I-Team: Northampton restaurants

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - On Tuesday, the 22News I-team investigated Springfield's restaurants.  What we found more than health violations, was that the city doesn't have enough inspectors per FDA recommendations and the city has not discussed plans to put these public Food Establishment Inspection Reports online. 

Now the I-team uncovers what we found in the files of Northampton's restaurants.  

Northampton is a popular destination for dining out in Western Massachusetts, especially in the summer-time. With Restaurant Week approaching, the 22News I-team looked at about 40 Food Establishment Inspection Reports from Northampton restaurants.  The 22News I-team found some non-critical violations like unclean ice machines in at least five restaurants.  Northampton Health Inspector Daniel Wasiuk says there are four critical violations he commonly sees.

"Improper cold holding of potentially hazardous foods, poor personal hygiene of food handlers, inadequate cooling procedures and inadequate cross contamination preventive measures", says Health Inspector Wasiuk.

Northampton has one full time and one part time inspector and a director who inspects, which fulfills the FDA's recommendations.   Northampton health inspectors visit restaurants unannounced at least two times a year.  

("Just going through the files in Northampton they're were a lot of restaurants that had no violations.  Are they really doing that good of a job or did you get them on a good day?")

"Sometimes both.  In the world of food service, everyone has their bad days and their good days.  What I look at - whether there are systems enforced or systems in play in a restaurant", says Wasiuk.

Wasiuk told the 22News I-team posting the Food Establishment Inspection Reports Online would be a good service to the public and also hold restaurants more accountable than they already are.  

"There hasn't been much outcry, from the standpoint of the operators they don't feel that it's just, but the public certain individuals that I've talked to do believe it's a good idea and I agree with them.  It is just something that has not evolved", says Wasiuk.

Foxborough has been putting its food establishment inspection reports online for the past five years.

"Honestly what we always tell people Ryan, is we work for the public we don't work for the restaurants, we don't work for the other establishments that we license.  We work for the people", says Chairman of the Foxborough Board of Health Eric Arvedon.

Some restaurants goers we talked to say they can see if a restaurant is dirty.

"We notice it, we look around we notice it", says restaurant goer Vincent Napolitan

Wasiuk told the 22News I-team says that does happen, but it's not always the whole story.

"We do get a lot of calls of individuals that see poor practices by the food handlers directly in view of the kitchen or dining services and those are some of the more common ones we do find", says Wasiuk.

Wasiuk told the 22News I-team, the issue of posting the Food Establishment Inspection Reports online will be revisited this year through the health department and the board of health.