Town Restaurants Inspected Twice Each Year

Massachusetts State Law mandates that food establishments be inspected twice each year, according to the 2011 Westborough Town Report. The inspections are conducted by the and resulted in the emergency closure of two food establishments in 2011.

"There are so many different reasons that a restaurant can be shut down. Sometimes it is no one's fault, like if a sewer backs up or something like that," said Director of Public Health Paul McNulty. "Many times, problems can be fixed in an hour, sometimes a few days."

The Westborough Board of Health includes chairman Dr. Alan Ehrlich, Priscilla Federici, RN, and Dr. Nathan Walsh. The staff includes McNulty, Sanitarian Steven Baccari, Health Inspector Terry Gilchrist and Administrative Assistant Kathy Smith.

The food inspection program is only a portion of the responsibilities of the department. Here is a look at Westborough food establishments by the 2011 Board of Health numbers, as reported in the Annual Town Report:

17 — full service food establishments received certificates of merit for meeting excellence in food safety and sanitation

4 — retail establishments received certificates of merit for meeting excellence in food safety and sanitation

170 — food establishment permits issued

6 — new establishments opened

8 — establishments closed

5 — businesses were sold//changed owners or moved to new locations

322 — food establishment inspections were conducted

14 — administrative meetings were held

7 — complaints were received and investigated

2 — emergency closures of food establishments were made

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