Grade Policy

For comments or questions concerning this new policy please contact Joel Barrett at (270) 444-9631 Ext 169 or at joelk.barrett@ky.gov

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Health Department Restaurant Grades Policy

Health Department inspection grades will be required to be posted for inspections beginning August 1, 2013

The new regulation does not change or alter the state food code restaurants operate under. The new process will allow the public to be informed about the safety of their local restaurants in a consistent and easy to understand format.
On June 6, 2013 the Purchase District Board of Health passed a regulation that outlined the following:

  • Requires the health department to issue an 8”X 11” placard for each food service inspection
  • Requires permitted establishments to post the placard and prohibits anyone from moving, altering or concealing it
  • Assigns the Director of Public Health the authority and responsibility for establishing a policy on a grading system
  • Allows the permit holder to request a re-inspection if they contest the results of the inspection score

Restaurants receive at least two unannounced health department inspections a year.  During these inspections facilities are evaluated on 38 categories related to their food safety practices.  Sixteen (16) critical areas include items like proper food temperature, hygienic practices, insects and rodent problems, proper use and storage of toxic items and properly working sewage systems.

Under the regulation, the health department will utilize an A, B, C letter grading system on the placards that food service businesses are required to post.  The grading system guidelines are:

  • A – 85%-100% with no critical violations.  An “A” placard acknowledges safe food handling practices and designates that the facility meet the requirements of the Kentucky State Food Code without critical items.  The “A” placard will remain posted until the next routine inspection.
  • B – Includes ALL facilities that have failed two regular consecutive inspections, have failed a follow-up inspection, or were closed during a regular inspection due to imminent public health violations.  The “B” placard will remain posted until the facility passes its next regular inspection.
  • C84% or below.  Includes ALL inspections with critical violations.   A “C” placard indicates that a food service facility has failed to meet minimum requirements of the Kentucky State Food Code.  This will include a score with any critical violations.  The “C” placard will be placed for ten days.  A follow-up inspection will be conducted and the applicable placard posted.

A facility that is closed for a score below 60 or for imminent public health violations,  regardless of the score will be required to post a B placard after passing the next follow-up inspection.  The B placard will be posted regardless of the passing numeric score.  The B placard must be displayed until the next routine inspection.

A facility that fails two (2) consecutive inspections will be under administrative review.  Any restaurant that fails two consecutive inspections will be required to post a “B” until its next unscheduled inspection.

Those facilities that fail a single inspection will be re-inspected within 10 days and that subsequent placard will reflect the follow-up inspection grade.  If the re-inspection score is 85 or higher and no critical violations were detected, the facility will earn an ‘’A” placard.

The posting requirement applies to permitted food businesses such as restaurants, bakeries, and retail food stores that cook, process or otherwise prepare “ready to eat” foods that are sold or given to the public.  The requirement covers the districts five counties Ballard, Carlise, Fulton Hickman and McCracken.

For comments or questions concerning this new policy please contact Joel Barrett at (270) 444-9631 Ext 169 or at joelk.barrett@ky.gov