LEONARDTOWN, MD (March 13, 2013) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department’s Gold Star Program has recognized superior compliance to food safety standards among food establishments in St. Mary’s County since it began in 2007.  This year’s ceremony will honor food service facilities who met the challenge of achieving the superior standards for the 2012 calendar year and will take place on April 4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Chesapeake Building at the Leonardtown Government Complex.

“The Gold Star Program recognizes the conscientious efforts of food establishments and alerts the public to restaurants that have demonstrated exceptional attention to public health safety and sanitation,” explained Daryl Calvano, Environmental Health Division Director at the health department. “When high standards are achieved, both the food establishment and the public win.” Environmental Health Specialists at St Mary’s County Health Department help keep the risk of food borne illness low through education and inspections of over 400 food establishments in St. Mary’s County.  Health inspectors record and track compliance progress and, through the Gold Star Program, are able to inform the public about those establishments that are going the extra mile to provide customers a safe dining experience. The requirements to earn the Gold Star are:

• No critical violations (based on COMAR 10.15.03)
• No temperature violations cited during a monitoring inspection
• All violations noted by an inspector must be corrected by a 30-day follow-up inspection.
• No confirmed unsafe food handling complaints
• At least one food service worker completed a recognized and approved “Food Service Sanitation and Safety Class” within the last two years

A list of the award recipients will be available at the ceremony or upon request.  For more information about the Gold Star Program, please call the St. Mary’s County Health Department Division of Environmental Services at 301-475-4321, or visit the health department’s website at www.smchd.org

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Media Contact

Meena Brewster, MD, MPH 301-475-4330 smchd.healthdept@maryland.gov