Inspection Scores

Rockingham County Inspection Scores

The Inspection Process

Food Service Establishments

In the state of North Carolina, foodservice establishments such as restaurants, meat markets, school cafeterias and institutional cafeterias are inspected at a frequency that is determined by the complexity of the menu and the susceptibility of the population served. There are four risk categories with a corresponding inspection frequency.

• Risk Category I establishments are inspected once per year anytime between July 1st and June 30th and do not serve potentially hazardous foods. Examples of these types of establishments are bars or coffee shops that use reusable cups or drinking glasses.
• Risk Category II establishments are inspected twice per year, once between July 1st and December 31st and again between January 1st and June 30th .  They have limited menus with simple food preparation procedures and are primarily cook and serve type establishments.
• Risk Category III establishments are inspected three times per year, once between July 1st and October 31st, again between November 1st and February 28th and a third time between March 1st and June 30th.  They have a more complex menu and cook some foods in advance, then refrigerate the foods to be reheated and served at a later time.
• Risk Category IV establishments are inspected four times per year, once between July 1st and September 30th, a second time between October 1st and December 31st, a third time between January 1st and March 30th and once again between April 1st and June 30th.  They have the most complex menus that involve cooking, cooling and reheating of several foods or they serve a highly susceptible population such as children, elderly persons or those who may be immunocompromised.

Unannounced inspections are made by environmental health specialists employed by the Rockingham County Department of Public Health as required.

Some of the things that are evaluated by the environmental health specialist during an inspection are employee activities such as food preparation and handwashing, how and where food is stored or prepared, food temperatures, cleanliness of equipment including eating and drinking utensils, condition and cleanliness of the building and surrounding premises. In evaluating the establishment the environmental health specialist must determine if there are violations present and if so, how serious is the violation.

Other establishments inspection frequencies 

1. Lodging Establishments – Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
2. Bed and Breakfast Homes – Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
3. Summer Camps/Resident Camps – Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
4. Nursing Homes/Hospitals – Twice a year (once between July 1st and December 31st then again between January 1st and June 30th)
5. Child Day Cares - Twice a year (once between July 1st and December 31st then again between January 1st and June 30th)
6. Residential Care Homes - Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
7. School Buildings - Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
8. Local Confinement - Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
9. Adult Day Service - Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)
10. Swimming/Wading  Pools – Once per season if seasonal or twice a year if year-round
11. Tattoo Artists - Once a year (anytime between July 1st and June 30th)