Pittsburgh ranks among dirty dining cities

Dining out on Saturday night? Restaurant-goers in Pittsburgh have an enticing incentive to… Dining out on Saturday night? Restaurant-goers in Pittsburgh have an enticing incentive to savor the city. Cooking Light magazine recently ranked Pittsburgh on a list of the 20 best American cities in which to ‘eat smart, be fit and live well.’ But researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest pried into the kitchens of the restaurants in these top 20 cities, including Pittsburgh, and discovered some unhealthy conditions ‘mdash; scurrying roaches and rotting fish.’ The consumer watchdog group sifted through a sampling of inspection reports and found dangerous food-handling practices at two-thirds of the 539 restaurants inspected across the nation. Among the 20 cities, Pittsburgh-area restaurants ranked sixth for the highest rate of violations considered most critical by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to its report, ‘Dirty Dining: Have reservations? You will now.’ That ranking, however, does not necessarily consider restaurants in Pittsburgh dirtier than those in cities with fewer reported violations. Researchers were unable to say whether areas with the most violations had dirtier restaurants or more stringent inspectors, thus skewing comparisons among cities, said Jacquie Witmer, a research assistant for the report. ‘We try to look at the cities on an individual basis,’ said Witmer. ‘It’s hard to know if the inspectors are finding more or if there are less violations.’ In Allegheny County, 16 health inspectors from the Allegheny County Health Department oversee 9,000 restaurants, averaging 562 restaurants per inspector. Pittsburgh ranked second highest for its ratio of restaurants per inspector among the cities scrutinized by researchers from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.’ ‘We may have the sixth highest rate of violations, but by the same token, we found these conditions,’ said Dave Zazac, public information assistant from the Allegheny County Health Department. ‘If you don’t look for it, people will think there is no problem.’ Despite the number of critical violations, Pitt student Manami Yasueda said she still expects to eat out about five times per week ‘mdash; a routine consistent with the national norm. ‘Living in the dorms, I have no other choice,’ she said. In Pittsburgh-area restaurants, the two most common violations, according to the report’s findings, were inadequate hand washing and improper food storage temperatures. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control calls both critical violations. One inspector found ready-to-serve sushi stored at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit ‘mdash; a dangerous temperature for holding food ‘mdash; at a restaurant in Allegheny County, according to an inspection report studied by researchers. When an inspector reports a violation like a substandard cooler, the Health Department intervenes and helps to resolve the problem as soon as possible, Zazac said. ‘If we find unsafe conditions, we correct them,’ he said. Melissa Kennedy, the general manager of Panera Bread, 3800 Forbes Ave., said that the county’s restaurant inspections are fair and reasonable. ‘I understand, even if they have to do more or make the rules more strict,’ said Kennedy. By law, a restaurant must undergo an inspection upon renewal of its yearly license. ‘It is more likely that we will go to a full-service restaurant within one year than a video rental place with packaged foods like popcorn,’ said Zazac. ‘The hope is once per year a restaurant will be inspected.’ Restaurants with recurrent violations or service complaints require more attention. This past year, a few Oakland restaurants required re-inspection to ensure the facilities had corrected initial violations. A health inspector from the county health department visited one Oakland eatery twice in September. According to a report dated Sept. 8, the inspector recorded four critical violations: the absence of a certified manager, a deficient dishwasher and an excess of sanitizers in a bucket for wiping rags and in the bar sink. Other violations not known to cause food-borne illnesses included slimy beverage guns at the bar and a leak into the basement. When the inspector returned 10 days later, ‘conditions were significantly corrected,’ according to a report dated Sept. 18. However, the inspector still reported one critical violation ‘mdash; improper washing ‘mdash; and other non-critical violations, such as the lack of thermometers in coolers and a spraying faucet. Although the Allegheny County Health Department posts green, yellow and red stickers near the entrances of restaurants to notify consumers of the status of their most recent inspections, consumers remained unaware of the violations at the Oakland restaurant. A green sticker means that a county health inspector has reviewed the facility and has permitted its operation; a yellow sticker, or consumer alert, means that the facility has not corrected reoccurring violations; and a red sticker means that the Health Department has closed the restaurant because the facility has failed to meet food safety codes. ‘It is good that there is a system,’ said Witmer. ‘It’s a good start.’ Researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest suggest that, instead of using a color system, health departments use a grading system. Since implementing its grade-card system, Los Angeles County has seen a 20 percent decrease in hospitalizations caused by foodborne illness, according to ‘Dirty Dining.’ Some, like Pitt nursing student Rebecca Keuch, have never noticed the stoplight sticker system. ‘I wouldn’t think to question the color,’ said Keuch, who eats at restaurants about four times per week. ‘Los Angeles’ system is easier to translate.’ Los Angeles County also posts inspections reports online for public viewing. But in Allegheny County, consumers must request to view inspections reports at the Health Department. ‘No one goes to the Health Department before eating out on Saturday night,’ said Witmer. In Allegheny County, the majority of consumers do not request inspections reports, according to Steve Steingart, the chief of the food safety program at the Health Department. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which inspects restaurants in counties with no public health departments, has asked the Allegheny County Health Department to post its inspections reports online since 2006. After receiving a grant to develop a statewide database, it provided the Allegheny County Health Department with computers to start the creation of the database. Though hesitant, the department might modernize its system by putting inspection reports online for public viewing as early as the end of 2009, said Steingart.