(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
This story was originally published by Iowa Capital Dispatch and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Restaurant inspection update: Insects, moldy fruit and rodents [1]

['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- January']

Date: 2024-01-02

State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past five weeks, including insects, rodents, moldy fruit and salad dressings that were several months out of date.

One restaurant had no handwashing sink for the kitchen staff, while another was rinsing dirty utensils in a sink where raw seafood was being prepped and trimmed for raw consumption by diners.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment.

For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing website.

Alan’s Tacos, 1644 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines — During a Dec. 22 visit to this food truck, an inspector cited the establishment for 11 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. Among the problems: The person in charge was not a certified food protection manager, and the person in charge was not fulfilling their duties as evidenced by the extent and significance of the violations related to time- and temperature-controlled foods.

Also, the water heater had been disconnected, and so the handwashing sink could not produce hot water; the sink itself was not hooked up, which meant that employees could not wash their hands; bags of shredded cheese were measured at 46 to 49 degrees, well above the 41-degree maximum; and meat was measured at 52 degrees and hot dogs at 44 degrees.

The inspector also reported that the three-compartment sink could not be used to immerse utensils and equipment in sanitizer; a vegetable dicer was stored on the floor and was visibly soiled; and salsas, cooked meats, and cooked tamales inside the reach-in cooler were not marked with their preparation dates.

Also, ribbon-style fly traps were hanging above the food preparation area and were filled with multiple dead flying insects; a bag of onions was stored directly on the truck floor; and drainpipes from the handwashing sink were leaking wastewater once the sink was reconnected.

Due to the lack of functioning refrigeration units, as well as the food truck’s inability to sanitize food-contact surfaces, Alan’s Tacos agreed to close and to contact the state for a reinspection prior to reopening. Three hours later, the inspector returned and determined the refrigeration unit and plumbing had been repaired, eliminating the imminent health hazard that existed earlier that afternoon, and the food truck was allowed to reopen.

Hy-Vee Foods, 2200 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport – During a Dec. 19 visit, an inspector cited the store for cheese in the Market Grille area that was measured at 44 to 49 degrees, above the 41-degree maximum, which was a repeat violation requiring long-term corrective action.

Also, a package of meatballs and pizza sauce used in the pizza-prep area did not have the proper date markings and the meatballs had to be discarded. In addition, metal racks in a walk-in cooler and the lids to the bulk food bins had an excess buildup of food debris on them, and two packages of deli meats used in the pizza-prep area had been held for than the maximum of seven days.

The inspector also noted that the interior of the microwave oven was in poor condition and was “flaking,” and the flooring behind the Market Grille and in front of the chicken fryers was soiled with food debris.

Old West Mexican Restaurant, 4138 Fleur Drive, Des Moines — During a Dec. 19 visit, an inspector noted that the reach-in cooler was holding rice prepared the previous day at almost 51 degrees – well above the 41-degree maximum — and cooked queso was measured at 42.4 degrees. The queso and rice were discarded. In addition, multiple food items in a walk-in cooler were being stored with no lids or coverings to prevent cross-contamination.

The Filling Station, 2400 S. University Blvd., Ames – During a Dec. 18 visit, an inspector noted that several lemons stored in a refrigerator had a buildup of mold on them and needed to be discarded.

Also, an employee was observed touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands; pickled onions that were prepared on Dec. 8 had been held longer than maximum of seven days; raw shell eggs were being stored at room temperature rather than refrigerated; and baked beans were hot-holding at 89 degrees, which was too cool to ensure their safety.

In addition, the top part of the cold-brew holding unit was visibly soiled, as were the bottoms of the soda-dispensing nozzles. In addition, the cook was storing in-use food-preparation utensils in stagnant water.

Hy-Vee Foods, 901 S. 4th St., Clinton – During a Dec. 15 visit, an inspector noted that an employee in the sushi area was handling cooked tempura shrimp and cooked chicken with their bare hands. Also, workers were not washing their hands after working with raw chicken in the kitchen and were instead moving directly to the handling of ready-to-eat foods.

The store also failed to record batch-identification information on batches of sushi rice; raw ground beef was being stored over tortillas in a cooler; and utensils were being stored in a vessel of standing sanitizing solution. The inspector also noted that the floor under the Chinese-food cooking equipment was soiled with grease and an accumulation of food debris.

Clarke County Public Hospital, 800 Fillmore St., Osceola – During a Dec. 14 visit, an inspector observed that the person in charge and the food-service employees were unable to describe the symptoms associated with foodborne illnesses. Also, the manager was unable to show how employees were trained on the mandatory reporting of illnesses.

