Restaurant Revitalization Fund

The National Restaurant Association has worked to create the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to help restaurants after this pandemic. “An eligible business may receive a tax-free federal grant equal to the amount of its pandemic-related revenue loss, calculated by subtracting its 2020 gross receipts from its 2019 gross receipts.”

“The creation of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will be a catalyst to reviving restaurants and saving jobs across the country,” said Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Our focus from the beginning of this crisis has been on ensuring that our favorite local restaurants could access the assistance they would need to survive. This fund is a win for the smallest and hardest hit restaurants that have sacrificed and innovated to continue to serve their communities.”

Eligible facilities include restaurants, food stands, food trucks, food carts, caterers, inns, taverns, bars, brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms, and other places designed to serve food to the public. For more details, check out the Restaurant Revitalization Policy Brief or go to the National Restaurant Association.

PUD Rebate Program

We wanted to remind you that the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) still has a rebate program to help replace old commercial kitchen equipment with energy-efficient upgrades. This is very helpful if you are in the market for new equipment, or have been wanting to replace aging, inefficient equipment. The new equipment must be on their list to qualify for the rebate. Go to the PUD website for all the details and list of qualifying equipment. Take advantage of this opportunity!

Customer Service Desk

The Snohomish Health District customer service desk is now open with limited hours for in-person service. The available hours are Monday-Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. Customers must arrive before 2:45. Masks must be worn, and customers must check in at the screening table and maintain physical distance from others in the building.

The Customer service counter is located on the first floor of 3020 Rucker Ave. Services include in-person birth and death certificates, water testing, permit application submittals, and payments. Online and phone services will continue, as well as inspections and permit reviews. For birth and death certificates, visit vital-records or call 425-339-5290. Permit applications, online payments, inspection results and other services also are available on our website. People can also call 425-339-5250 for questions about permits, payments, and other environmental health services normally provided at the front counter.

Person wearing a mask in an online meeting

Food Advisory Committee

We are in the process of recruiting additional members from the food service industry and stakeholders to be part of our Food Advisory Committee. What does the Food Advisory Committee do? We’ll meet once a quarter, so you know what’s happening at SHD. You’ll meet our food program supervisors and Environmental Health Director and see what changes in policies and procedures are occurring. Changes in our fee schedule and enforcement code are being reviewed this year. This is a chance for the food service industry to have input. We value your opinions. If you think you would like to join the committee, please email Leah Tax at ltax@snohd.org to indicate your interest and your background. We are hoping to have a wide representation of industry participating on this committee, so there is no guarantee that everyone will be selected.
Next Meeting: June 25th, 2021. Thank you.

CBD Additives

Cannabidiol (CBD) is not considered a safe or approved food additive by the FDA. It is still listed as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This means that production, distribution and possession of CBD is still considered illegal under federal law. There are so many unknowns when it comes to CBD. The FDA needs to study and gather information on the effects it can have on the body as well as the safety and quality of CBD products.

At this time, it can only be sold by licensed Marijuana facilities. It may not be sold or added to food or drinks in a food service establishment. If unapproved food additives are found during a routine inspection, the establishment may face enforcement up to and including permit suspension.

The only part of the cannabis plant that can be used in retail food are hemp seeds. Hemp has a THC concentration of 0.3 or less. Products derived from hemp seed, such as hemp seed protein powder, hemp bread or hemp milk have such a minimal risk that they are considered safe. The Washington State Department of Health is guiding local health jurisdictions on this and we will keep you informed of any changes in the future.

Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting

Cleaning is removing the things you can see, like dirt, spills and food particles. The soap and scrubbing help to remove those things which could make sanitizers unable to do their job. You must clean food and non-food contact surfaces before you sanitize or disinfect.

Sanitizing is removing the germs that you cannot see to acceptable levels. This is a concentration that is effective at removing germs from food contact surfaces and evaporating off quickly to reduce chemical residue. This reduces the chance of someone getting sick from those chemicals. Sanitizing food contact surfaces should be done many times throughout the day when needed. Surfaces like cutting boards, utensils, dishes and tables. Read and follow directions when using chemicals and making both sanitizer and disinfectant solutions.

Disinfecting is removing even more of the germs. This is a much stronger concentration of the chemical solution and should be used in high touch areas and other non-food contact surfaces. Surfaces like restrooms, counters, handles on equipment like refrigerators, and payment devices.

Making sure all these things are done correctly is always important, but it is especially important now, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Make sure to look through The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Guidance for Food Workers & Food Establishments to stay up to date on all the requirements.

Recent E. coli Outbreak

A recent outbreak of E.coli 026:H11 in raw flour sickened 21 people in 9 states. Several patients reported that they had eaten raw dough or batter before becoming sick. E. coli sickness is caused by eating food that is contaminated with pathogenic E. coli. There are many types of E. Coli, some that even help our bodies. Only pathogenic types of E. coli cause illness. The bacteria infect the person and then release toxin.

Some pathogenic types of E. coli are much worse than others. While this E. coli 026:H11 is not the most harmful version, it can cause illness. People usually get sick 2-3 days after eating the contaminated food. The symptoms of this E.coli include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting. The source of the flour was traced back to a milling facility in New York, resulting in a recall of all their flour products. Raw flour should not be considered a ready-to-eat product. This means that it must be cooked to kill any microorganisms before you eat it. Avoid eating raw batter or dough. Wash your hands after working with flour to avoid cross contamination.

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