New Scoring Method for Food Facility Inspections

Author: Environmental Health Staff
Date: 5/5/2025 6:53 AM

Effective May 12th, 2025, Environmental Health Services moves to a new scoring method that uses a negative scoring scale. A perfect score is zero and violations lead to a negative number score.

Interested in what goes on in the kitchen of your favorite restaurant, behind the aisles of your local market, or just looking for a new place to eat in San Luis Obispo County? Check out the interactive web map EatSafeSLOfor permitted retail food facilities that links to health inspection results.

Food facility inspections performed on or after May 12th, 2025, will reflect a new scoring method that uses a negative scoring scale. A perfect score is zero and violations lead to a negative number score.

• Each facility begins with a perfect score of zero. Points are deducted based on observations of violations occurring within, or in conjunction with, the food facility at the time of the health inspection. More points are deducted for violations that may result in a higher food safety risk if they are not corrected. These can include such things as non-compliance with hand washing, food temperatures, surface sanitization, safe food sources, and employee health. The more negative the score, the more (and more serious) the violations.
• Fewer points are deducted for minor violations that are usually associated with the condition of the facility, the equipment, and less risky food handling violations.
• Additional points are deducted if a violation is determined to be a repeat violation which either wasn't corrected following the last inspection, or was corrected but is found to be in violation again.

The EatSafeSLO app will have a link to inspection results for inspections performed on or after May 12th that use the new scoring method and an additional link to inspection results for inspections performed prior to May 5th, 2025, based on the previous scoring method. Please note that this link will only be available until June 30th, 2025, and be replaced by a report that compiles two years of inspection results performed from May 5th, 2023, to May 4th, 2025.

Please note that inspection results for inspections performed from May 5th, 2025, to May 9th, 2025, will not be posted until after May 12th, 2025, while Environmental Health transitions to a new database system.

Visit SafeSLO and other GIS Apps to see how Environmental Health leverages GIS Apps (geographic information system applications) such as interactive maps and data dashboards to provide timely program data to the public.

Contact us for questions, feedback, or to file a food-related complaint.