Food citations may be on Web

FARMINGTON — Want to know how sanitary your favorite restaurant is? In its upcoming meeting Tuesday, the Davis County Board of Health plans to discuss the pros and cons of publishing food-service inspection reports on its Web site.

The information is already available to the public, but anyone seeking such information must either go to the Davis County Health Department or make a phone call to learn of any violations.

"An informed consumer is a happier consumer," said Francine Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce. Her agency oversees the Utah Division of Consumer Protection. "Obviously, when I go out, I like to have a lot of info."

Normally, the public gets one piece of information: whether the restaurant is open.

" 'If it's open, it's safe' is the main assumption," said Delane McGarvey, director of Davis County's Environmental Health Services Division.

For the most part, that's true. With millions of meals served along the Wasatch Front every week, McGarvey said, most restaurants do a good job of maintaining sanitary conditions.

But customers may not know that a restaurant is on notice for any number of possible violations. Sometimes, notices last only 48 hours, McGarvey said.

But any restaurants committing critical violations that may put the public at risk are required to rectify those violations immediately or are shut down, said Lewis Garrett, director of the Davis County Health Department.

The Davis County Board of Health will meet Tuesday at 7 a.m. in the department's Farmington office and is expected to devote about 30 minutes to the subject during its two-hour meeting.

The meeting is open, and members of the public are welcome to attend.

Nouzha Korich, general manager of Ligori's Pizza and Pasta in Layton, said posting inspection reports would be great because restaurants shouldn't have anything to hide.

"Why not? Go for it," Korich said. "When the health department comes, I want them to walk through that kitchen."

Garrett said he expects the board to create a subcommittee to further study how to publish inspection reports.

A Web site could serve the public and save time, McGarvey said. Health departments around the country already make information available online.