The State Department of Health was alerted of a woman who identified herself as a health inspector and began questioning a Whole Foods Kahala employee about the store’s food products. When the Whole Foods staff requested further ID and credentials, the woman left the market.

The DOH reminds the food service industry of the following:

• DOH badges contain the inspector’s name, job title, expiration date and photograph of the inspector.
• Food establishments may refuse entry if the person cannot produce a valid DOH ID badge.
• Inspectors also carry equipment to conduct their inspections.
• A manager or person-in-charge can ask to examine the badge or may call the Food Safety Branch at 808-586-8000 to verify the person’s identity.

DOH urges all food establishments to make sure that any person identifying themselves as a DOH employee have an official DOH identification badge with a valid expiration date.

For more information on the department’s placarding program go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/