MILWAUKEE -- City records analyzed by a newspaper show that 37 percent of Milwaukee's restaurants had at least one "critical" health code violation last year.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also said in a report in its Sunday edition that Milwaukee falls short of federal guidelines that recommend three inspections a year for full-service restaurants, typically inspecting restaurants once a year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said "critical" violations are those which are serious enough to put patrons at risk of getting sick.

Milwaukee officials said budget cuts have resulted in reductions in the Milwaukee Health Department's field inspection staff from about 26 inspectors during the 1980s to 16 .

Wisconsin Restaurant Association executive director Susan Quam said restaurant owners are trying to comply with health codes, but she said the operations are run by humans, and from time to time there is going to be a human error.