Fishers proposes new grading system for establishments serving food

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH)– The Fishers Health Department has a pass-or-fail system for the food retail inspections.

All of the requirements are laid out by the Indiana Department of Health as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Under the new proposal, Fishers would move to a graded system with those same requirements.

Monica Heltz with the Fishers Health Department said, “It’s for the consumers. It’s for the food operators that are already doing the work to make sure it’s safe, and to make sure the incentives are in place to make sure everyone has the safest possible dining experience or food experience.”

Establishments serving food will face an inspection. Everything in the inspection will be on a weighted scale resulting in an A, B or C grade.

“The idea is once the formal inspection has taken place for the year, typically a year, then that will determine the issued grade,” Heltz said.

That issued grade will then be required to be posted on the front door of the business. A fine would be received for every day the grade is not posted on the front door.

“There will be opportunity to improve practices if the business desires to move up a letter grade either the following year or in some other format,” Heltz said.

The new grading system only goes from A to C, and there is a very simple reason for that.

“It’s ABC, and really if they’re not meeting the C standard they would be closed. It’s not uncommon to have a temporary closure to make sure all the safety measures are met, and to be open they really need to meet that baseline,” Heltz said.