Chico, California – This week marks the 10th anniversary of Butte County’s color-coded placard program. Food retailers must post the latest public health test results.
Jenn Veilleaux is the program manager for the Consumer Protection Program at the Butte County Department of Public Health. She and other public health inspectors decide whether restaurants will wear green, yellow or red placards. Red means immediate closure.
“It’s an immediate food hazard. We don’t believe we can stay open and not get anyone sick,” Veillot said. “It’s a pest infestation. We don’t have a fully working refrigerator, all our refrigeration equipment is not working and we can’t run it. We don’t have hot water, we can’t wash dishes.”
During restaurant inspections, Veillot tries to correct less serious violations that can be corrected quickly, such as food storage practices in refrigerators. “We’re looking at how they store food. We don’t want to see things like raw meat over vegetables.”
Nama Sake, a sushi restaurant located in Chico’s Merriam Park, opened in November 2023. General Manager Joe Hulton allowed Action News Now to see what inspectors are checking inside the kitchen.
“We don’t know when (the inspectors) are going to come,” Houlton said. “I think the key is staying prepared rather than being prepared, continued education of staff, good record-keeping, and overall cleanliness.”
Jen Veilault detailed what inspectors will be looking for. “Proper food handling means, for example, when handling raw meat, washing your hands before handling other items,” Veilault said. “We’re going to look at the food itself and see what its temperature is.”
The test is designed to minimize the five most important risk factors for foodborne illness.
1 Food from unsafe sources
2. Undercooked
3. Improper holding temperature
4. Contaminated equipment
5 Poor personal hygiene.
Veilou explained that Butte County currently has three full-time food inspectors who are responsible for inspecting 1,200 establishments, including restaurants, gas stations, minimarts and churches. He said the inspection is not punitive, but an educational process between the county and the business.
“We are constantly working with them to educate them about what we can do better in the future and why. We want them to know why. Because it can make people sick.”
When asked for advice on what restaurant patrons should look out for, Verreaux said to pay close attention to the dining room and restrooms. “If the customer areas where customers are seated and the restroom facilities they see are not clean, then the kitchen is probably not doing well either.”
Most restaurants are inspected twice a year. Food retailers must display a placard near the door in a location visible to customers. The results of the current and previous tests are displayed.
