Lincoln-Lancaster County Creates Food Establishment Inspection Webpage

By: Jeffrey Lapin (Attorney-Owner of Lapin Law Offices)

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has created a food establishment inspection information web page, which provides information regarding establishment inspections, definitions and violations. 

On November 8, 2012, Lincoln, Nebraska, Mayor Chris Beutler announced two new initiatives to improve food safety in Lincoln-Lancaster County, Nebraska (New Food Safety Initiatives to Benefit Food Establishments and Public- issued November 8, 2012). These initiatives are:

• The public now has online access to current food inspection reports for those local establishments that have been issued Food Enforcement Notices for high-risk violations.
• The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) has received a five-year, $350,000 grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce foodborne illness originating from retail food establishments.

In his announcement, Mayor Beutler added:

The vast majority of our local food establishments do an outstanding job of serving our community, but when enforcement actions are necessary, it's important that the public have access to this information. This is an excellent use of technology to help protect the health of our residents and visitors.

The new webpage is live: Food Establishment Inspections. The site notes:

Only inspections that have resulted in the issuance of a Food Enforcement Notice (FEN) are listed. If you search for a food establishment and no inspection is listed, it has not been issued a Food Enforcement Notice in the past three years. 

An FEN may be issued as a warning, suspension, or closure depending on the severity of the risks posed to the public’s health. FENs may be appealed.

Please remember that any inspection report is a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, an establishment could have more or fewer violations than noted here. Thus, the inspection results may not be representative of the overall food safety of an establishment. Also, at the time of the inspection, violations are recorded but are often corrected on-the-spot prior to the inspector leaving the establishment.

Lapin Law Offices represents injured, abused and disabled persons in Lincoln, Lancaster County and throughout Nebraska. Contact us at 402-421-8033 or through our website, lapinlawoffices.com, to learn more about us and what we can do for you. We offer a free initial consultation twenty-four hours a day seven days a week (24/7).