The director of the Arizona Department of Health Services announced on Wednesday the release of the Food Safety & Environmental Services Program’s 2015 Food Safety Annual Report. The report found that foodborne illness complaints rose by 38 percent.
The report summarizes the delegated inspections and activities that were completed by Arizona State University and the county health departments over Fiscal Year 2015.
The report highlights and activities:
• There were 33,217 food establishments in Arizona and 80,484 food safety related inspections (routine and re-inspections) that were conducted at these establishments.
• Pre-operational inspections at food establishments totaled 7,237 and an additional 8,499 inspections were conducted at temporary food establishments.
• In addition to food establishments, a total of 29,007 routine inspections were conducted at 17,748 regulated facilities that include public accommodations, trailer coach parks, children’s camps, campgrounds, public schools, and public and semipublic bathing places.
• Twelve (12) Arizona counties, one tribal health department, and ADHS are participating in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. The program is designed to foster national uniformity among retail food regulatory programs.
• There were 1,095 foodborne illness complaints received by county health departments and ADHS in FY2015. This represents an increase of 38% from FY2014.
• The total number of foodborne illness and non-foodborne illness complaints reached 8,971.
• The FDA issued 304 food recall press releases and public notices associated with FDA-regulated products in FY2015.
• The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued 149 recall notices over FY2015. Approximately 644,861 pounds of food, associated with these recalls, were recovered nationwide.