News Summary
The South Carolina Agriculture Department has intensified restaurant inspections following a split from the state’s health agency. With a $2 million funding boost and 25 new inspectors, the department is implementing stricter enforcement policies. Notably, the number of permit suspensions has increased significantly under the new regime. This move is aimed at ensuring better food safety practices across the state, though some restaurant owners express concerns about the potential impact of these changes on their operations.
Columbia, South Carolina – In a significant shift to improve restaurant safety, the South Carolina Agriculture Department has ramped up restaurant inspections following a split from the state’s health agency. As of July last year, the state’s health authority was divided into two separate entities: an environmental agency and a health department. This restructuring has allowed the agriculture department to nearly double its resources and capabilities to oversee restaurant safety effectively.
The government allocated $2 million in state funds to enhance enforcement and expand staff dedicated to restaurant inspections. To this end, the agriculture department has successfully hired 25 new inspectors, significantly boosting their operational capacity. Furthermore, the department has tripled the number of employee vehicles assigned to inspectors, improving their ability to conduct inspections across the state.
One notable change in the inspection process is the implementation of a more aggressive enforcement policy. Under the previous Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), permit suspensions were rarely enacted. Now, eateries demonstrating repeated health code violations can face immediate suspensions. In just six months since taking over inspection duties, the agriculture department has suspended 11 restaurant permits for repeated infractions, a stark increase compared to DHEC’s record of only three suspensions from 2019 to 2023.
Additionally, the new enforcement plan includes suspending permits after three fines for the same violation, and establishments scoring below 60 points during inspections can be suspended without delay. This shift is a significant departure from past practices, where enforcement was often less stringent.
Historically, DHEC’s food safety division maintained a stable number of 75 inspectors since 1997, even as the number of dining establishments grew. This led to a decline in inspector-to-restaurant ratios from one inspector per 189 establishments in 2019 to one for every 274 restaurants by 2023. In light of this, the number of retail food establishments has surged from 20,500 in late 2023 to 24,197 in 2025, necessitating improved oversight.
To ensure thorough and frequent inspections, inspectors are now required to work evenings and weekends, targeting late-night venues and food trucks that were previously underserved. Since the transfer of inspection responsibilities, the agriculture department has conducted approximately 27,000 routine inspections of the state’s 24,000 eateries.
The community’s response to the increased enforcement has been mixed. Many restaurant owners acknowledge the critical role of responsible food safety practices but express concern over the potential impact of stringent regulations on their operations. Additionally, the ACLU of South Carolina has raised alarm over recent inspections reportedly linked to immigration enforcement, leading to apprehensions within the Hispanic community. There are fears that the presence of Homeland Security during restaurant inspections may be perceived as an attempt to enforce immigration laws under the guise of safety evaluations.
Looking ahead, the agriculture department aims to streamline operations further by moving agency functions online and collaborating with local municipalities. These steps seek to simplify the process for opening restaurants and enhancing overall compliance with health regulations.
This implementation marks a pivotal moment for restaurant safety in South Carolina, with the agriculture department now actively targeting habitual offenders and enforcing health standards more rigorously. The future of dining safety in the state will significantly depend on the effectiveness and public perception of these changes.
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Additional Resources
- The State
- Wikipedia: Restaurant Safety
- Myrtle Beach Online
- Google Search: Restaurant Inspections South Carolina
- Fox Carolina
- Google Scholar: Restaurant Safety Regulations
- WYFF4
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Food Safety
- Independent Mail
- Google News: South Carolina Food Inspections
Author: STAFF HERE LEXINGTON WRITER
The LEXINGTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERELexington.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Lexington, Fayette County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Woodland Art Fair, Crave Food and Music Festival, and Railbird Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like Commerce Lexington and Blue Grass Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in education, manufacturing, and technology that power the local economy such as University of Kentucky, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and Lexmark. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBowlingGreen.com and HERELouisville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Kentucky's dynamic landscape.
