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Our goal is to partner with you to help protect your business and guests from foodborne illnesses.
In this edition:
- Food program statistics from 2023
- Fees for additional inspections, for office conferences
- Wholesaling and approved food sources
- Pathogen spotlight: Listeria
- Food waste & food recovery
- Member interview
- Styrofoam food service products recycling: Are you interested?
A look back at 2023
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our Kitsap community safe and healthy!
Kitsap Public Health's food program inspects more than 1,400 Kitsap County permanent food establishments each year.
The purpose of our inspections is to assure that food is being handled properly — from receiving, to preparation, and serving. Our inspectors observe kitchen workers' food handling practices and hygiene, inspect equipment and storage areas, take food temperatures, and make sure that food workers use correct hand washing practices.
If we find food safety violations, we work with the staff to correct them immediately and make sure they understand how to operate correctly going forward. We may conduct a follow-up inspection if needed, even though the food safety violations were corrected during our routine inspection.
Learn more.
Fees for additional inspections
The annual fee for your operating permit is based off the average costs of conducting routine inspections and the number of routine inspections you receive varies based on your permit type. Routine inspections are comprehensive visits where the inspector evaluates your food establishment for violations.
Reinspections typically occur when there is multiple or repeat critical violations found during the last inspection. Reinspection costs are not included in your annual permit fee and, historically, we have conducted the first reinspection of every permit year for free. As discussed during recent Kitsap Public Health Board meetings, the annual permit fees do not fully cover the costs of doing inspections and the work associated with inspections.
We have determined that the free reinspections are contributing too much to the deficit and we need to discontinue them. Effective immediately, all reinspections will be assessed the reinspection fee published in the Environmental Health Fee Schedule. Making this change helps avoid raising permit fees even more for all permit holders, and only impacts those who need a reinspection.
Fees for office conferences
Our enforcement policy requires that we hold office conferences with representatives of a food establishment at certain times, including when there have been three repeat critical violations a row; when an inspection results in closure status; to reinstate a permit after it has been suspended; any time egregious food handling behaviors or practices are observed; or at any time if an inspection is interfered with. |
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Currently, office conferences with the Food Program Manager and the area inspector are complimentary. As mentioned in the reinspection fee article, the annual permit fees do not fully cover the costs of doing inspections and the work associated with inspections, including office conferences. Effective immediately, all office conferences will be assessed the “administrative review conference fee” published in the Environmental Health Fee Schedule. Making this change helps avoid raising permit fees even more for all permit holders, and only impacts those who need an office conference.
Wholesaling and approved food sources
Our inspectors have observed an upward trend in foods prepared in one retail food establishment and sold in another. This is called wholesaling and is not allowed without a permit through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The relevant agency depends on the food.
You are responsible for ensuring that your food comes from approved sources, and this includes foods received from other retail food establishments. WSDA maintains a list of approved wholesalers or you can ask your supplier to see a copy of their license. We can also help you figure it out, so please feel free to ask us for help.
If you are a retail food establishment that is currently wholesaling, you will need to stop until you get the correct permit. There is one exception in which you could wholesale your products to another business without a WSDA or USDA permit. The exception is if your business is a retail bakery and the wholesales are 25% or less of your gross sales.
If you’re interested in learning more, here are some resources:
Pathogen spotlight – Listeria monocytogenes
 A computer-generated image of Listeria monocytogenes. Source: CDC
You may have heard of the sad news that three people have died and three others were hospitalized after getting sick with listeriosis from a hamburger chain in Pierce County last year. It was found that the restaurants were not properly cleaning and sanitizing their milkshake machines. This is a grave reminder for us all that food can make people really sick, or it could even kill them.
Listeriosis is caused by a bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes (“Listeria”). Most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria don’t get sick, but those who do can become seriously ill. Those most likely to be affected are people who are pregnant and their newborns, folks aged 65 and older, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, diarrhea, vomiting, or seizures. Pregnancies can result in miscarriages, still births, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
Listeria is the reason why date marking is so important- because it can grow even when foods are in a refrigerator! Since it is always growing, it’s crucial that foods that need to be date marked are discarded or used within seven days of opening the product. This helps to ensure that Listeria levels do not get out of control enough to make someone sick. The types of food most likely to be contaminated with the bacteria are lunch meats, high fat dairy products that are not cultured, soft cheeses, and hot dogs served cold. Equipment such as meat slicers and milkshake machines are also often sources of outbreaks since it is used to handle these foods.
Equipment that is stored at room temperature and is used for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods should be cleaned and sanitized per the manufacturer’s instructions at least once every four hours while in use. TCS foods are those that need to be kept hot (135°F or above) or cold (41°F or less) for food safety. Lunch meats, high fat dairy products, soft cheeses, and hot dogs are examples of TCS foods.
If you cannot find the user manual for your equipment, contact them as soon as possible for a replacement manual. Ensure you have all the necessary tools for cleaning that the manual calls for, such as small cleaning brushes. Lastly, these manuals can be complicated and hard for your employees to understand. If this is true for your manual, we recommend creating some sort of easy-to-understand job aid for them. Including pictures in the job aid probably wouldn’t hurt!
Check out this video that describes a listeriosis victim and her baby’s experience.
 Food waste & food recovery
April 1-7, 2024 is Food Waste Prevention Week!
Did you know that food is the number one material that goes into landfills? According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, about 1.2 million tons of food waste is generated annually across our state, and the biggest contributor is retail food establishments.
This year, the Department of Ecology will be hosting Washington’s first-ever statewide food waste reduction campaign, which will begin with public food waste prevention messaging and continue throughout 2024 with ongoing partnerships with grocery retailers and food businesses.
There’s no need to wait until April to start making changes to support food waste reduction.
