How to Obtain State of Massachusetts Food Service Inspection Results

Food service establishments in the state of Massachusetts are regularly inspected under the State Sanitary Code. The state of Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food and Drugs delegates the job of food establishment inspections to local health departments. The health departments inspect all food packaging, storage, service and preparation establishments. The inspections cover food handling, employee hygiene and the hygiene of the facilities of the establishment. The public can obtain food service inspection results through several means.

Instructions

• 1

  Log onto the website of Massachusetts health board or the local health board in the specific area of the state, or the website of the health board who inspects the restaurant you are interested in. Links to these health departments can be found looking on the government website of the city or area of interest.

• 2

  Look for the inspection section of the health board. The health boards of some areas of Massachusetts, such as Cambridge and Boston, provide the food service inspection results for public view on their websites. A search of the results can be found under the restaurant name, and the search can be refined by neighborhood, if the restaurant is part of a chain. If a violation has been noted, a description of the type of violation is generally posted on the health department website.

• 3

  Go to the records department of the inspection service if more detailed information is required than that which is given on the website. For example, the city of Cambridge posts inspection results from 2004 onwards on the department website, but you can view more detailed results in their records office. The city of Cambridge also keeps records from inspections prior to 2004 in the records office for interested members of the public.

• 4

  Fill out an application form for records, in the city where the establishment you are interested is, if the local health department does not offer them online. You may be able to download the application form from the department website. The form requests permission to make copies of specific inspection reports, but the department may charge for copying. For example, the city of Northampton charges 20 cent per page, as of February 2011.

• 5

  Mail or fax the application form to the health department. Inspections are a matter of public record and the public is allowed to access them. Under Massachusetts law, as of February 2011, the health department has ten days to copy and supply this information to anyone who requests it.