Chili's location passes county safety test, though one violation corrected

A Chili's location in the Spring area recently passed its Harris County food safety inspection, though one problem was corrected on site.

The "baby back ribs" chain's restaurant at 518 FM 1960 W. was inspected on Feb. 3. County officials gave the establishment three demerits out of a possible 100. A facility must receive 20 demerits to be considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

The three demerits were awarded for a "contact surfaces" violation. This means there may have been chips and cracks in places that could come into contact with preparers' hands as well as food. This problem is among those that the county website states are commonly associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The violation was corrected during the visit.

The February inspection score is an improvement over the county's last two visits to the restaurant. In September 2010, the Chili's location received four demerits. In May 2010, it was given six.

For more information on how Harris County conducts food safety inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.