How We Calculate Safe Bite Grades
Transparency in our scoring methodology
Important Notice
Safe Bite Grades and Safe Bite Scores are independently calculated by Safe Bite Report. They are NOT official Louisiana Department of Health grades or ratings. Our grades represent Safe Bite Report's own analysis and interpretation of publicly available inspection data. Health inspections are a point-in-time snapshot and may not reflect current conditions at any facility.
Data Source
All inspection data is sourced from the Louisiana Department of Health public inspection records. We periodically scrape these records to keep our database up to date. There may be a delay between when an inspection occurs and when it appears in our system. The Louisiana Department of Health notes that inspections are a "snapshot" of conditions at the time of inspection and may not be reflective of day-to-day operations.
How Grading Works
Your Safe Bite Grade is a snapshot of your most recent health inspection, blended with your previous grade so that history carries weight. All violations cited during an inspection count equally — we do not distinguish between corrected and uncorrected violations for the grade, because follow-up inspections may not occur for months and "unresolved" does not necessarily mean unfixed.
Step 1: Latest Inspection Snapshot
We assign a snapshot grade based on the most recent inspection event. Inspections are classified as Initial Inspections (routine annual visits), Follow-Up Inspections (reinspections to verify corrections), and Clean Follow-Ups (follow-ups with zero violations). Each inspection event — including clean follow-ups — counts toward grading.
| Grade | Label | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | Excellent | Zero violations cited (clean inspection, 45+ days after prior violations) |
| A | Good | 0 critical violations, 3 or fewer total |
| B | Fair | 0 critical violations, more than 3 total |
| C | Poor | 1 critical violation |
| D | Bad | 2–3 critical violations, OR roach infestation cited |
| F | Failing | 4+ critical violations, OR rodent presence cited |
Step 2: Previous Inspection Cap
A facility's grade can only improve by one letter per inspection event from their previous inspection's snapshot. This includes follow-up inspections — a clean follow-up earns +1 improvement credit. Bad management and training issues take time to truly fix — one clean inspection doesn't erase a history of serious violations, but rapid correction is rewarded.
When the latest inspection is worse than the previous one, the grade drops immediately to the snapshot — no protection from good history. The cap only limits upward improvement.
How a Facility Improves Their Grade
Each clean inspection event improves the grade by one letter. Follow-up inspections count — if a facility fixes everything quickly, the follow-up earns improvement credit. Here's how it works starting from an F:
| Clean Inspection Events | Grade |
|---|---|
| Starting point | F |
| After clean follow-up | D |
| After next clean inspection | C |
| After next clean inspection | B |
| After next clean inspection | A |
Both follow-up inspections and routine inspections count as inspection events. A facility that fixes all violations on the first follow-up improves faster than one that still has issues. A+ requires a sustained track record.
Pest Findings
Pest citations carry special weight in the snapshot grade regardless of whether they were corrected during the inspection:
- Rodent presence cited (rats, mice, droppings): snapshot is F
- Roach infestation cited: snapshot is minimum D (or F if combined with 3+ critical violations)
Safe Bite Score (Lowest Rated Ranking)
The Safe Bite Score is a separate numeric severity metric used only to rank facilities on the "Lowest Rated" page. Unlike the letter grade, it uses a 60-day rolling window with time decay so recent violations carry more weight:
| Time Since Violation | Weight Applied |
|---|---|
| 0–14 days | 100% |
| 15–30 days | 75% |
| 31–45 days | 50% |
| 46–60 days | 25% |
| 60+ days | 0% (drops off) |
The severity score is not used in the letter grade calculation. It is only used for ranking on the Lowest Rated page.
Violation Severity Tiers (Lowest Rated Score)
Different types of violations carry different point values in the severity score:
| Points | Examples |
|---|---|
| 100 | Repeated rodent findings, cold holding failures, date marking, cooked/raw separation |
| 50 | Filthy or decomposed food, adulterated food |
| 20–30 | Roach findings (30 if repeat, 20 if first occurrence) |
| 10 | Cross-contamination, sanitizer issues, hand-washing failures |
| 1–5 | Food contact surfaces, equipment, hot water issues |
Limitations and Disclaimers
- Safe Bite Grades and Scores are not official Louisiana Department of Health grades. They are Safe Bite Report's independent analysis.
- Health inspections represent a point-in-time snapshot. A facility's conditions may have improved or worsened since the last inspection.
- There may be a delay between when an inspection occurs and when it appears in our system.
- Discrepancies may exist between data posted on the LDH website and local health department records.
- We do not distinguish between corrected and uncorrected violations for the letter grade. Follow-up inspections may not occur for months, making the corrected/uncorrected status unreliable as a measure of current conditions.
- Facilities with multiple permits (e.g., separate kitchen areas) have their violations combined into a single report.
- Our scoring system is recalculated nightly.
- We make reasonable efforts to ensure data accuracy but cannot guarantee that all information is error-free. If you find an error, please contact us.
Report an Error
If you believe any information on Safe Bite Report is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected]. We take data accuracy seriously and will investigate all reported issues promptly.