Inspections

The Health Department performs at least one unannounced inspection of every retail food establishment annually in the towns we serve.  If the inspection results are anything other than “Satisfactory”, then a re-inspection is performed.  In the event there is an ‘Unsatisfactory’ or ‘Conditional’ inspection result, the establishment is required to remedy the problem and is inspected again.  We also inspect based on every complaint we receive.  One of the hallmarks of public health is prevention and one of the traditional services is food inspections.  By inspecting food establishments, as well as training and educating food service workers, we are better able to prevent food-borne illnesses and reduce the chance of food poisoning.  Inspections are more than ensuring a restaurant looks ‘clean’, significant time is spent verifying that food is handled and prepared safely.  Holding, cooking and cooling temperatures are monitored and we look for conditions that might lead to contamination.  Current estimates are that 1 in 6 individuals in the United States get sick from food annually, more than 100,000 are hospitalized, and approximately 3,000 die each year from food-related illnesses.

The NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) mandates that local Boards of Health monitor areas of potential environmental concern in order to protect the public’s health.  The Commission’s staff of four full-time Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS) conduct a wide range of routine and specialized inspections including restaurants, wells and septic systems, public and private camps, public swimming pools, tanning salons, body art establishments, kennels and others.

For a listing of completed inspections and the most recent inspection reports, click here.