The lower the score, the more unsanitary the establishment. The score is translated into an adjective rating. Critical items like inadequate cooking, improper holding and cooling, poor personal hygiene, cross-contamination, etc. have been identified by the CDC and others as contributors to foodborne outbreaks that have been investigated and confirmed. Establishments with deficiencies in these areas, especially if they are repeated or ongoing, pose a potential threat to the health of those frequenting the establishment, and as such, items noted as critical are described as needing immediate attention. The consuming public wants to know and has a right to know just what the conditions in local food establishments are.
Food inspections are public record.
We are merely making the information more readily accessible. We consider the publication of inspection scores to be a public service. It is another aspect of our mission to educate and inform the public we serve. If we have an establishment that has difficulty exercising managerial control over some critical element of their food operation, the public has a right to know they may become ill eating at that establishment. We provide the information, the individual can then decide, based on the score and noted items, if this is an establishment he or she wants to eat at.