Do restaurants regularly disinfect baskets and trays?

I run a restaurant in California and every multi-use item touched by a customer in any way gets washed and sanitized, even if we use wax/paper wrappers.

The actual law is in Chapter 5 of the Cal Code (for California, obviously): http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/Documents/fdbRFC.pdf

No idea if there's noncompliance rates out there though. (I also don't want to think about that, ewwwww. I hope that means that the restaurant's permits get suspended.)

The actual relevant quote is from Chapter 5:

114097 . Equipment food-contact surfaces and multiservice utensils shall be effectively washed to remove or completely loosen soils by the use of manual or mechanical methods necessary, such as the application of detergents containing wetting agents and emulsifiers, acid, alkaline, or abrasive cleaners, hot water, brushes, scouring pads, high pressure sprays, or ultrasonic devices.

I have been a part of the hospitality industry for many years now. The restaurant owners maintain hygiene as it could affect the customers' health if not done so. They make use of cleansing agents like detergents, solvent cleaners, acid cleaners, abrasive cleaners, etc. They also follow heat and chemical sanitization to disinfect food contact surfaces on a regular basis.

a health inspector can find that out (pH swipe), but they don't come around often enough.

However because the accountability goes to the owner manager (the bus boy/person isn't fined directly), the compliance may not be high. The saying in the industry is: if you can imagine it, it does happen.

You'll do well as a consumer to follow your nose and find places such as janeylicious's place. You get a great sense for the place near closing time when staff turn to cleaning for next day.