors, and employees is an important part of the overall standards of excellence for this facility.
  
  
• Schnucks, 8660 Veterans Memorial Pkwy., O’Fallon: All store employees are dedicated to food safety. This is a long-established store, and demonstrates that newer facilities do not have a monopoly on cleanliness.

• South Middle School, 300 Knaust Rd., St. Peters: This is an older facility, but the staff keeps up on the cleaning, which can be a demanding job because they serve about 600 meals a day.
  
  
• Steak ‘N Shake, 1134 W. Pearce Blvd., Wentzville: Although it isn’t required by code, all employees are immunized for Hepatitis A. The store also gives back to the community, through events like a charity car show to help foster children.
  
  
• White Castle, 2000 S. Hwy. 94, St. Charles: “White” Castle isn’t just a name, but a commitment to providing a clean and safe place to eat.

"No matter the number of employees, or whether the facility is rural or suburban, the staff at these 12 eateries is committed to excellence in food safety," said Sheehan. "Every food service facility under our jurisdiction meets food safety requirements, but these 12 exceed the standard. We hope they prominently display their ’24 Carrot Gold’ award, and we look forward to honoring more facilities next year."

For more information about the St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment, call (636) 949-7400 or visit www.scchealth.org.

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