Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, center, displays the health department's first...

Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, center, displays the health department's first "A" grade award for sanitary conditions given to cousins Jose Araujo, left, and Tony Araujo, right, owners of Spark's Deli of Long Island City. (July 28, 2010) Credit: AP

A deli in Queens gets New York City’s first A for food safety.

The city rolled out its new system of awarding letter grades to restaurants Wednesday. Health Commissioner Thomas Farley presented an A to Spark’s Deli in Long Island City.

Deli owner Jose Araujo says he’s proud to see the A in his window.

The city awards grades based on cleanliness and whether food is kept at the right temperature. Restaurants that don’t earn an A the first time will be given a chance to bring their grade up before they must display a B or a C.

Farley says most restaurants maintain good conditions, but lapses in food safety can cause preventable illnesses.

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