Local eateries to face stricter requirements
By Anne Marie Kyzer Staff Writer

Local restaurant owners are busy readying their establishments for a stricter health code that will be enforced later this year.

The Georgia Division of Public Health has expanded their guidelines for food service establishments, nearly doubling the number of pages in the code.

According to Burke County environmental health specialist Stephen Murray, the requirements will "be quite a shock" for local eateries.

"It's going to be a major deal for all of us," Murray said, ref- erencing restaurant owners, food service workers and code enforcers like himself. "There are a lot of changes."

Murray said most of the changes bump up the requirements in critical areas where there is potential for contamination.

"It's much more risk based," he said, adding that repeat violations will also result in heftier point deductions.

Some of the changes include prohibiting bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, requiring double hand washing and making inspection reports more visible to customers. Establishments will be given a letter grade, A, B, C or U, along with their numerical score.

The new rules became effective in February to allow establishments a nine-month period to implement them.

During this time, Murray has been working with local owners and managers to help them become compliant. He is also working on local training opportunities with the Burke County Cooperative Extension Service, since all establishments will be required to have a food safety certified manager.

Enforcement of the rules will begin Dec. 1.