LAKE COUNTY – Lake County's Environmental Health is launching a new service on its Web site, where visitors will soon be able to see food facility inspection reports.

The agency reported that the new Web reports will begin on June 1. The site address is www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Environmental_Health.htm.

Users will be able to search and select the restaurants and food facilities by reviewing an alphabetical list or by communities from around Lake County, Environmental Health reported.

Barbara Loveless, Environmental Health's office services supervisor, said the Board of Supervisors asked the department to put the information together and make it available to the public. She said they looked at other similar agencies, such as that in Sonoma County, in updating the site.

She said a PDF of the inspection reports will be posted as soon as inspections are completed.

Environmental Health's three inspectors and one supervisor oversee between 340 and 350 facilities – restaurants, grocery stores, mini marts and fast food restaurants – around Lake County, Loveless said.

She said the number of inspections a facility receives is based on the potential risk for foodborne illness.

“The restaurants we're trying to do at least three times a year,” she said.

Larger grocery stores are inspected two or three times annually, with low-risk facilities inspected less frequently, Loveless explained.

“Everybody should have at least one a year,” she said.

The summary information that consumers will be able to find on Environmental Health's site beginning in June includes the number of major critical, minor critical or non-critical violations; a description of the critical and non-critical violations and reference to the code section; and whether the major critical violations were corrected on-the-spot during the inspection.

For more information contact Environmental Health at 707-263-1164.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .