Editor:
State funding for Environmental Health Services that require routine food inspections by the Utah Department of Health has been flat. These inspections include any business that dispenses food or drink; senior citizens centers, hospitals, hotels/motels, schools, and restaurants. There has been no increase in funding since 1995. Our state legislators have turned a deaf ear and blind eye and have not heard the pleas coming from our health department for more food inspectors.
Since 1994 our Utah Department of Health has not had the finances to hire additional inspectors to make regular and routine inspections of all the eating establishments.
The statewide standard for food establishments is at least two inspections per year. Do the congressmen understand or care that there are many food establishments in Utah that have not seen an inspector in the past four years? This is a sign that our health inspection department is understaffed. Our inspectors must also inspect and issue permits for septic systems, swimming pools, drinking water systems, and all other food establishment businesses.
Legislators should come to understand how gross a dereliction of duty they have been in the protection of citizens and children living in this state. I hope they or any member of their family do not experience ecoli, dysentery, diarrhea or running trots from something they ate in an establishment that has not been routinely inspected.
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