WCPSS Cafeterias Serve up Consistently High Inspection Ratings
Nov. 17, 2011 – The cafeteria is an important part of the learning environment of a school, and that’s why WCPSS places great emphasis not only on the meals that are served but also the health and cleanliness of our facilities.
The Wake County Public School System has 157 kitchens that serve an average of 21,000 breakfasts and 60,500 lunches per day. Those facilities are inspected an average of three times every year by health inspectors from the Wake County Health Department. It’s the same rigorous inspection your favorite restaurant faces. A perfect score on the inspection is 100, with two points awarded for managers and servers holding ServSafe Food Handler certification.
In Oct. 2011, the average inspection score was 100.2, with 64% of those inspections earning a perfect 100 or better. In Sept. 2011, the average score was 99.96.
The inspections are rigorous, covering the cafeteria, kitchen, storage areas, even the nearest restrooms. Points can be deducted for infractions such as a dumpster lid being left open or a dripping faucet in the nearest restroom.
“Everything comes back to academics and student success,” said Marilyn Moody, senior director of Child Nutrition Services. “The healthy meals we prepare help students concentrate and succeed in the classroom, and cleanliness and attention to detail are important elements of those healthy meals.”
Whenever possible, Child Nutrition Services looks to improve processes and procedures. One example is the way temperatures are monitored on the food serving lines. Analog thermometers that needed regular calibration have been replaced with digital thermometers that don’t require calibration and are more accurate.
In addition, all cafeteria managers in WCPSS are required to hold ServSafe certification. It’s a national certification for food service workers that requires 16 hours of classroom training and successful completion of a national exam.
“Our staff prides itself on providing nutritious, healthy meals in a top quality environment. Our cafeteria staff are competitive with each other and strive to get a perfect score of 102 on every inspection,” Moody said.
Academics and nutrition go hand-in-hand, and food safety and cleanliness are a part of that equation. Our consistently high health inspection scores should give parents confidence that their children’s cafeteria is a safe and healthy environment.
Wake County Health Department restaurant and facilities sanitation inspections are available at: http://wake.digitalhealthdepartment.com/.