Could your local restaurant pass the USPH inspection that cruise ships must pass?

[BruceMuzz]

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) that is part of the US CDC inspects all foreign flag cruise ships that call at American ports.

These inspections are always random and a surprise, and happen at least twice yearly.

If a ship gets a low score - or fails the inspection - it may be legally prevented from sailing with passengers. In extreme cases, it could be banned from calling at US Ports in future.

Note that these procedures, standards and inspections are for Foreign flag Cruise Ships only.

The few existing American Flag Cruise Ships are inspected by the FDA - which is also under the umbrella of the CDC.

But the FDA standards and requirements are more relaxed than the VSP requirements for oforeign flag ships.

 

What would happen if the VSP wanted to inspect your local restaurant, using the same strict standards and regulations?

The answer is easy. Your local restaurant would fail the inspection.

Foreign flag cruise ships are required to maintain much higher standards than local US Health Departments require.

Many of the procedures and standards required of daily F&B Operations on ships are completely unknown in land-based restaurants.

 

Does this mean you are at risk when eating in your local land-based restaurant?

Generally no.

But it does mean that you are much safer than you might imagine when eating in a restaurant on a foreign-flag cruise ship.

[Harters]

5 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

The answer is easy. Your local restaurant would fail the inspection.

You seem to have answered your own question posed in the thread title. 

 

FWIW, in the UK, food hygiene inspections of food establishments are carried out by local authority environmental health departments. All of them, upload their summary findings to this searchable website.

 

https://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/

 

As you'll see, places are rated 1 - 5. I would normally not choose to eat at a 1 or 2 rated place. That said, if I come across a new place that I really want to try, I will go without looking at the score. Only afterwards, if I think I might want to go back,  will I check the score. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Harters

[BklynBoy8]

7 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) that is part of the US CDC inspects all foreign flag cruise ships that call at American ports.

These inspections are always random and a surprise, and happen at least twice yearly.

If a ship gets a low score - or fails the inspection - it may be legally prevented from sailing with passengers. In extreme cases, it could be banned from calling at US Ports in future.

Note that these procedures, standards and inspections are for Foreign flag Cruise Ships only.

The few existing American Flag Cruise Ships are inspected by the FDA - which is also under the umbrella of the CDC.

But the FDA standards and requirements are more relaxed than the VSP requirements for oforeign flag ships.

 

What would happen if the VSP wanted to inspect your local restaurant, using the same strict standards and regulations?

The answer is easy. Your local restaurant would fail the inspection.

Foreign flag cruise ships are required to maintain much higher standards than local US Health Departments require.

Many of the procedures and standards required of daily F&B Operations on ships are completely unknown in land-based restaurants.

 

Does this mean you are at risk when eating in your local land-based restaurant?

Generally no.

But it does mean that you are much safer than you might imagine when eating in a restaurant on a foreign-flag cruise ship.

 

In NYC, our ratings are A,B,C.

 

C being the lowest will still allow the restaurant to operate and stay open and serve till next inspection. 

C- The restaurant has numerous food safety rules violations that can put it at risk of closure.

 

During the 54 years sailing, we feel extremely safe on board and never got sick. Yes, we do look once in a while at our particular ship inspection but does not prevent us from booking. Just make us aware of their possible faults.

 

 

 

[lenquixote66]

No restaurants in my part of NY have closed due to failed violations in the years I have been living here.

[BruceMuzz]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

No restaurants in my part of NY have closed due to failed violations in the years I have been living here.

That is because the cleanliness standards required by local land-based health departments are so lax that just about anyone can pass.

If your health department required the same cleanliness and health standards that cruise ships must maintain every day of the year, ALL of the restaurants in your part of NY would be closed.

[lenquixote66]

12 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

That is because the cleanliness standards required by local land-based health departments are so lax that just about anyone can pass.

If your health department required the same cleanliness and health standards that cruise ships must maintain every day of the year, ALL of the restaurants in your part of NY would be closed.

I doubt that very much 

[BruceMuzz]

USPH Regulations require all ship-based food operations to freeze all protein items (Red Meats, White Meats, Poultry, Fish, Shellfish) for a minimum of 7 days at -20 Celsius or colder before cooking.

Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH requires any prepared foods to be served or discarded within 4 hours of preparation. There are no left-overs on ships. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH Requires back-flow preventers on all fresh water taps. Your local restaurant does not even know what a back-flow preventer is.

USPH requires all foods cooked in advance for service must be processed in a blast chiller, lowering the internal temperature below 41 degrees f within 6 hours, this must be logged and the logs kept for 6 months. Your local restaurant does not even know what a blast chiller is and cannot afford one anyway.

USPH requires all shellfish to carry approved certification paperwork from an approved provider. The paperwork must be on file for a minimum 6 months. Your local restaurant does not do that. It is too expensive.

USPH does not allow ships to store fish, meat, and dairy in the same refrigerator or freezer. Each type of food must have it's own dedicated refrigerator or freezer. Your local restaurant cannot afford that.

USPH requires a warning posted on all menus and in the restaurant that eating undercooked or raw food may be dangerous to your health. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH required a posted Time Control plan for all prepared foods. Colored stickers must be placed on all containers of prepared foods, designating the time they were prepared and the deadline (4 hours) when they must be discarded. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH requires a potable water testing device that analyzes all potable water every hour to ensure purity. Your local restaurant does not do that.

 

There are dozens of additional requirements that your local restaurant does not follow - but if we look at only the ones listed above (that your local restaurant does not do) it would fail an inspection by USPH and be closed down.

 

 

[Seamus6]

the 3 RCI cruises and AQSC cruise would not pass a simple holding temperature inspection on buffet lines or holding areas in the main kitchen.  I would say maybe less than 5% of the food I got onboard was at a safe temperature.

