2007 Food establishment quality awards

This award is designed to recognize those facilities that take the initiative to go above and beyond health code requirements to excel in sanitation and food safety. The Kansas City, Mo., Health Department recognizes that Excellence is most fully achieved when the food service management fully endorses employee education and training. Therefore, the Grade A Food Excellence Award will be awarded in September to those operations that have exhibited excellence in sanitation and food safety as well as evidence of successful employee education.

Criteria for food service establishments to earn a Grade A Food Excellence Award:

At least one person in the facility must have successfully completed the Kansas City Health Department Food Manager course or must be ServSafe Certified.

1. At least 90 percent of the food handlers in the establishment must have valid Kansas City, Mo., Food Handler Cards.
2. No critical violations for the past 12 months.
3. No more than four non-critical violations for low and medium risk facilities; and no more than eight non-critical violations for high risk facilities in the past 12 months.
4. Have a valid Kansas City, Mo., Food Permit and are in good standing with the Kansas City Health Department.

Who may apply?

Any operation within the jurisdiction of the Kansas City, Mo., Health Department may request consideration for the Grade A Food Excellence Award on the application provided by the Health Department. The Food Protection Program staff shall review the applications and, based upon the criteria, shall make recommendations for the award to the Director of Health. Applications for the 2007 award are due Sept. 15, 2007.

2007 winners

Recipients of the Grade A Food Excellence Award will receive a certificate for posting to inform the public of their achievement. The award recipients have been asked to post their certificates. The 2007 winners are:

• Nashua school cafeteria, 11400 N. McGee St.
• Briarcliff school cafeteria, 4100 N. Briarcliff Road
• Tea Drops, 4111 Pennsylvania Ave.
• Stowers Café, 1000 E. 50th St.

2006 winners

There were 27 applicants and seven winners. The first five winners stated they were smokefree. Smokefree establishments received a A+; the other two received an A. The 2006 winners were:

• Corner Market Cafe - 4435 Main St.
• Crittenton Center - 10918 Elm
• Fervere - 1702 Summit
• Peachtree Buffet - 6800 Eastwood Trafficway
• Truman Medical Center Coffee Shop - 7900 Lee's Summit Road
• AT&T Canteen Compass - 2121 E. 63rd St.
• ReDiscover - 3030 Baltimore

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