ROUTINE RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS AND EDUCATION OF FOOD HANDLERS - RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON CRITICAL-APPRAISAL OF THE LITERATURE AND SURVEY OFCANADIAN JURISDICTIONS ON RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS AND EDUCATION OF FOOD HANDLERS

Inspection of restaurants and education of food handlers are two metho ds used by regulatory agencies to ensure food served in restaurants is safe to eat. The variation which exists in the implementation of thes e programs suggests that the programs' effectiveness is lacking or is not clear. Recommendations based on the Community Health Practice Guid eline methodology, the results of a critical review of the literature, the results of a survey of practices, and expert opinion were develop ed. The recommendations include: continuation of routine inspections a t a frequency of one to two inspections per year per restaurant and th e continuation of education programs. The evidence on which these reco mmendations are based is scant and more research is needed to ensure p rograms are needed, effective and efficient.