Local schools and restaurants earn 'Silver Stars' for Kings County food safety

Seventeen restaurants and schools made the list, including all of Lemoore’s schools, including Kings Christian School, Island Elementary, and Central Union Elementary.

Local businesses that made the list include Deli Delicious, Fosters Freeze, Senor Panchos, Subway, Tadeo’s Mexican Food, and White Top Drive-In.

The program was developed by the division in 1996 to give positive recognition to those food establishments within Kings County that consistently exceed requirements regarding public protection from food-borne illness risks. Facilities eligible for an award are those that participate in food service preparation to the public.

Eligible types of establishments include restaurants, deli operations (either stand-alone or at retail markets), school cafeterias, and bakeries. Award winners must meet specific criteria on an ongoing basis to be selected for the award:

• The facility must receive a Pass rating on all food safety evaluations performed by the Department during the prior calendar year.

• The managers and food handling personnel must understand and consistently implement advanced food safety concepts such as Hazard Analysis – Critical Control Points (HACCP) in their daily operation. HACCP is a voluntary best-practice food safety quality assurance program not typically required by regulation.

• The facility has instituted an ongoing internal self-evaluation program.

• An electronic thermometer is used for monitoring internal food temperatures during final cooking, hot holding, cooling, and refrigeration processes at the facility to ensure that state-mandated food temperatures are met.

• No confirmed complaints on the establishment relating to foodborne illness outbreaks or food handling practices that could lead to a possible food-borne illness outbreak occurrence.

Certificates and recognition window stickers will be presented to representatives of the selected food establishments at the annual meeting of the Kings County Food Advisory Committee scheduled at the Kings County Government’s Center’s Administration Multi-Purpose Room, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd. in Hanford at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 2018.

More information about this program, along with copies of all recent food facility inspection reports, can be obtained on our website at www.countyofkings.com/health/ehs/, or by contacting the Kings County Health Department’s Division of Environmental Health Services at 559-584- 1411.