Two former San Francisco health inspectors have been accused of swapping cash in exchange for OK’ing hundreds of restaurants’ food-safety qualifications, the Associated Press reports.
The ex-inspectors are said to have sold up to 350 health certificates since 2007, charging several hundred dollars per transaction, the AP notes.
The news has spun San Francisco’s high-profile dining scene into a tumult, as the restaurants affected range quite broadly — from high-end eateries to small, ethnic cafés.
The city’s restaurant association has already started re-training some of these establishments in food safety, the newswire reports.
If convicted, the health officials could face up to $10,000 in fines and eight years in prison.