Customers Encouraged to Be Proactive About Food Safety at Nonregulated Bars

Mecklenburg County Public Health leaders are encouraging customers of nonregulated bars to be proactive about food safety and cautious when consuming food items at nonregulated establishments. By state law, nonregulated bars, which serve limited food menus, do not require inspection by Public Health’s Environmental Health inspectors.

“Recently a customer was diagnosed with Vibriosis, a bacterial infection, from oysters eaten at a nonregulated bar,” said Dr. Raynard Washington, Mecklenburg County Public Health director. “I want to make the public aware that health inspectors cannot require inspection of nonregulated bars. If you are a customer, be proactive, look for the inspection certificate, or ask the staff. The occurrence of a food-borne illness is rare, in large part due to the regulation of food establishments. But environmental health inspections do not have universal access and authority to every establishment that serves food.”

Mecklenburg County Public Health has many access points for the public to view information about food service establishments. Inspection reports for food service establishments that fall under public health inspection can be viewed on the Public Health's Environmental Health page or by simply using the Yelp app to view the last inspection at an establishment in the Info section, under Health score. 

“We’ve invested in the Yelp platform so we can make sure the information is more broadly accessible to the public. If you look up an establishment, you can also check its last inspection,” said Mecklenburg County Public Health Assistant Director Angela Lee, who oversees the Environmental Health division.

There have been three cases of Vibriosis in North Carolina this summer. People with Vibriosis most often become infected by consuming raw or undercooked seafood or exposing a wound to seawater. Click here for more information from the CDC.