[BruceMuzz]

15 hours ago, Seamus6 said:

the 3 RCI cruises and AQSC cruise would not pass a simple holding temperature inspection on buffet lines or holding areas in the main kitchen.  I would say maybe less than 5% of the food I got onboard was at a safe temperature.

AQSC (American Queen) is a US Flag operation.

They are not subject to United States Public Health Service Standards.

They can do whatever they want with your food and get away with it.

 

On RCI you were probably eating from a Time Control Buffet Line.

With time control, any prepared food can be safely served at any temperature if it is either consumed or discarded within 4 hours.

Edited August 30, 2023 by BruceMuzz

[BruceMuzz]

The US Public Health service has documented many times that the best places to catch viruses like COVID, colds, flu, and Norovirus are ship's buffets and ship's public toilets.

 

The buffets are magnets for people raised by wolves; they fail to wash hands after using the toilet, mis-handle serving utensils, use their hands to pick up food, taste food and then put it back on the buffet, drop things on to the floor and then put them back on the buffet. Their unsupervised children commit even worse transgressions - all aimed to get you ill.

 

Public toilets are often used by people with stomach issues who either cannot make it back to their cabins to use the toilet, or do not want to make a big mess in their cabin toilets and choose to do it in a public toilet where it cannot be traced back to them.

[broberts]

On 7/26/2023 at 11:46 PM, BruceMuzz said:

USPH Regulations require all ship-based food operations to freeze all protein items (Red Meats, White Meats, Poultry, Fish, Shellfish) for a minimum of 7 days at -20 Celsius or colder before cooking.

Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH requires any prepared foods to be served or discarded within 4 hours of preparation. There are no left-overs on ships. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH Requires back-flow preventers on all fresh water taps. Your local restaurant does not even know what a back-flow preventer is.

USPH requires all foods cooked in advance for service must be processed in a blast chiller, lowering the internal temperature below 41 degrees f within 6 hours, this must be logged and the logs kept for 6 months. Your local restaurant does not even know what a blast chiller is and cannot afford one anyway.

USPH requires all shellfish to carry approved certification paperwork from an approved provider. The paperwork must be on file for a minimum 6 months. Your local restaurant does not do that. It is too expensive.

USPH does not allow ships to store fish, meat, and dairy in the same refrigerator or freezer. Each type of food must have it's own dedicated refrigerator or freezer. Your local restaurant cannot afford that.

USPH requires a warning posted on all menus and in the restaurant that eating undercooked or raw food may be dangerous to your health. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH required a posted Time Control plan for all prepared foods. Colored stickers must be placed on all containers of prepared foods, designating the time they were prepared and the deadline (4 hours) when they must be discarded. Your local restaurant does not do that.

USPH requires a potable water testing device that analyzes all potable water every hour to ensure purity. Your local restaurant does not do that.

 

There are dozens of additional requirements that your local restaurant does not follow - but if we look at only the ones listed above (that your local restaurant does not do) it would fail an inspection by USPH and be closed down.

 

 

 

Would you provide links to these items in the USPH documentation.

 

You do realize that cruise ships are vastly different environments that any land based restaurant?

[BruceMuzz]

You should start with www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm

This will get you to the USPH pages and links to the various VSP Manuals.

You can also google "Health Canada" to access their manuals that mirror most of the USPH Standards.

In some cases, Health Canada has even more stringent standards.

 

After managing Michelin Starred Hotels and Restaurants in Europe, Asia, and North America, along with 31 different cruise ships - all over the past 50 years - I have somehow learned that cruise ships are vastly different environments than any land-based restaurant.

But I have also learned that the same unsanitary people and conditions on land and at sea will sicken and kill people.

There are those who would argue that overly strict cleanliness standards are not fair or logical.

I will counter that one can never be too careful when it comes to keeping humans healthy and alive.

[broberts]

2 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

You should start with www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm

This will get you to the USPH pages and links to the various VSP Manuals.

You can also google "Health Canada" to access their manuals that mirror most of the USPH Standards.

In some cases, Health Canada has even more stringent standards.

 

After managing Michelin Starred Hotels and Restaurants in Europe, Asia, and North America, along with 31 different cruise ships - all over the past 50 years - I have somehow learned that cruise ships are vastly different environments than any land-based restaurant.

But I have also learned that the same unsanitary people and conditions on land and at sea will sicken and kill people.

There are those who would argue that overly strict cleanliness standards are not fair or logical.

I will counter that one can never be too careful when it comes to keeping humans healthy and alive.

 

I did go to the USHP Standards web pages. Nowhere could I find anything approaching the list of requirements which is why I asked for links. Telling me that I have to search hundreds of thousands web pages to find the material suggests to me that the requirements listed were derived from an individual's interpretation of the material. Is that the case?

[BruceMuzz]

12 hours ago, broberts said:

 

I did go to the USHP Standards web pages. Nowhere could I find anything approaching the list of requirements which is why I asked for links. Telling me that I have to search hundreds of thousands web pages to find the material suggests to me that the requirements listed were derived from an individual's interpretation of the material. Is that the case?

Bob,

When I am not managing a cruise ship, I get paid a lot of money to advise and train cruise lines and their employees how not to fail a USPH or Health Canada surprise inspection.

Every one of them manages to find and download the latest USPH and Health Canada Operations Manuals, which are very complex, but also very specific, on health standards and operations.

If you are willing to pay me, I will provide the same services to you.

Or you can do it yourself - for free.

[broberts]

2 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Bob,

...

 

Wrong!

[BruceMuzz]

Blame Canada