An all-star group of grocer inspection fails: Publix, Winn-Dixie, Sedano’s, Presidente
Doubtful have we ever had a group of establishments such as this edition of South Florida’s Gross Grocers, a luminary-loaded spectacular comparable to “The Avengers,” “Grand Hotel” or even “The Scarlet Pumpernickel.”
This list of food sellers who failed state inspections includes an all-star cast of South Florida chains! There’s a Winn-Dixie over there! Bienvenidos, Sedano’s! And we bet you weren’t expecting two Presidentes.
And, a rare, rare, appearance — OK, maybe only one “rare” as we saw the chain’s first South Florida failure in a while earlier this fall — by that Big BOGO Boss…Publix!
This list comes from Department of Agriculture inspections. We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. What follows is listed without passion or prejudice.
Before we get started with the usual alphabetical list, a couple of updates.
The Family Dollar at 1199 Hypoluxo Rd. in Lantana made our last list with chewed through food packages on the shelves and rats in traps. A Stop Use order prevented food sales or deliveries.
On the Nov. 8 re-inspection, the inspector saw “one dead rat found stuck to glue trap by front registers during inspection.”
That rat or maybe his family left “feces in restrooms and break room area. Rodent movement can be heard through the ceiling in breakroom and restroom.”
Unsurprisingly, state inspectors saw “Establishment voluntarily closed for business. Conducted drive-by to verify temporary store closure.” Nobody answered the phone there Thursday morning.
And the CVS at 7210 W. Atlantic Blvd. in Margate passed its Nov. 7 re-inspection. It got the failing “Re-Inspection Required” on Oct. 24 after the inspector saw “a live rodent (rat) in the vicinity of the Hallmark greeting cards. Management stated that they observed the rodent yesterday and immediately called Massey Pest Control Company. No evidence of rodent excreta, urine, contaminated food or single use items were observed.”
Now, to the alphabetical order listing. Because we’ve got so many, we’re just hitting the true lowlights in each inspection.
▪ Century Supermarket, 3395 NW 32nd Ave., Miami — No handwashing sink in the food service area. No hot water in the kitchen area when the inspector walked through.
In the meat area, “old product residue inside blade of band saw not used by employee.”
▪ Ernesto Hernandez Produce, 650 NW 16th St., Belle Glade — No three-compartment sink installed at establishment that offers open food products like coffee pastry items, bread and that packages dry goods onside. A Stop Use order got dropped on that.
There’s a mop sink, but not running water.
“Stop Use Order issued on all food processing, all food packaging and Stop sale order issued on all open food and all food packaged onside. Establishment shall not process or package, or sell open food products without written release from inspector or administrative actions may be taken.”
▪ J and G West Flagler, 7100 West Flagler, West Miami-Dade — Did you know ice samples must be submitted periodically for microbiological testing? Well, they do and as of Nov. 8, J and G was delinquent.
That makes a difference because the inspector saw in the retail area ice machine “yellow and black mold-like residue around interior rim to ice chute of ice maker.”
In the food service area, “coffee machine found draining into bucket” and “inside the top containers of the sandwich station, found sliced ham from yesterday at 50.5 degrees Fahrenheit” when proper food safety says it needs to be at or under 41 degrees.
▪ Los Ranchos Food Preparation Department, 137 SW 107th Ave., West Miami-Dade — In the processing area, a worker “cleaned a dirty utensil and continued processing food, touching her face and not washing her hands...”
Also, “non-food contact chlorine used as sanitizer for pots, pans and utensils.” The three-compartment sink was “dirty with old grease accumulation and a build up of mold and dirt.” And this is where some cookware was washed?
Also: “...Observed shelves under and on top of processing tables with a buildup of old greats and dirt accumulation. Also, inside walk-in cooler have shelves dirty with spillage and dirt.”
▪ M & E Super Stop 4191 Ravenswood Rd., Fort Lauderdale — Nov. 7. Chicken wasn’t kept at warm enough temperature in a hot case. Bye bye, Birdie.
Ants were crawling on the food service counter.
The three-compartment sink is a three-compartment sink only in construction, not in function -- “the faucet...does not reach the two outer compartments of the sink.”
▪ New River Groves, 5660 Griffin Rd., Davie — The toilet room with no hallway separating it from the kitchen or living areas isn’t ideal for a home. It’s a no-no in a food service place.
“Fudge room . restroom opens into area with ware washing sink and equipment used to make fudge. All food service in the vicinity of the restroom in question will be placed on a stop use order if the adjustments can not be made within 90 days.”
