TEXAS PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS

Top 3 Disturbing Food Safety Trends during the Pandemic

May 18, 2020May 20, 2020Texas Public Health Solutions

As Environmental Health Specialists by trade, the health inspectors at TexasPHS are on the front lines as restaurants slowly reopen across Texas. As of May 18, 2020, the state of Texas officially entered Phase Two of reopening, meaning that restaurants may expand their occupancy to 50% beginning on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Bars, lounges, nightclubs, wine tasting rooms, and craft breweries may also open up on May 22, 2020 at a 25% occupancy limit.

There are some disturbing trends taking place, though, and for some reason, nobody is discussing or debating these common occurrences. Here are the TOP 3 DISTURBING FOOD SAFETY TRENDS that consumers need to be aware of …

Always Review a Restaurant Inspection Report

April 14, 2020Texas Public Health Solutions

With restaurants and bars closed throughout Texas due to Covid-19 and with drive-thru, take-out, and delivery the only options currently available, it is more important than ever for consumers to take proper precautions when it comes to their health and safety.

Before ordering food from any food establishment, TexasPHS recommends that you first check the food establishment’s health inspection report.

According to the Texas Food Establishment Rules, a restaurant owner must “notify customers that a copy of the most recent establishment inspection report is available upon request by posting a sign or placard in a location in the food establishment that is conspicuous to customers or by another method acceptable to the regulatory authority.”

Many Texas municipalities also post health inspection reports on their websites.

There are certain violations that scream “DO NOT EAT HERE!” due to the critical nature of the food safety and sanitation infraction.

TexasPHS will point out the most significant violations to be on the lookout for. Read more →

Amazon Fresh Drops the Ball on Food Safety during Coronavirus Pandemic

March 17, 2020March 18, 2020Texas Public Health Solutions

Uber-convenient online grocery delivery services such as Amazon Fresh have increased exponentially in 2020.

Amazon Fresh has grown so fast in fact, that basic food safety standards are being abused at an alarmingly fast clip.

The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated this situation.

To make matters worse, regulatory agencies such as the Texas Department of State Health Services as well as county and local health departments can’t keep up with the industry’s innovation.

Amazon Fresh food warehouses are simply not being inspected at the frequency required by the Texas Food Establishment Rules and the FDA Food Code. Read more →

Take the Coronavirus Quiz

February 28, 2020March 1, 2020Texas Public Health Solutions

What are Nonpharmaceutical Interventions and how can they help combat a coronavirus pandemic?

Simply put, Nonpharmaceutical Interventions, or NPIs for short, are personal protective measures such as covering coughs and sneezes, community measures such as temporarily closing schools, and environmental measures such as cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects.

Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (now referred to as NPIs from this point forward) are definitive actions, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine, which people and communities can take to help slow the spread of respiratory illnesses like coronavirus or the flu.

The CDC even has a whole website dedicated to NPIs.

Journalists have offered multitude opinions on how best to protect yourself and your family from a coronavirus outbreak, but TexasPHS thought that we would take a different approach to educate our readers on a possible coronavirus pandemic — via a quiz. Read more →

Food Freedom Laws Take Effect September 1, 2019

August 25, 2019Texas Public Health Solutions

It’s official. All those food laws TexasPHS told you about back in the Spring have become law. These new laws certainly mean good things for food entrepreneurs and restaurant owners throughout Texas. The news for health inspectors and regulators, however, is not all good. One new law is creating more questions than answers–and there is little time for lawmakers to figure just how to regulate the hottest new ingredient being infused into foods across the state.