Halton Region Public Health, the regional health agency that checks restaurants and other places that serve food, inspected 52 food premises in Milton between Oct. 11 and Nov. 10, in the records Lokul has collected. Of those, 44 had every item in compliance. The other eight did not, and two of them, a Tim Hortons and a child care centre, had a critical problem with how food was stored or kept at a safe temperature.

Critical items are the ones inspectors treat as most likely to make someone sick. At the Tim Hortons at 8501 Regional Road 25, a routine check on Thursday, Nov. 5 turned one up, with a follow-up due by Tuesday, Nov. 10. At Kidz Korner, a child care centre on Nipissing Road, a routine visit the next day found the same kind of problem, and it was put right while the inspector was there.

Turtle Gas Station on Guelph Line has had three visits since Oct. 21. After a routine inspection Oct. 21, inspectors returned Oct. 27 and again Nov. 6, when they found problems with food handler training and hygiene and with upkeep and cleaning of the premises. The next follow-up is due by Thursday, Nov. 26. The gas station had also needed a return visit June 22 after a June 5 inspection.

The Biryaniwalla, a restaurant at 437 Main Street East, was flagged for premises maintenance and sanitation at a routine visit Nov. 5, with a follow-up due by Thursday, Nov. 12. After a routine inspection Aug. 26, inspectors returned three times in September, on Sept. 1, 10 and 16.

Upkeep and cleaning of the premises was the problem found most often.

Problems found most often in Milton, Oct. 11 to Nov. 10
  • Premises maintenance and sanitation3
  • Pest control2
  • Food handler training and hygiene2
  • Temperature and food storage (critical)2

Some places cleared their problems. Royal Ontario Golf Course at 6378 Trafalgar Road had everything in compliance on Oct. 29, its third return visit after a routine inspection Oct. 13; inspectors had also come back Oct. 15 and Oct. 21.

Restaurants made up the biggest share of the month's inspections, with 16, followed by child care centres with 9, take-outs with 8 and casual food producers with 6.

The inspections fall under Dinewise, Halton's mandatory food safety program for food premises in the region. If you want to know how a place did, ask: every food premises must hand over its Summary Inspection Report to customers who request it.