New York City Department of Health

Inspections of Food Service Establishments

The New York City Department of Health is responsible for inspecting commercial facilities where food is prepared to ensure that they comply with the City’s Health Code. We audited the inspection process and found that the Department had not committed to writing many of the goals or requirements of its food inspection program. We also found that follow-up inspections of facilities that failed their initial inspection were not performed in a timely manner, as many of these inspections were not performed until more than three months after the initial inspection was failed. As a result of the weaknesses we identified in the inspection process, unsanitary conditions in New York City food service establishments are less likely to be detected or corrected in a timely manner.

For a complete copy of Report 2000-N-15 click here.
For a copy of the 90-day response click here.