Politics & Government

Assembly Speaker's Bill Demands Supermarket Health Violations be Posted Online

New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has submitted a bill requiring the State Department of Agriculture and Markets to post all food inspection violations, a move in part driven by a pattern of failed health inspection by Kosher baker Zomick's that was first reported by Patch.

“Posting the inspection results on a government website, such as the department’s or Open New York, would provide easier access to violation information to the public, especially for food purchased when the consumer doesn’t physically visit the establishment where it is produced or sold,” according to a memo explaining the bill, as reported by The Jewish Week.. “This will be an invaluable resource for all consumers, as it will allow them to make better informed choices about what foods to buy.”

Currently, markets are required to post results of failed inspections at the physical location, such as Zomick’s plant in Inwood. This bill would mean the detail of the violation, date of inspection and the penalty would be posted online as well.

Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch broke the news in July that the Jewish bakery failed 10 of its 19 inspections since 2005, mostly due to pests. Zomick’s passed its two most recent inspections.

Inspection troubles at Zomick's was only one of the several chains Patch found routinely failed health inspections on Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens. They included the Uncle Giuseppe's chain, which had notable issues in Smithtown and Port Jefferson, as well as the Met Foods market in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens.

Find out what's happening in Rockville Centrewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here