2024 data courtesy of Ecolab HDI includes rank and % of inspections violation cited

Noted in 12.48% of 2024 inspections (8.53% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Guests expect a clean, well-maintained environment, and any shortcomings in this area can lead to negative reviews and a decline in repeat business. Safety hazards resulting from poor maintenance can also lead to legal liabilities and adverse publicity. Maintaining high standards in facility upkeep is crucial for preserving a positive reputation and ensuring guest satisfaction.

Ensure equipment, floors, walls, and ceilings are made of approved, smooth and durable surface materials as they are easier to clean. Maintain physical facilities clean after installation using a sanitation schedule. Facilities need to be maintained in good condition. Complete any repairs in a timely manner to ensure cleanability and prevent potential pest harborage. Clean at the frequency needed to keep areas clean to sight and maintained to prevent harm, odors and pests.

Unclean surfaces such as dirty floors, walls, and ceilings are unappealing, can cause strong foul-smelling odors and attract pests. Keep floors and drains clean and dry to prevent odors and pests. Move equipment to properly sweep up debris before cleaning. Do not use pressure washers on grouted floors, it can break the grout down quickly and provide a harborage for water and pests.

If unclean tools such as mops and brooms are used for washing, the surfaces may still look unclean and smell musty to a guest. Store cleaning tools such as mops and brooms clean and off the ground. Allow to air dry after use and replace the tools when needed. Maintain restrooms clean and ensure facilities are properly functioning.

To prevent the spread of illness, proactively deep clean and disinfect restrooms daily with a disinfectant that kills Norovirus. Ensure to focus on guest touchpoints such as handles. Keep drains clean to prevent odors and pests.

Noted in 11.63% of 2024 inspections (7.37% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

This frequent issue arises due to high usage, inadequate staff training, and time constraints in busy hotel environments. Such lapses pose significant risks, including the spread of foodborne illnesses, regulatory non-compliance, and potential damage to the hotel's reputation. Ensuring thorough and consistent cleaning practices is crucial for maintaining guest safety and upholding the hotel's standards. Some best practices for maintaining clean and sanitized surfaces:

• Ensure cleaning agents, sanitizers and their instructions are always available.
• 3 compartment sinks must have adequate hot water of 110 ̊ F (43 ̊ C).
• High temperature machines must be operating properly to sanitize the surface to 160 ̊ F (71 ̊ C).
• Wash, rinse and sanitize all food-contact surfaces following the proper procedures.
• Verify sanitizer concentration with test strips and verify temperature by a max temperature registering device or test strips. Food-contact equipment used for time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods should be cleaned as needed throughout the day – no less than every 4 hours.
• If applicable, take apart food-contact equipment to properly clean and sanitize.
• The inside of ice machines, ice bins and cutting boards are often missed opportunities. Ensure proper checks and balances are in place to verify the cleanliness of food-contact surfaces. Use a flashlight to check the cleanliness of the inside, underside and along the edges of ice bins. Ensure drink nozzles and ice chutes at beverage stations are properly cleaned and sanitized. Train on the approved cleaning methods for hard to reach food-contact areas.
• Replace or repair food-contact surfaces when they are no longer cleanable and/or damaged.
• Visually inspect dishes, silverware, glassware, containers, tongs and all food-contact tools and wares before storing.
• Ensure proper organizing tools and drying spaces are available.
• Document what to clean and when to clean it; define roles, perform training, reinforcing cleaning and sanitizing procedures, follow up...repeat.
• Lay out anything that can be differentiated after cleaning for a visual cue. For example, set out nozzles from the soda dispenser on a clean surface to air dry.
• Avoid food allergen incidents by preventing cross contact and ensuring new utensils are used before handling food that contain allergens.

Noted in 11.47% of 2024 inspections (6.19% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Health codes mandate that handwashing sinks be properly supplied and accessible. Inadequate handwashing facilities can lead to increased contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. By addressing common issues, hotel operators can significantly reduce the risk of violations and ensure a safer, more hygienic environment for both guests and staff.

• Blocked hand sinks discourage handwashing. Be sure to avoid using the hand sink for anything other than handwashing.
• Ensure a consistent and accessible supply of soap, paper towels, and hot water, especially in high-traffic areas.
• Review the frequency of guest restroom checks, ensuring that sinks are always properly stocked, and not blocked.

Noted in 9.02% of 2024 inspections (5.22% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Improper design, construction, and use of food- and non-food-contact surfaces, make them difficult to clean. This can result in multiple risks, including contamination and cross-contamination, which can lead to foodborne illnesses and regulatory non-compliance. Ensuring that surfaces are properly designed and maintained is crucial for preventing health hazards and maintaining a safe environment for guests.

