THE cafeteria at Finegayan Elementary School run by Sodexo Food Service was given a “C” rating after the facility logged in a total of 30 demerits during a sanitation inspection conducted by the Department of Public Health and Social Services Division of Environmental Health.

Deputy Superintendent of Education Taling Taitano said they are working closely with Sodexo to make sure the concerns will be addressed within 10 days before DPHSS conducts a follow-up inspection of the facility.

According to the report from Environmental Health, an inspection of the school was conducted “in response to suspected foodborne illness outbreak.” Two violations received six demerits each, including one cited as a potentially hazardous food item.

The report also took note of a leaking water fountain in the cafeteria, lack of toilet paper in the female restroom, lack of hot water in the cafeteria restrooms, inadequate restroom ventilation, and dining lighting in disrepair.

Environmental Health, which is responsible for conducting sanitation inspections of certain establishments to ensure their compliance with applicable statutes and regulations, started their inspection of school cafeterias and buildings last month.

Finegayan Elementary School was the second campus inspected by the division this year. John F. Kennedy High School, the first school inspected last August, received an “A” with only four demerits, while Upi Elementary School was rated “B” with 18 demerits, according to Environmental Health Specialist Supervisor Ronald Baza Carandang.

Carandang said part of the division’s mandate is to inspect the building facilities and cafeterias of all 41 public schools and 27 private schools all over the island – a task that will require at least a year to complete.

Rating system

Environmental Health Administrator M. Thomas Nadeau explained that the rating system is based on the number of demerit points. More violations equate to greater demerits.

“These are points that you don’t want if you are a facility owner. If you get a demerit point between zero and 10, that is considered a letter 'A' rating. Anything from 11 to 20, that is a 'B' rating. From 21 to 40 is a letter 'C' rating and anything above 40 is a 'D' rating warranting a closure of the facility,” Nadeau explained.

Although the “C” grade is not enough to warrant a closure, Nadeau said if the violation is critical, which is six points, the facility needs to correct it within the required timeframe.

“They can continue operating. The only time a facility would have their permits suspended is if they get a 'D' or if there is any imminent danger to public health, like if they have sewage backup, for example,” Nadeau further stated.

In August 2011, Sodexo was selected to provide food services to the schools under GDOE’s supervision. Prior to the selection, King’s served as the food service provider for the public school system for nearly a decade. When Sodexo took over as provider, the company signed a contract for $14 million a year.

Five months into the contract, all 33 Sodexo-run cafeterias were cited by DPHSS for failing to acquire the required sanitary permits.