Curious diners can now peek past their plates into the kitchen by reading restaurant inspections online.

Starting July 1, newly completed inspections across the province are posted to regional health websites.

John Tuckwell, spokesman for Alberta Health, said the reports are being made available in response to public demand and media interest. Having the inspections online is intended to help consumers make more informed choices.

Jasper’s public health inspector Ihsan Sassi, said she thinks having the reports available “is great, it’s information for the public.”

Health inspectors are required to check restaurants up to three times yearly, depending on the size of the establishment. A full class 3 kitchen, like in a hotel restaurant, should be checked three times a year, while smaller class 2 establishments, like the A&W in town, should be checked twice annually.

Sassi, who has held the role of inspector since December, looks for things like temperature control and proper sanitizing procedures. 

“If there are violations of the food regulations, that’s where I come in and they have to correct the violations,” she said. “If it’s really bad, it’s critical, I would close them.”

But that doesn’t happen very often in Jasper, she added. The worst thing that usually happens in town is a Noro virus outbreak, which she said happens every summer as tour buses come and go.

When it comes to making the health inspection rounds, some restaurant operators are very co-operative when Sassi pops in for a visit, others are not, like those who claim she caught them at an inopportune time.

“I get that a lot, ‘You came at a bad day, it’s not always like this’,” she said. “Usually I would take a representative sample.”

And according to Sassi, she would rather teach restaurant operators correct procedures than punish them for making errors. “I am an enforcer, but I like to focus on education,” she said.

A scattering of inspection reports from Jasper have been posted to the Aspen Health website so far under the complete list of restaurants, at www.aspenrha.ab.ca. To arrive at the list, surfers must click several links, starting by selecting Restaurant Inspection Reports under the heading Quick Links.

Even with the reports online, visitor Pam Button from St. John’s, said they probably wouldn’t affect her dining decisions, especially when she visits a reputable place like Jasper.

“I’m not that picky, so I probably wouldn’t check,” she said. “If I had heard rumours about a place I would, but Jasper is so tourist-driven that I would expect it’s on top of it.

“If I was really worried about it I’d just eat at home.”