Purchase durable, approved food service equipment and materials that can withstand frequent cleaning and heavy use. This reduces wear and tear and ensures long-term cleanliness. Consider how you will clean, maintain and/or move everything in the operation to avoid debris accumulation, specifically in food preparation areas. Involve third party partners to perform cleaning and performance tests if applicable. Ensure single-use and single-service items are used appropriately.

Your purchasing, facilities, culinary, quality and safety departments and any third-party partners should work together when designing and purchasing new equipment. Reach out to state and local health departments when reviewing plans and punch lists for a new or remodelled building.

Implement a preventive maintenance program that includes scheduled cleaning and upkeep of all facilities. This proactive approach helps maintain high standards. Leverage maintenance management software to track tasks, schedule inspections, and manage work orders efficiently. This ensures that maintenance activities are well-organized and nothing is overlooked.

Train staff on proper cleaning and maintenance procedures. Ensure they understand the importance of maintaining cleanable surfaces and follow best practices consistently.

Noted in 8.97% of 2024 inspections (4.39% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Improper holding temperature is a common risk factor that can lead to foodborne illness. Improper cold holding can also lead to higher waste due to loss of improperly stored products and poor-quality products and meals. This frequent issue arises due to high usage and frequent opening of refrigeration units, inadequate equipment, and insufficient staff training. Health inspection data shows cold holding violations increase during warmer months; equipment is working harder to keep the temperature down in coolers and the environment, and deliveries are made in warmer weather. Ensuring consistent cold holding temperatures is crucial for guest safety and maintaining high operational standards.

Best practices for proper cold holding:

• Keep TCS foods <41°F (5°C) with properly working equipment and properly maintained ice baths. Food stored in freezers should be frozen solid. Please note, some state or local jurisdictions or brands may have different cold holding standards.
• Calibrate thermometers in 32°F (0°C) ice slush daily.
• Check cold holding temperatures once per shift. Take and log temperatures each shift for each piece of equipment. Maintain a cold holding log with corrective actions.
• Pre-chill cold hold unit. Turn on equipment and verify temperatures before adding product.
• Set cooler temperatures to 34°F (1°C) to 38°F (3°C). The temperature of the holding unit should be cold enough to maintain the food <41°F (5°C). Have visible accurate thermometers in cold hold units.
• Use walk-in for long-term storage and cooling.
• Cold hold units maintain temperature, they are not intended for cooling. Do not cool items in reach-ins, cold wells or drawers.
• Do not overfill coolers, allow air to circulate.
• Do not overfill pans, utilize shallow pans and close the lid on top open units during non-rush hours.
• Pre-chill ingredients and prep menu items in small batches. The amount of time TCS food is held at room temperature during preparation should be limited. It’s a best practice to keep TCS foods in an ice bath to minimize the time > 41°F (5°C).
• Ensuring hotel deliveries are checked properly for temperature and quality is crucial for maintaining cost control, especially with the rising cost of goods.
• Do not leave deliveries out of temperature control for extended periods of time, including sitting outside the back door and in the preparation area before stocking.
• Do not prop open walk-in or cooler doors. Limit time open if absolutely necessary.

Noted in 7.20% of 2024 inspections (3.10% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Frequent violations occur due to high usage, inadequate training, and lack of regular maintenance, leading to ineffective cleaning and sanitizing of dishes and utensils. This poses significant risks, including the spread of foodborne illnesses, regulatory non-compliance, and damage to the hotel's reputation. Ensuring proper warewashing practices is crucial for maintaining hygiene and guest safety.

• Adequate warewashing facilities must be available and used for the cleaning and sanitization of food-contact surfaces, including the availability of means to monitor its use and the effectiveness of sanitization. For example, an irreversible registering temperature indicator is provided and readily accessible for measuring the utensil surface temperature for establishments that have a hot water mechanical warewashing operation.
• Observation of manual and mechanical warewashing methods are made to assess the procedure for cleaning and sanitizing equipment and utensils. This item is marked out of compliance when cleaners and sanitizers are not available for use within the food establishment where applicable.
• Implement a preventive maintenance schedule to keep warewashing equipment in optimal condition. This includes regular inspections and timely repairs
• Use test strips regularly to ensure that sanitizing solutions are effective and meet health standards
• Conduct regular refresher courses to keep staff updated on best practices and any new equipment or procedures

Noted in 6.22% of 2024 inspections (5.59% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

The absence of a CFPM poses significant risks, including increased chances of foodborne illnesses, regulatory non-compliance, and operational inefficiencies. Ensuring a CFPM is on staff is crucial for maintaining food safety standards, protecting guest health, and upholding the hotel's reputation.

