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Busted: NYC Restaurant Posts Fake Letter Grade

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Ming's Chinese take-out on 9th Ave. at 33rd St. in New York City was caught posting a fake "Sanitary Inspection Grade" over Labor Day Weekend.  
A local publication spotted a suspect "inspection grade" card in the restaurant and easily proved it to be false by searching for the restaurant in the New York City Department of Health's Restaurant Inspection Information Website.

Officials from the NYC Department of Health inspected the restaurant back in January of this year and found serious health code violations including evidence of mice, roaches, and flying insects.
In addition to pest violations, the inspectors also discovered that equipment meant to store hot food was poorly maintained and that food was stored at too low a temperature to be safe. Hand washing facilities were not provided in or near the food preparation areas or in the bathrooms, among other violations.
According to the Health Department's new grading system launched in July, an inspection score of 0-13 is an A, 14-27 points is a B, and 28 or more points is a C.
Ming's has had seven inspections since November of 2008.  The restaurant's scores have ranged from 23 points to 86 points.  Upon the most recent inspection, September 2, 2010, Ming's scored an 86.  
For more information on the NYC Health Department's rating system, please see the agency's Website or fact sheet.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on September 10, 2010 (boomark / email).