Scan for the Score is Jefferson County’s scoring system for food establishments. Its goal is to help prevent foodborne illness, support compliance with the Jefferson County Food Code, and give the public an easy way to see how well a facility is following food safety rules. After every health inspection, a report is completed and made available to the public through a QR code posted at the facility.
What Is a Health Inspection Report?
A health inspection report shows how well a restaurant, grocery store, or other food business is following food safety rules. During an inspection, our health inspectors check several key areas to make sure food is safe for customers.
Each facility receives a score based on how well it follows food safety rules.
Fewer violations = a higher score
A higher score shows that the facility is doing a good job keeping food safe.
What Inspectors Look For
- Food storage: Is food kept at safe temperatures and stored correctly?
- Cleanliness: Are surfaces, equipment, and prep areas clean
- Cooking temperatures: Is food cooked and reheated to safe temperatures
- Employee hygiene: Are employees washing their hands and handling food safely?
- Pest control: Are there signs of pests or conditions that could attract them?
What Happens If Issues Are Found?
- Violations are recorded. If something isn’t meeting standards—like improper storage or poor cleaning practices—it is written down in the report.
- Corrections are required. Some violations must be fixed right away. Others must be corrected by a set deadline, depending on how serious they are.
Violation Types:
Violations are weighted according to how directly they contribute to foodborne illness risk. There are 3 categories of violations.
- Priority Violation– 6 points
- Violations likely to contribute to food contamination, foodborne illness, or an environmental health hazard; should be corrected at the time of inspection
- Priority Foundation Violation– 3 points
- Similar to priority violations, but a little less urgent; should be corrected within 3-5 days of inspection
- Core Violation– 1 point
- Violations that relate to maintenance of food operations and cleanliness; should be corrected within 10-14 days of inspection