Check your favorite dining spots in The Republic's new restaurant inspection database
The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com has pulled together a database of restaurant inspections carried out by the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department since 2021.
Every week, health inspectors visit hundreds of food service locales, including schools, hospitals, resorts, hotels, senior and assisted living facilities and food trucks to determine if foods are prepared and stored in ways that make them fit for human consumption and pose no health risks to consumers.
We write about these inspections nearly every week, highlighting establishments where health inspectors find several major problems during a visit. Subscribers can read past coverage of restaurants cited for major health violations.
Now, in addition to our regular stories about what inspectors find, we'll be frequently updating our restaurant inspection database so subscribers can easily find current information about the place they're headed to dinner, the cafeteria in their child's school or the resort they're recommending to a friend from out of town.
For subscribers: Maricopa County restaurant inspection database: See how your favorites fare
Why are restaurant inspections important?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six Americans falls victim to food poisoning each year, and one in 128,000 people is hospitalized. At least 3,000 Americans die from food-related sickness every year, according to CDC figures.
Without restaurant inspections, there would be a much greater risk of food poisoning or foodborne illness from improperly cooked food, unwashed hands touching food or even moldy food mistakenly finding its way onto your plate.
In 2022, Maricopa County health services inspectors visited over 11,800 establishments. About four in 10 were cited for significant infractions, described as "priority violations" in the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code because they directly contribute to an increased risk of foodborne illness or injury.
The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com restaurant inspection database lets readers see how their favorite restaurants are complying with procedures that help ensure customers can enjoy meals without being concerned for their health.
Subscribers to azcentral.com get updated restaurant inspection reports every week. Questions? Email olakunle.falayi@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix restaurant health inspections database: See grades, violations
