ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Health Officials, Know Thy Boss

The two top officials of Orange County’s environmental health office should remember they work for the public, not the food industry. It’s outrageous for an inspector to advise industry representatives on how they might soften the impact of restaurant inspections.

The county Board of Supervisors is considering having restaurants post letter grades that reflect how they do on inspections. It’s a good idea. The public deserves to know that the dishwashing machines work and the kitchen floor is swept. The county already inspects restaurants but does not post grades.

In June, the director and assistant director of the environmental health office met with the Food Sanitation Advisory Council, an organization of food industry representatives established to review health regulations.

A transcript of the meeting showed the assistant director telling the council it should protest the proposed grades to the supervisors. He also said the office wanted to “stay back” from the effort but would be happy to give the supervisors some alternative, so long as it could be presented in “a carefully guarded impartial way. . . . “ The director said the council’s opposition would carry a lot of weight with the supervisors and the council was “far more organized” than the public.

But organization should not count here. Public health and safety should. There are valid questions about a grading system. Diners can be lulled into thinking everything is fine even though the inspection covered only conditions at the time of the inspection.

San Diego and Los Angeles counties require restaurants to post grades, and consumer groups say the system gives the public valuable information.

The environmental health office’s first obligation is to share any concerns with the county, not the people it is supposed to regulate.