While many restaurant patrons have embraced the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s new letter grade evaluation system, the lack of clarity of these marks may have lured even the most informed of foodies into a false sense of safety. In July 2010, the Department of Health began conducting unannounced inspections and assigning letter grades to restaurants according to a point system. The fewer points a restaurant accumulates, the better. If an establishment scores between 0-13, it receives an A, 14-27 earns a B, and if the restaurant scores 28 or more points, it gets a C.
Restaurants accrue points depending on the types of violation and how many violations they are assessed. According to the Department of Health’s website, “A public health hazard, such as failing to keep food at the right temperature to prevent the growth of bacteria, triggers a minimum of 7 points. If the violation cannot be corrected before the end of the inspection, the Health Department may close the restaurant until the hazard is corrected. A critical violation, such as the presence of rodents, carries a minimum of 5 points. A general violation, such as not properly sanitizing cooking utensils, is assigned at least 2 points.”