What Happened to All the Health Inspectors in New York City?

The New York City Department of Health (DOH) faces staffing shortages, leading to delayed health inspections, which worries many restaurant owners. Currently, only about 66 percent of the city's 27,000 food establishments were inspected between July 2023 and June 2024, down from 83 percent the previous year.

 

The DOH attributes this to a 20 percent drop in public health inspectors since COVID-19. Restaurant owners describe long waits and increased uncertainty surrounding inspections, with some waiting nearly two years. The staffing challenges leave both new and long-established businesses in a state of limbo, heightening anxiety around food safety compliance and public health. Read more from Grub Street here.