NEW ORLEANS -- Recent state budget cuts may affect food safety, a big issue in a city known for its culinary culture.
The JuJu Bag Café was the first business open in Gentilly after Hurricane Katrina. One of the owners explained how she originally wanted to make it a library but with one simple question to her business partner, they quickly became a restaurant
"By fluke one day I said to Phyllis, you think we should make some sandwiches?," said Tommye Myrick, co-owner of the restaurant.
Since then, she's expected regular checks from the health inspector, something she welcomes.
“I'm not OCD, but I'm a stickler for the rules," Myrick explained.
However, come next year, she may not see the inspector as often. With Governor John Bel Edwards plan to cut nearly $400 million from the Department of Health and Hospitals, it's predicting 20,000 fewer inspections a year, and that could directly impact customers.
"There will be more instances of things happening that go undetected, that go uncorrected and very well could lead to individuals getting sick to some sort of food-borne illness outbreak," Bob Johannsen with the DHH.
Restaurateurs aren’t happy about the changes.
"That's a shame because New Orleans is a food industry," said Myrick.
The DHH has 145 inspectors right now but if the budget cuts are approved the department will have to cut 16 inspectors.
"I'm shocked because New Orleans has so many restaurants and I think that's needed for the restaurants that do not perform well. We need to have the health inspectors," said Chef Corey Duckworth.
Duckworth has been cooking for nearly 13 years and sees it as a badge of honor to be able to impress an inspector.
"I've had a couple of health inspectors that have come in to eat and that's a sign of respect," he explained.
The DHH is planning to go before the appropriations committee next week to ask the state to reconsider cuts to the health inspectors program.