In addition, the inspector noted that raw fish was being stored over ready-to-eat soup inside a walk-in cooler; the carrots in a hot-holding unit were measured at 129 degrees, which was too cool to ensure food safety; burger toppings, such as sliced tomatoes, sliced lettuce and onion had to be discarded; and items inside the walk-in cooler were not marked with the date they were thawed.

The Dirty Dog American Bar and Grill, 1016 W. Bremer Ave., Waverly – During a Dec. 14 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for 13 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. Among the problems: Employees were not washing their hands; the person in charge could not demonstrate knowledge of food-safety practices; food items in a cooler had no date markings on them to ensure freshness and safety; there was no certified food protection manager on site; and house-made sauces were held for more than the maximum of seven days, with some being held in excess of 60 days.

Also, the ice machine had a thick, black buildup of some kind; workers were handling lettuce, buns, and pickles with their bare hands; there was no operational handwashing sink in the kitchen, and the dishwasher had no detectable level of sanitizing solution.

In addition, the presence of insects was noted in the dry-storage area; items in the walk-in freezer had an ice buildup on them due to a leaking condenser in the freezer; gallon-sized mayonnaise containers were being reused to store the house-made sauces; and the cooler doors were described as “sticky to touch,” while the reach-in coolers were heavily soiled with food debris.

The inspector also reported that the kitchen area — including the equipment, floors, walls, and ventilation hoods — was heavily soiled in grease and there was pooling, stagnant water in the basement.

Due to the lack of an operational handwashing sink in the kitchen, the owner stated the staff would use a temporary “sink” that consisted of an Igloo-brand container of hot water, a catch bucket, soap and paper towels. The kitchen manager assured the inspector that the staff would maintain hot water in the cooler at all times. The inspector discussed with the kitchen manager the need for a deep cleaning in the establishment.

The Lamp Liter Inn, 143 S. Grove St., Walcott – During a Dec. 14 visit, an inspector found that the food inside the walk-in cooler was measured at 45 to 47 degrees, above the 41-degree maximum.

The inspector also reported that the soda-gun dispenser in the bar area had an excessive amount of syrup and grime attached to it, and that there was an unidentified black substance on a stainless-steel plate inside an ice chest.

In addition, all of the freezers had an excessive buildup of ice within them; the shelving in all of the coolers throughout the establishment were marred by an excessive amount of food debris and grease; and the shelving inside the walk-in cooler had “a black-and-white substance” on it, along with food debris.

Also, there were no date markings on several food items — including raw hamburger patties, several bottles of salad dressings and pizza toppings – to ensure freshness and safety.

The inspector also reported that a pork loin was found outside, thawing at room temperature on top of a portable cooler. The inspector also observed mouse-like droppings in the wooden cabinets of the bar area, and noted that that there was an “open bag of cat food stored on pop-container boxes.”

The vents and the hood in the bar area had excessive grease on them; all of the outdoor kitchen equipment had an excessive amount of food debris and grease attached to them; there was no toilet paper in the women’s bathroom; there was an excessive amount of garbage outside of a refuse container; the flooring under the kitchen equipment was described as “greasy and dirty;” and the outdoor patio area was marred by an excessive amount of garbage.

The visit was in response to at least one non-illness complaint pertaining to an overall lack of cleanliness, the walk-in cooler not keeping food at safe temperatures, and non-employees serving themselves food out of crock pots. The complaint was deemed verified.

Mai Pho Vietnamese Restaurant, 2315 Edgewood SW Road, Cedar Rapids – During a Dec. 14 visit, a Linn County inspector cited this establishment for eight risk-factor violations, although much of the inspector’s report is unclear as to the precise nature of the issues. Among the problems: Employees failing to wash their hands; a lack of hot water at the kitchen sink; the storage of fresh beef on top of frozen chicken; and a cooler that “has some up-and-down temperature” and was keeping food at 45 degrees, to warm to ensure freshness and safety.

Also, food was not being date marked to ensure its safety; a “huge bag of carrots” was stored on the floor underneath a sink; bulk containers of salt and sugar had no lids to prevent contamination; in-use kitchen utensils were stored in a pitcher of room-temperature water; and a device described by the inspector as a “law temperature machine dispenser” was not working properly and skipping a sanitation cycle.

The inspection was in response to an illness complaint the inspector didn’t describe in his report. The report gives no indication as to whether the complaint was deemed verified.

Buckets of sauces are stored on the floor throughout the kitchen. Containers and bags of food are stored open and uncovered throughout the kitchen. Food preparation occurs in a common sink while soiled equipment and utensils are being rinsed. – Inspector's report of findings at Ocean City Chinese Restaurant in Marshalltown

Ocean City Chinese Restaurant, 5 W. Main St., Marshalltown – During a Nov. 30 visit, an inspector cited this establishment for 15-risk factor violations, an exceptionally high number. Among the issues: The restaurant had no records showing proof of parasite destruction for raw salmon and tuna used in sushi preparation; the business was preparing acidified sushi rice without the required safety plan or variance, and the pH levels of the rice were not being monitored.

Also, an employee was observed preparing raw salmon sushi rolls with their bare hands; rodent bait pellets were stored on top of the walk-in cooler alongside equipment, utensils, and open food containers; and, at the sushi bar, various items – including tempura shrimp, sushi rice and mayo sauces – were measured at 66 degrees to 80 degrees.

Crab Rangoon, spring rolls, breaded cooked chicken, cooked beef, cooked shrimp and other items were also found to be out of acceptable temperature ranges. In addition, the interior of the ice machine had a buildup of “brown, mildew-like slime,” and dirty equipment and utensils were being rinsed in a sink adjacent to raw seafood that was being prepped and trimmed for raw consumption.

Also, access to the handwashing sink was blocked, and the sink itself was being used to store a container of baking powder. The drain of the sink was plugged, with water pooling in the basin. In addition, octopus was found thawing in the basin of the three-compartment sink intended to sanitize dishes.

“Buckets of sauces are stored on the floor throughout the kitchen,” the inspector reported. “Containers and bags of food are stored open and uncovered throughout the kitchen. Food preparation occurs in a common sink while soiled equipment and utensils are being rinsed.”

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint regarding pest control. The complaint was deemed unverified.

Cheng’s Garden, 1246 E. 14th St., Des Moines – During a Dec. 13 visit, a state inspector cited the establishment for 16 risk-factor violations, an exceptionally high number.

No food in the restaurant was marked with dates to indicate preparation, opening, or thawing, the inspector reported. The undated foods included lo mein, shredded cabbage, cream cheese, crab Rangoon, cooked chicken, fried chicken, cooked egg rolls and cooked shrimp. Food for which the dates could somehow be “verified” were kept, the inspector reported, while all other items were discarded.

Management also agreed to dispose of a container of shredded cabbage that was measured at 56 degrees and a large container of lo mein that was measured at 48 degrees.

The restaurant had no bleach on hand or any other method for sanitizing equipment, utensils, and food-contact surfaces; a container of fried chicken and fried egg rolls that had been prepared with raw chicken was cooked to only 94 degrees rather than 165 degrees; food whisks stored on a hook near the food preparation table were visibly soiled with accumulated debris; knives in storage were visibly soiled with accumulated debris; and a container of fried chicken was measured at 101 degrees and was discarded.

Also, multiple employee beverages were stored on the food-preparation table used to prepare raw chicken; a tray of raw chicken was stored above bags of produce inside a cooler, risking cross-contamination; an uncovered container of raw beef was stored above an uncovered container of hydrated mushrooms, risking cross-contamination; and the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager.

In addition, a tray of raw chicken was stored unwrapped inside a freezer directly below a container that had been catching dripping condensation; frozen mussels were being thawed without any temperature controls, at room temperatures on one side of a sink; rodent droppings were observed on the floor under the shelves for bulk-ingredient storage bins, and a dead cockroach was observed on a tray used to hold seasonings and spices.

The inspector also reported that two boxes of raw chicken were stored directly on the kitchen floor; a shelf used for the storage of clean kitchen equipment and utensils was visibly soiled with accumulated debris; the kitchen ventilation hood was heavily soiled with accumulated grease and debris; and smoke from employees smoking cigarettes outside the back door had infiltrated the dining room.

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint pertaining to pest control. The complaint was deemed verified although the inspector noted that “no foods were observed to be adulterated with pests at the time of the inspection.”

In February 2022, the establishment was cited for 18 risk-factor violations, including rodent droppings, a general lack of cleanliness, and a failure to date all time- and temperature-controlled foods — including fried chicken, lo mein, fried rice, cooked shrimp, and barbecued pork – for freshness and safety.

El Queretano Mexican Restaurant, 926 4th Ave., Sibley — During a Dec. 13 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for 11 risk-factor violations, including meat that was stored in a kitchen cooler for more than the maximum of seven days. The meat was discarded.

In addition, raw, whole-muscle beef inside a kitchen cooler was stored above ready-to-eat foods, risking cross-contamination; salsa was stored uncovered in a cooler, risking environmental contamination, and barbecued meat had been stored for more than 24 hours with no date markings.

Also, a cutting board on the food-prep table was visibly soiled, as were knives that had been placed in storage; the kitchen handwashing sink had no hot water due to the supply being shut off because of a leaking valve; and the restaurant was thawing its meat at room temperature.

