BC Health Dept. gives Silver Spoon awards for area food services
January 13, 2016
Charlea Mills
The Barry County Health Department announced the establishments who earned the coveted Silver Spoon awards for 21015. This year, 19 different food establishments earned the award.
The Silver Spoon awards began seven years ago as an incentive for area restaurants and cafeterias to pay particular attention to food safety across the county. In 2015, 175 locations were inspected, and of those only the 19 earned awards. Jan Cox, environmental public health specialist for the Barry County Health Department, said, “The ones that want it work their tails off to get it. It’s not easy.”
In order to receive a Silver Spoon award, the food establishment must not have a single priority or core violation during their inspections from January 1 to December 31. Cox added, “It’s a hard award to get, not to even have a dead fly in a corner of a room. It’s a big deal.”
Different types of food establishments are inspected by the department with varying frequency. Each year, a risk assessment is done for each individual food service business. Using that assessment, the public health officials then are rated either high, medium or low regarding their risk for public health impact.
High-risk establishments are inspected either three or four times throughout the year. Medium-risk are inspected a minimum of twice a year, and low-risk establishments are inspected once a year. Those assessments are made based on public health priority, like how many people are being served and the frequency. Inspections typically take an hour, but some are less or more depending on the state of the establishment and size.
This year, seven places earned the high-risk Silver Spoon award: Cassville Intermediate School, Cassville Primary/Middle School, Cassville High School, Exeter School, Southwest High School, Shell Knob School and Jack Henry Cafeteria. This was the first year for all three of Cassville Schools to earn the award simultaneously.
Medium-risk establishments who received the award are: Roaring River Water Slide, Yonkerville Store, Daylight Donuts and The Steak Inn.
There were eight low-risk awards given: Mr. B’s Frozen Yogurt (inside Bruner’s Pharmacy), Herd’s General Store, Nita’s Cakes, Cassville Bowl, Roaring River State Park Store, The Calico Goose, Country Package and J & S Floral.
Cox said, “They work so hard to get these. I’m proud of them. It’s really exciting.”
For food services in Barry County, the standards for food safety are higher than other places in the country and even in the state. Cox explained that the county is required to abide by the Food and Drug Administration’s code, but also the state of Missouri’s code. On top of that Barry County is one of the counties who also has their own health code, which means their rules are stricter than the state’s.
Part of the requirement for food establishments is to always have an employee on staff who is ServSafe certified. The class is available at a variety of places, including through the health department. Cox said the advantage to taking it through the Health Department is to get specifics on the state and county’s requirements, as well as the FDA’s. For each employee in the program, it costs the food service establishment $130, and a certified employee must be on duty any time they are open.
The more serious violations that the department looks for are called priority violations. Those are based on cleanliness and sanitation, temperature control of food, employee conduct while they are working and food safety, like discard dates for all foods. Even basing an award on the priority violations is tough. However, the businesses also have to pass all of the core requirements, as well.
Core violations are less likely to contribute to food-borne illness and injury, however, they are important. Examples of those include not having a hair restraint, false nails on cooks, thawing food improperly and not having the bathrooms properly stocked.
For the entire year, the 19 establishments in Barry County who didn’t have a single violation earn their recognition by the Silver Spoon award that they can display for customers to see, and it isn’t an easy feat.
Charlea Mills
The Barry County Health Department announced the establishments who earned the coveted Silver Spoon awards for 21015. This year, 19 different food establishments earned the award.
The Silver Spoon awards began seven years ago as an incentive for area restaurants and cafeterias to pay particular attention to food safety across the county. In 2015, 175 locations were inspected, and of those only the 19 earned awards. Jan Cox, environmental public health specialist for the Barry County Health Department, said, “The ones that want it work their tails off to get it. It’s not easy.”
In order to receive a Silver Spoon award, the food establishment must not have a single priority or core violation during their inspections from January 1 to December 31. Cox added, “It’s a hard award to get, not to even have a dead fly in a corner of a room. It’s a big deal.”
Different types of food establishments are inspected by the department with varying frequency. Each year, a risk assessment is done for each individual food service business. Using that assessment, the public health officials then are rated either high, medium or low regarding their risk for public health impact.
High-risk establishments are inspected either three or four times throughout the year. Medium-risk are inspected a minimum of twice a year, and low-risk establishments are inspected once a year. Those assessments are made based on public health priority, like how many people are being served and the frequency. Inspections typically take an hour, but some are less or more depending on the state of the establishment and size.
This year, seven places earned the high-risk Silver Spoon award: Cassville Intermediate School, Cassville Primary/Middle School, Cassville High School, Exeter School, Southwest High School, Shell Knob School and Jack Henry Cafeteria. This was the first year for all three of Cassville Schools to earn the award simultaneously.
Medium-risk establishments who received the award are: Roaring River Water Slide, Yonkerville Store, Daylight Donuts and The Steak Inn.
There were eight low-risk awards given: Mr. B’s Frozen Yogurt (inside Bruner’s Pharmacy), Herd’s General Store, Nita’s Cakes, Cassville Bowl, Roaring River State Park Store, The Calico Goose, Country Package and J & S Floral.
Cox said, “They work so hard to get these. I’m proud of them. It’s really exciting.”
For food services in Barry County, the standards for food safety are higher than other places in the country and even in the state. Cox explained that the county is required to abide by the Food and Drug Administration’s code, but also the state of Missouri’s code. On top of that Barry County is one of the counties who also has their own health code, which means their rules are stricter than the state’s.
Part of the requirement for food establishments is to always have an employee on staff who is ServSafe certified. The class is available at a variety of places, including through the health department. Cox said the advantage to taking it through the Health Department is to get specifics on the state and county’s requirements, as well as the FDA’s. For each employee in the program, it costs the food service establishment $130, and a certified employee must be on duty any time they are open.
The more serious violations that the department looks for are called priority violations. Those are based on cleanliness and sanitation, temperature control of food, employee conduct while they are working and food safety, like discard dates for all foods. Even basing an award on the priority violations is tough. However, the businesses also have to pass all of the core requirements, as well.
Core violations are less likely to contribute to food-borne illness and injury, however, they are important. Examples of those include not having a hair restraint, false nails on cooks, thawing food improperly and not having the bathrooms properly stocked.
For the entire year, the 19 establishments in Barry County who didn’t have a single violation earn their recognition by the Silver Spoon award that they can display for customers to see, and it isn’t an easy feat.