About the Inspection Process
Establishments are inspected on a “risk basis” based on the type of operation. For example, a concession stand serving only popcorn and nachos would not be visited as often as a full service restaurant that prepares many types of food. Each establishment is inspected at least once a year. More frequent inspections occur based upon a higher risk or if there’s been an unsatisfactory annual inspection or if there are complaints from the public.
You can view the most current inspection reports online for all food establishments within Albany County that have been issued permits under the NYS Department of Health restaurant regulations.
Our online database is updated weekly. Red Violations are either corrected at the time of inspection or within 24 hours. No facility with uncorrected critical violations is allowed to continue to operate.
Occasionally, remediation may not appear in our online database until the following week.
Inspections are a “snapshot” in time and are not always reflective of the day-to-day operations and overall condition of an establishment. Therefore, we post a history of each establishment's inspections since October 2005.
We changed our electronic reporting process in October 2005. Inspections prior to the change are not included in our online database. You can contact us if you need information about an inspection conducted prior to October 2005.
Currently the retail food program grants permits to and conducts inspections of over 1,200 food service establishments in Albany County.
Inspectors do not announce their visits for routine inspections. If a re-inspection is required, a time frame for compliance is given and the re-inspection is then conducted during this time frame.
Our online reports indicate whether the results are from a routine inspection or a re-inspection.
Violations fall into two main categories: “red” (critical); and “blue” (non-critical):
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Red (critical) violations relate directly to factors which lead to food-borne illness. These violations generally involve the food source and condition, food cooking and storage temperatures, sanitary practices, water and sewage, pest control and the use of poisonous materials.
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Blue (non-critical) violations do not directly cause food-borne illness, but could negatively affect the operation of the restaurant. They relate to the design and maintenance of the establishment, as well as cleanliness.
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