Tommy’s Café, 916 W. 3rd St., Davenport — During a Dec. 13 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for nine risk-factor violations. Among the violations: Employees handled uncooked food and then handled ready-to-eat food without changing their gloves or washing their hands between the two tasks; chemicals used to clean the bathroom were stored above diners’ to-go containers, and bottles of motor oil were stored on a food-preparation surface next to a mixer in the baking area.

Also, the blade of the meat slicer blade had dried food debris attached to it; and the bakery equipment and the interiors of the coolers throughout the establishment, including the walk-in cooler, were marred by excess food debris.

Also, several food items were not labeled or dated, and three one-gallon containers of salad dressing had expiration dates of May 2023 and August 2023. The inspector also noted evidence of rodent droppings in a back storage room and in the baking area, and reported that all of the kitchen equipment had excessive food debris and grease attached to them. In addition, the floors, walls and ceiling had an excessive amount of grease and food debris attached to them.

The visit was in response to a complaint from an individual who said they became ill after eating at the establishment. The complaint was deemed unverified.

International Buffet, 901 E. Euclid Ave., Des Moines – During a Dec. 8 visit, a state inspector observed that a container of raw chicken was stored above an uncovered container of raw shrimp, risking cross-contamination. Also, a tray of chicken wings had been cooked to only 145 degrees and had to be placed back in the oven and cooked to at least 165 degrees.

The inspector also reported that the interior of the ice machine basin was visibly soiled with accumulated debris, as was the interior of the ice dispensing chute on the dining area’s soda fountain.

In addition, the surface of the food-preparation table’s cutting boards was soiled with accumulated debris; an employee handled a serving of cooked chicken with their bare hands while cutting it; and on the dining room steam table, cooked chicken on a stick was measured at just 117 degrees, and other cooked chicken pieces were measured at 124 degrees, which necessitated them being reheated to 165 degrees.

Also, multiple foods throughout the restaurant – including barbecued pork, cooked shrimp, lo mein, shredded cabbage, and crab Rangoon — were not marked with their preparation, opening, or thawing dates to ensure freshness and safety; an uncovered container of raw tilapia was stored above an uncovered tray of cooked mussels, risking cross-contamination, and a case of frozen tilapia was thawing at room temperature on the kitchen floor underneath a sink.

In addition, while the inspector watched, an employee placed a fryer basket for mozzarella sticks on top of a five-gallon bucket used for garbage before placing the sticks in the basket for cooking. Rodent droppings were observed on the floor between the dry-storage shelves, inside the steel server-station table, and throughout the corners of the buffet’s steam tables.

The inspector also reported that the flooring underneath and behind the stove and the fryers was visibly soiled with accumulated debris, as was the kitchen ventilation hood and the ceiling vent in the men’s restroom. The visit was in response to a complaint pertaining to food temperatures and general facility sanitation. The complaint was considered verified.

Joensy’s Restaurant, 2660 Wiley SW Blvd., Cedar Rapids – During a Dec. 7 visit, an inspector observed that the door to a cooler was “soiled with meat debris” and that food in the cooler was “stored over each other without organization causing potential contamination for uncovered ready-to-eat food and raw food.”

The inspector also observed that “all fryers are greasy, all freezers and coolers have debris,” and the inside of the ice machine was soiled with a dark buildup.

In addition, employees were not washing their hands before donning gloves, and there were no date markings on ready-to-eat food, cooked food or opened, commercial containers. Floors throughout the kitchen, under and behind equipment, was described as “unclean” and storage racks were described as “sticky” due to a visible accumulation of debris and grease.

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint pertaining to with pest control. The inspector reported that he discussed with management the need for cleaning for a “deep treatment by Orkin,” a pest-control company, but did not indicate whether the complaint was deemed verified.

El Viejo Mexican Restaurant, 90 Twixt Town Road, Marion – During a Dec. 5 visit, a Linn County inspector cited this establishment for 11 risk risk-factor violations, although much of the inspector’s report is unclear as to the precise nature of the issues.

The inspector reported that “several ready-to-eat and cooked food were stored in bottom of the raw mussels, raw chicken, and steak were stored on bottom of the raw steak, tilapia stand fridge in kitchen” – an apparent reference to potential cross-contamination among the food items.

In addition, the inspector reported that a handwashing sink was being used for thawing shrimp; a half-gallon of whole milk had no date markings on it; an employee was seen making a salad to order using the same gloves used while cooking a steak on the griller; and containers of salsa and sauce had no date markings on them.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/01/02/restaurant-inspection-update-insects-moldy-fruit-and-rodents/

Published and (C) by Iowa Capital Dispatch
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/iowacapitaldispatch/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.