There’s the “employee rinsing hands and not washing hands” at the coffee sandwich area. But no empanadas — they got tossed.
“Chemicals dripping onto work station table” at the juice bar area outside. Chemicals, but no hand washing sink (the only hand washing sink is a portable hand washing sink that didn’t have water t time of inspection).
▪ Presidente, 1550 W 84th St., Hialeah — On Nov. 5, the inspector saw a milk delivery in which the truck’s storage area air temperature was 54 degrees and the milk came in at 53 degrees. Came in and went out, returned to the supplier.
If you get the idea from reading our inspection stories that ice machines are the armpits of these establishments, well...”Kitchen area: ice machine with black and green moist buildup...seafood department: ice machine with black buildup under drip plate.”
Also, in the kitchen area “many knives stored with dried on food buildup.” Even worse, in the meat department, “knives with dried on food buildup and stored clean” Over in the deli, “cheese and ham slicers with thick food buildup. Slicers are not cleaned every 4 hours.”
At the hot counter, the pork, chicken empanadas and croquettes were not hot enough for sale. The store shelves with milk and cheese had “dried on food buildup.”
▪ Presidente Supermarket, 8370 NW 27th Ave, Miami — Let’s start with the working wounded: “food employee with uncovered open wound on arm working with exposed foods at the steam table.”
On the shelves, “one bag of Liba Basmati Rice infested with insects, one bag of Goya Jasmine Rice infested with insects on display shelves.”
Both got tossed, as did the cafeteria hot dogs which weren’t kept warm enough.
Back in the meat/deli department, “cleaned knives and other utensils stored between metal wall panel and wall near the ice machine. Over in the produce department, “cleaned knives stored between metal wall panel and wall at the prep table.”
▪ Publix, 18485 S. Dixie Hwy, Cutler Bay — Upsetting for those who usually really appreciate a good Publix restroom “No hot water was available at the male and female employee/customer restroom hand sinks located in the front of the store.”
In the deli, “the walk-in cooler condensing unit drain pipe found leaking in multiple locations near the shelves housing sauces and luncheon meats.” Also, the deli slicer hadn’t been cleaned in four hours. Over in the meat department, “old yellow food residue was found encrusted on blades of cuber/tenderizer.”
Two kinds of empanadas, chicken and beef, got tossed when the bakery couldn’t keep them warm enough.
▪ Sedano’s 2301 W 52nd St., Hialeah — The produce “walk-in cooler holding melons is in disrepair. Cooler is unable to store temperature controlled foods until repaired.”
Also, in the produce area, “two cases of classic romaine, chicken Caesar and greener selection salads were discarded.”
Where the fish get sold, “meat grinder with food buildup noted during inspection” and, of course, “ice machine with black moist buildup noted during time of inspection.”
The Cafe featured, “knives and spatulas with thick food buildup. Knives and spatulas are not cleaned every 4 hours.”
▪ Sunoco, 2395 NW 119th St., North Dade — In the food processing area “salami and turkey deli meats with mold on top of food product.”
Also, “old food in bins to be discarded mixed with food served to customers.”
And if you wanted a smoothie, “Frazil smoothie machine with black moist buildup.”
The self serve reach-in cooler was broken, so burritos, salami, cheese sticks, sandwiches and Lunchables got returned to the supplier.
▪ Westar Hallandale, 3180 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Pembroke Park — The deli department handwashing sink maybe could’ve been used even with all the stuff in the sink, but, there was a water hose attached to the faucet.
In the back room areas, no hand cleanser provided at the restroom hand washing sink.
Deli department containers with sugar and French fries sat on the counter, uncovered.
▪ Winn Dixie, 19167 S Dixie Hwy., Cutler Bay — Sometimes, you don’t want a fish in water: “multiple trays of raw fish were found stored on rack beneath a heavy leak from the walk-in cooler condensing unit, allowing this leaking water to pool on multiple trays with fish.”
Now that fish sleeps with the fishes. Also in the seafood department, “black mold-like grime encrusted on interior ice making portion of ice machine and interior housing.”
In the deli, it wasn’t cool that the potato wedges, breaded fish and chicken tenders weren’t warm enough. They got trashed. Speaking of deli trash, a deli department “employee observed not washing hands prior to donning gloves after having changed out the trash bags in various receptacles.”
The meat department’s grinder hadn’t been used since the day before. Hadn’t been cleaned, either: “old yellow food residue encrusted on blades and grinding attachments of the large meat grinder.” As it was for the grinder, so it was for the tenderizer: “old yellow food residue encrusted on blades of tenderizer.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 12:58 PM.