Tougher Food Safety Measures Are Urged

Spurred by a controversy over unsanitary conditions at local restaurants, the Los Angeles City Council urged the county Tuesday to adopt more stringent measures to ensure that public health standards are met.

The council’s encouragement came even as the county’s top health official promised Tuesday to implement a number of reforms to improve food safety procedures. One of the reforms, mandatory training for restaurant employees who handle food, was also recommended by the City Council under a motion introduced by Councilman Joel Wachs.

The actions follow an investigation into restaurant health standards by KCBS-TV, which ran footage of food handlers, some in well-known eateries, preparing spoiled food or licking their fingers on the job. In the wake of the investigation, the county health department ordered a wave of restaurant closings for the worst offenders.

“It shouldn’t have taken television to do this,” Wachs said.

His motion, which the council approved unanimously, urged the county Board of Supervisors to establish a hotline for public complaints, grant broader power to health inspectors to immediately shut down major violators and require eateries to post outside the establishment the dates of the most recent health inspection.

Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg also suggested the county look into adoption of a health-ratings system similar to that used in other cities and requiring restaurants to post their ratings.

Meeting Tuesday, the county supervisors welcomed the reforms introduced by their health director but called for more aggressive measures, from increasing the number of yearly inspections to auditing the health department’s food-inspection program.