You can get more information about the City of Milwaukee Health Department's inspection process and inspection reports by selecting from the questions below. Once you are finished reading the answer to a question, hitting the "back" button will bring you back to the top of this page.
What types of inspections are conducted by the City of Milwaukee Health Department at food establishments?
Routine annual inspections are the most common types of inspections performed and are generally unannounced to the establishment. The focus of these inspections is on critical risk violations, which are those violations most likely to contribute to foodborne illness.
Reinspections are performed as a follow-up to a routine inspection that results in written orders. Only violations not in compliance from the initial inspection will be shown on the reinspection report. If all violations are in compliance at reinspection, the report will state "no violations to report".
Special inspections are all other inspections other than routine and reinspections. They may include inspections to investigate food and nuisance complaints as well as foodborne illness complaints.
Preinspections are performed prior to licensing for all new applicants. All types of violations including non-critical risk violations are documented during a preinspection and are substantially corrected before an establishment can open.
What are the various parts of an inspection report, and their defined purposes?
Please click here for an Adobe Acrobat file demonstrating the various parts and purposes of a food inspection report.
How often are food establishments inspected?
Food establishments receive a routine annual inspection a minimum of once per year. Additional routine annual inspections may be conducted depending on conditions found and the complexity of an operation. Schools are inspected twice per year.
What types of violations are usually found in a food establishment?
Critical risk violations are the primary focus of the City of Milwaukee Health Department inspection system. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified critical risk violations as leading contributors to foodborne illness. Examples of critical risk violations include lack of, or improper hand washing; cross contamination of cooked, ready-to-eat foods with raw food, unwashed or dirty surfaces; inadequate cooking, holding, reheating and cooling temperatures.
Non-critical risk violations may not cause a foodborne illness but may affect the overall sanitation within a food establishment and if left uncorrected, if out of control, may result in conditions which would constitute a threat to the public health.
What type of complaints does the City of
Milwaukee Health Department
investigate at food establishments?
Litter and garbage complaints are usually related to litter or garbage nuisances in and around the garbage and refuse storage area, as well as the ground near the perimeter of the facility.
Food facility and hygiene complaints relate to facility cleanliness and food handling practices such as employees not washing their hands after handling raw meat, dirty utensils, equipment, or visits to the bathroom; insect and/or rodent activity on the premises.
Food illness and outbreak complaints are usually complaints of individual illness or reports of several illnesses associated with eating at a group function such as a wedding or graduation party.
How are complaints reported?
Complaints may be filed directly with the Milwaukee Health Department via the telephone at 414-286-3674, or electronically by registering on the City
of
Milwaukee
E-Services webpage. This site forwards the electronic complaint to the department, an investigation is completed and the department sends an electronic response to the complainant.
What enforcement actions are imposed on food service establishments?
Immediate correction of critical violations is required at the time of the inspection.
Routine inspection fee is issued when a food service establishment has a violation that was documented on the previous routine inspection.
Reinspection fee is issued if a previously documented violation is not in compliance at the time of reinspection.
Intent-to-close orders are warning orders issued when a food establishment continues to fail to correct a violation.
Close orders are issued when there is an immediate threat to the public health. Close orders may also be issued when a food establishment has failed to comply with intent-to-close orders.
Occasionally, permanent closure of an establishment may occur as a result of serious, repeated violations.
What types of violations will cause a City of
Milwaukee
food establishment to be closed?
Violations or conditions such as the following that constitute a substantial hazard to the health of the public may result in temporary closure of an establishment:
Sewage backing up into an establishment
Water to the establishment has been shut off
A foodborne illness outbreak related to food served at an establishment
Lack of electricity
A rodent and/or insect infestation
A roof leak that a may compromise the safety of food prepared at a facility.
A serious, repeated violation of the health code
What are the meanings of "No Standard Violations to Report" and "No Nonstandard Violations to Report"?
Prior to June 2007, this language was used on inspection reports to indicate that no violations of the Wisconsin Food Code (No Standard Violations to Report) and/or no violations of the City of Milwaukee Code of Ordinances (No Nonstandard Violations to Report) were found.
What does 'Yes' mean in the open orders column of my results page?
It means one or more orders have not been resolved. It could also mean that orders are open because the reinspection (follow-up) has not yet happened
What types of businesses does the term 'food establishments' refer to?
When we say 'food establishments', we are including restaurants, food and espresso carts, bakeries, coffee bars, delis, grocery stores, taverns/bars/pubs, retail food markets, liquor stores, and special event vendors (to name the more prevalent categories).
How is a typical inspection conducted?
Health Inspectors observe workers' food handling practices, assure equipment is working properly, take food temperatures, inspect refrigerators and storage areas, assure water temperatures, and correct level and use of sanitizers. Any problem found is documented on the establishment's inspection report, and the owner/manager is taught the correct procedure or method. Changes are made immediately when possible or soon thereafter if they are non-critical, and the inspection is then followed up by a reinspection to see if changes have been properly implemented.