• Maintain certifications and actively manage/coach employees to create a culture that is clean and safe, which will welcome guests in and encourage them to return.
• FDA’s Retail Food Risk Factor Studies suggest that the presence of a certified manager has a positive correlation with more effective control of certain risk factors, such as poor personal hygiene, in different facility types. In addition, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Health Specialist-Network (EHS-Net) study suggests that the presence of a certified food protection manager reduces the risk for a foodborne outbreak for an establishment and was a distinguishing actor between restaurants that experienced a foodborne illness outbreak and those that had not. *Source FDA Food Code
• It’s important to follow the regulations within your state or local jurisdiction. At a minimum, have at least one person who is always certified or knowledgeable in safe food handling on premise. This person should be able to demonstrate basic food safety knowledge by passing an exam and be empowered to make decisions and take corrective action to protect food safety.
• Provide continuous education opportunities, such as refresher courses and advanced training sessions, to keep staff updated on the latest food safety practices and regulations. Keep certifications readily available to all persons in charge of operations and up to date.

Noted in 6.91% of 2024 inspections (5.29% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Cleanliness not only impacts guest satisfaction but also their perception of safety, especially in the wake of recent global health concerns. Ensuring a clean environment is crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and encouraging repeat business.

• Ensuring that non-food-contact surfaces are regularly cleaned and maintained is crucial for maintaining hygiene standards and safeguarding both guest and staff health.
• Wipe down all non-food-contact surfaces (in food and non-food service areas) on a regular cadence. This includes guest kiosks, self-service counters and self-service equipment.
• Pay particular attention to areas where sugary liquids such as bag in box sodas or powders are stored, keeping this consistently clean to prevent pests.
• Cookline equipment should be deep cleaned regularly to prevent unsightly buildup of grease and encrusted debris.
• Ensuring clean surfaces also helps prevent cross-contamination to food-contact surfaces.
• Clean the interior and exterior of trash cans at a frequency to prevent unpleasant odors and pest harborage.
• Other areas to consider are cleanliness of fan guards, dish machines/sinks and gaskets on refrigeration equipment.
• Guests are particularly concerned about the cleanliness of toilets, showers, sinks, and mirrors. Any mold, mildew, or grime can significantly impact their perception.
• Invest in effective, quality cleaning products that ensure thorough sanitation.
• Proactively reduce the risk of a Norovirus outbreak by implementing an ill employee policy, disinfecting high touch points and proactively using a disinfectant that kills norovirus to clean the restrooms.

Noted in 5.05% of 2024 inspections (5.16% down from 2023)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Due to the complexity of maintaining strict protocols, inadequate staff training, and high-pressure environments that lead to shortcuts, contamination during food preparation, storage, and display pose significant risks, including the spread of foodborne illnesses and regulatory non-compliance. Ensuring meticulous contamination prevention practices is crucial for safeguarding guest health and maintaining operational standards.

• Small contaminants such as push pins in a production area and staples on to-go bags, as well as ice used as a coolant that will also be used for beverages are all common contamination hazards. Do not store bottles in ice bins.
• Guards are also important to have in place where necessary such as a sneeze guard, light shields or fan guards.
• Food products and food contact surfaces should never be stored on the floor, including ice buckets.
• Hotels commonly offer a variety of ready-to-eat foods on display at self-service stations for guests. These might include breakfast bars or buffets. Effective guards must be in place to ensure the food on display is safe for guests.
• Avoid Cross-Contamination: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked food.

Noted in 4.97% of 2024 inspections (new to Top 10)

Advice from the EcoSure Experts:

Lack of awareness about proper handling procedures can result in significant risks, including accidental exposure leading to health issues, environmental contamination, and regulatory non-compliance. Ensuring that toxic substances are correctly managed is crucial for safeguarding the health of guests and staff, as well as maintaining compliance with safety regulations.

• Ensure that staff handling hazardous materials are certified and knowledgeable about safety regulations and best practices.
• Store toxic substances in secure, designated areas away from food and guest areas. Use appropriate containers that are clearly labeled with hazard warnings.
• Equip staff with necessary personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, and goggles when handling toxic substances.
• Perform regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance with safety protocols and identify any areas for improvement.
• Ensure that staff are trained in first aid and know how to respond to incidents involving hazardous materials

To effectively avoid these violations during routine inspections, hotels must implement robust Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and exercise Active Managerial Control (AMC). By integrating FSMS, hotels can establish comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure consistent adherence to food safety standards.

Active Managerial Control involves proactive oversight by management to monitor and verify that these SOPs are being followed diligently. This includes regular staff training, routine internal audits, and immediate corrective actions when deviations are identified. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and vigilance, hotels can significantly reduce the incidence of violations, ensuring a safe and compliant environment for both guests and staff.