Anyone who eats out in Hartford owes a debt of gratitude to Carmen Franceschi. As one of Hartford’s sanitation and food inspectors, she is responsible for ensuring that all food service establishments, including restaurants, school cafeterias, nursing homes and food trucks, comply with Connecticut’s public health code.
Operating within the city’s Health and Human Services department, Franceschi and her eight fellow inspectors are required to visit restaurants and other establishments four times each year. Their visits are unannounced and not always welcome.
“No one is happy to see me show up, but they’re cooperative for the most part,” Franceschi said.
Inspectors check for a wide range of health and sanitation issues listed in a voluminous set of state codes. For example, food must be stored and maintained at the proper temperature, cooked to an appropriate internal temperature, and cooled and reheated in the correct timeframe and manner.
Inspectors also check for cleanliness and sanitary conditions in the kitchen, dining and storage areas, and the behavior of all employees must meet high standards.
One of the most common problems Franceschi said she encounters: employee’s failure to wash their hands properly.
“It seems to be a bigger problem in some of the smaller mom-and-pop restaurants,” she said. “They’re just used to doing things a certain way and they don’t see any reason to change.”
Each infraction results in up to four points being deducted from the establishment’s total score. Garbage disposal violations cost one point; problems with dishwashing processes take off two points; and hand washing, water safety and sewage disposal issues are considered four-point violations.
While most inspections result in a grade of “A” or “B”, restaurants that fail entirely receive no grade and can be closed on the spot. Issues that could lead to immediate closure include an infestation of cockroaches or rodents, or having no hot water.
The health department also receives complaints from customers or employees who want to report violations. Regardless of when the establishment is scheduled for its next inspection, “we respond to complaints immediately,” Franceschi said.
Although most eateries are operating well within the health code’s requirements, Franceschi admits that she rarely eats out, and when she does, she chooses her destination carefully.
“When I travel outside the Hartford area, I always call the local health department and find out as much as I can about any place I’m considering eating,” she said.
