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Health Indicator Report of Retail food safety

Foodborne disease outbreaks sometimes result from failures in protective systems but are more often the result of improper food handling. Children, the very old, and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk of infection and death resulting from food contamination.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 Americans get sick from contaminated foods or beverages and 3,000 die each year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that foodborne illnesses cost $17.6 billion each year.
Fiscal year20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320240.05,000.010,000.015,000.020,000.025,000.030,000.0Number of inspectionsNumber of inspections by type, Utah, FY 2012 - FY 2024RoutineTemporaryOther
 Inspection TypeFiscal yearNumber of inspections

Routine

 1Routine201215,556
 1Routine201315,012
 1Routine201414,864
 1Routine201514,849
 1Routine201613,959
 1Routine201715,642
 1Routine201817,300
 1Routine201917,938
 1Routine202013,806
 1Routine202110,722
 1Routine202216,784
 1Routine202316,428
 1Routine202417,329

Temporary

 2Temporary20124,733
 2Temporary2013124
 2Temporary2014139
 2Temporary20154,890
 2Temporary20165,105
 2Temporary20175,467
 2Temporary20185,388
 2Temporary20195,059
 2Temporary20202,920
 2Temporary20211,094
 2Temporary20222,606
 2Temporary20234,410
 2Temporary20243,407

Other

 3Other20123,173
 3Other20132,079
 3Other20142,085
 3Other20152,564
 3Other20162,837
 3Other20172,882
 3Other20183,224
 3Other20193,277
 3Other20202,687
 3Other20211,738
 3Other20222,827
 3Other20234,114
 3Other20243,273

Notes

The inspection category labeled "other" includes follow-up, consultation, and complaint investigations.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Food Safety Program

Definition

This report provides information pertinent to the safety of food products prepared by retail food establishments in Utah. Included are the ratio of food establishments to restaurant inspectors, number of permitted restaurant facilities, number of food handlers trained, number of food safety enforcements, and number of restaurant inspections.

Numerator

This Indicator Report contains the following variables:
1) Number of licensed food establishments
2) Number of permitted facilities by designation
3) Number of food handlers trained
4) Number of food safety enforcement actions
5) Number of inspections by type

Denominator

1) Number of restaurant operators
2) Not applicable
3) Not applicable
4) Not applicable
5) Not applicable

Other Objectives

Safe restaurant food is addressed in the following Healthy People Objective

Healthy People Objective FS-6:

Increase the proportion of fast-food and full-service restaurants that follow food safety practices that prevent foodborne illness outbreaks
  • FS-6.1: Increase the proportion of fast-food restaurants where employees practice proper handwashing
  • FS-6.2: Increase the proportion of fast-food restaurants where food employees do not contact ready-to-eat (RTE) foods with bare hands
  • FS-6.3: Increase the proportion of fast-food restaurants where food contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized
  • FS-6.4: Increase the proportion of fast-food restaurants where foods requiring refrigeration are held at the proper temperature
  • FS-6.5: Increase the proportion of fast-food restaurants where foods displayed or stored hot are held at the proper temperature
  • FS-6.6: Increase the proportion of full-service restaurants where employees practice proper handwashing
  • FS-6.7: Increase the proportion of full-service restaurants where food employees do not contact RTE foods with bare hands
  • FS-6.8: Increase the proportion of full-service restaurants where food contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized
  • FS-6.9: Increase the proportion of full-service restaurants where foods requiring refrigeration are held at the proper temperature
  • FS-6.10: Increase the proportion of full-service restaurants where foods displayed or stored hot are held at the proper temperature

How Are We Doing?

The food protection programs of Utah are encouraged to enroll and participate in the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Retail Program Standards). These standards promote consistent food protection practices in retail food establishments and encompass areas such as regulations, training, and public education.

As of October 2024, two state agencies, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, and the following local health departments are enrolled in the Retail Program Standards:
  • Bear River Health Department
  • Central Utah Public Health Department
  • Davis County Health Department
  • Salt Lake County Health Department
  • Southeastern Utah District Health Department
  • Southwest Utah Public Health Department
  • Summit County Health Department
  • Tooele County Health Department
  • Utah County Health Department
  • Weber-Morgan Health Department

All the enrolled jurisdictions meet Standard 1 for using regulations consistent with the FDA Model Food Code.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has one FTE available to provide training, standardization, data collection, and other support for the statewide food protection program.

Available Services

Contact the local health departments for information regarding retail food establishments and restaurant inspection results.

Page Content Updated On 10/07/2024, Published on 10/09/2024
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH web site (https://ibis.utah.gov/epht-view/). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Wed, 30 April 2025 3:40:36 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: https://ibis.utah.gov/epht-view/ ".

Content updated: Thu, 6 Feb 2025 13:01:20 MST