It’s a labor of love to own and operate a restaurant, and along with the typical venture costs, there must also be an investment, every day, to ensure food safety is maintained. For National Food Safety Month, Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) celebrates these efforts every September by recognizing all Sacramento County food facility operators who have achieved three consecutive health inspections without major violations. From June 30 to July 1, there were 676 food establishments countywide – including restaurants, retail markets, school cafeterias, bakeries, cafés and bars – whose deserving efforts earned them an Environmental Management 2016/17 Food Safety Award of Excellence.
Safe Food Doesn’t Just Happen
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 48 million get sick and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases in the U.S. each year. With help from EMD’s free food safety classes, Sacramento County food facility operators are trained that most foodborne illnesses are preventable, by teaching the principles of food safety and focusing on food contamination and facility sanitation, time/temperature control, and personal hygiene. Also offered online are EMD food safety training videos. Food facility inspections are conducted unannounced by EMD up to three times a year to enforce health code compliance and to prevent foodborne illness.
Environmental Health Division Chief Jason Boetzer said, “Maintaining high standards of food safety in food facilities is important to recognize. We want restaurants and other food facilities in our County to be successful, that’s why EMD offers these awards and food safety education classes in multiple languages to continually encourage safe food handling practices to reduce the potential for foodborne illness.”
Of those 676 honored, one establishment from each of the five Sacramento County supervisorial districts has been chosen to receive their certificate at the September 12 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Food Safety Award of Excellence District Representative Honorees:
District 1
Anna’s Vegan Cafe is located on Stockton Blvd, between Broadway and 12th Ave in Sacramento. Even if you aren’t a vegan, you won’t miss a thing with these deliciously prepared Asian cuisine vegan dishes.
District 2
Caffé Latté is in the Village at Riverlake on Greenhaven Drive and Pocket Rd. This cozy family owned restaurant and coffee shop offers breakfast, salads/sandwiches, and specialty coffee drinks 7 days a week.
District 3
Sol Cubano on Watt Ave (between Don Julio Blvd and Roseville Rd) in North Highlands boast the “best flavor in town” and has the Yelp reviews to support the claim. Patrons from all over visit this family owned restaurant that serves tasty traditional Cuban dishes, pastries, coffee and fresh juices.
District 4
Panda Express #789 in the Elverta Place shopping center near the Antelope intersection of Elverta and Walerga prepares fresh ingredients for their guests every day to create their famous Orange Chicken to their health-minded wok selections.
District 5
Famous Burgers located in Rancho Cordova on Zinfandel Drive near White Rock Rd, this family owned and operated restaurant serves a variety of gourmet signature burgers, and was featured in a National Geographic article, “The Best Burgers in America: A Definitive Guide.”
** The only Rio Linda or Elverta award winner was Westside Elementary School.
