The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Food Safety Branch recently allowed Café Duck Butt to reopen after addressing previous food safety violations. The establishment, located at 901 Kawaiahaʻo Street in Honolulu, was initially given a red placard and ordered to close on October 8 due to a power outage that affected the refrigeration of food.
Following the restoration of electricity, a follow-up inspection on October 9 confirmed that all critical issues had been resolved. Consequently, the DOH authorized the issuance of a green placard and permitted the café to resume operations.
The DOH emphasized that "refrigeration equipment must always be operational," advising food establishments to close during power outages to prevent potential foodborne illnesses. These can pose serious health risks if not properly managed.
The DOH Food Safety Branch is responsible for safeguarding public health through educational initiatives for food industry workers and enforcing regulations across food establishments statewide. Their routine inspections cover places where food is prepared, manufactured, distributed, or sold. Additionally, they investigate sources of foodborne illnesses and work to mitigate such incidents' effects.
More details about the department's placarding program are available at http://health.hawaii.gov/san/.