The top two ways retailers can prevent and divert food from ending up in a landfill are:
Interested in donating?
When you choose to rescue/donate edible food, you not only help to avoid the associated negative impacts of wasting food, you also are empowering hunger relief organizations to meet the growing need to deliver nutritious foods to families and individuals in need.
Here are some tips to help your first steps into retail food donation go smoothly:
- Start by contacting your preferred organization and letting them know the types and quantity of foods that you’d like donate.
- Ask if they have any restrictions for the types of foods they can accept.
- See if you can schedule a time to drop your food off to help them have staff/volunteers available to unload your donated items quickly and safely once you arrive.
- Double check that the food items you’re donating meet food safety standards for donation
Ready to get started?
Connect with a local Kitsap food bank by reaching out at the contact information listed below:
 Want to learn more about reducing food waste and the role donating food plays?
Kitsap Food Advisory Council (KFAC)
Kitsap Food Advisory Council (KFAC) is a partnership between industry and public representatives, as well as food safety inspectors from KPHD. The goal of KFAC is to collaboratively promote food safety in Kitsap County. Some examples of the role that KFAC members play are:
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Providing feedback on incoming procedures, policies, and fee schedules,
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Creating a line of communication on emerging food safety issues, and
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Advising KPHD on current industry conditions and trends.
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KFAC Member Spotlight: Paisley Gallagher
KFAC member since 2019
Food Security Coordinator, WSU Extension/Kitsap Harvest
How long have you been in the food industry?
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What has been your path to where you are now?
I started this journey as an AmeriCorps VISTA (volunteer in service to America) member. The VISTA program aims to alleviate poverty by helping local organizations expand their ability to make change. I was interested in seeing how I could be a change maker, influence social norms, and ultimately get people more involved in their environment. We all eat food, so it's a good way to connect with people, and help them care.
As a VISTA, I was placed at Kitsap Public Health to collaborate with Harvest Against Hunger, an organization participating in the VISTA program. My goal was to create a plan of action to reduce food waste and improve access to nutrient-dense produce. I mapped existing food systems and partner interactions, as well as identified gaps where improvements could be made. I also found where locally grown food was going to waste. Lastly, we know that some folks in our community have trouble getting around. And some people are simply trying to meet their own basic needs, so finding access to nutritious foods is not their priority. Part of my plan of action was to try to figure out ways to connect these “missed” groups with food that was good for them.
I finished up my VISTA time with the Washington State University Extension and started Kitsap Harvest. Kitsap Harvest uses gleaning in our county to strengthen community food systems while reducing food waste. After Kitsap Harvest’s launch and once it was established and stable, I moved out of the day-to-day operations and into a more strategic advisory position.
What challenges you in the work you do?
Inconsistency while trying to serve. We are working with multiple partnerships and multiple channels of incoming food. Trying to provide consistent service, providing equitable access, addressing needs. Meanwhile there is nothing consistent about food recovery or produce donations. I can plan to be proactive, but as the seasons change, it requires us to be nimble. My wish is for more organizations to work collaboratively, in a way that more “waste” food is efficiently channeled or processed into meals. Kitsap Harvest is part of that movement. Healthy eating takes time and the people we are serving are just trying to meet their basic needs. I am part of a few groups that are addressing these bigger picture collaborations and they are doing good work, and we really work well together while trying to improve the situation in our county and region.
What value do you find in being a KFAC member?
Being a part of the process, getting to share insights and experiences, and listening to others’ insights and experiences. As members, we are respected, heard, and work collaboratively from various food sector perspectives. I appreciate the awareness and how that makes me a more knowledgeable planner.
What advice do you have for someone who is new to managing a food business?
Join groups like KFAC. Keep an ear to the ground to stay informed and be aware of the landscape. Be diligent and care about all aspects of your work. Listen to what others’ challenges are and learn from them and be prepared. Think of your business as a closed loop system and be sure to follow through.
What is your favorite food to make or eat?
Real food- Whole grains, eggs, French toast, and fresh-picked cherry tomatoes. Not all together at one time though! Food that feels real, loved, and acknowledged.
Styrofoam food service products recycling: Are you interested?
As of June 1, 2024, expanded polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) food service products like containers, plates, and cups are banned for distribution and sale in Washington state. This ban applies to restaurants and other food establishments. Styrofoam trays for packaging raw, uncooked, or butchered meat, fish, poultry, or seafood, vegetables, and fruit and egg cartons are exempt from the ban. |
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For more information about the law, please visit Department of Ecology’s 2021 Session Legislation webpage.
Kitsap County’s Solid Waste Division (KCSWD), which is a different agency than Kitsap Public Health, wants to gauge your interest in Styrofoam recycling. They’ve previously held Styrofoam Recycling Events that were limited to households; however, they are considering accepting Styrofoam from Kitsap food establishments. This would be a free one-time service, and is in response to the upcoming ban on Styrofoam food service products.
If your business is interested in recycling your Styrofoam food service products ahead of the ban, please fill out Kitsap County’s Restaurant Styrofoam Recycling Interest Form by April 5, 2024. This information will be used only by KCSWD staff to identify your interest in recycling your leftover Styrofoam food service products.
For questions about the upcoming ban, please contact Laren DiRe at lauren.dire@ecy.wa.gov with Washington State Department of Ecology. For questions about recycling your Styrofoam in Kitsap, contact Hannah Vinyard at hvinyard@kitsap.gov.
Dayna Katula, RS | Program Manager
Food & Living Environment Program
Kitsap Public Health District
345 6th St., Suite 300 | Bremerton, WA 98337
(360) 728-2301 Office | (360) 633-9018 Cell | (360) 728-2235 Main
Dayna.Katula@kitsappublichealth.org | kitsappublichealth.org
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