NY state audit finds food inspections lagging
ALBANY— New York’s food inspections have been lagging, allowing 5,000 manufacturers, supermarkets, wholesale bakeries and other businesses to operate last year without updated inspections, state auditors reported Thursday.
The backlog allowed 439 new establishments to open for business without a required initial inspection, the New York Comptroller’s Office said in the audit report.
“Food safety is critical for the health and well-being of New Yorkers, but the Department of Agriculture and Markets is quickly falling behind in its responsibilities to make sure what the public is eating is safe,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. Auditors recommended adjusting schedules, work practices and performance measures for inspector efficiency while prioritizing new businesses, noting that a sample of 45 had waited an average of six months.