Which grocers failed inspections for bugs in pasta, cans with rodent poop on shelves?
As we get into 2019, perhaps we should start this edition of Gross Grocers by explaining a couple of differences between these inspections and those of the restaurants that make up our Sick and Shut Down List.
▪ These are done by the Florida Department of Agriculture. Restaurants are inspected and licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
▪ Restaurant inspectors can close an establishment for a day if the violations are severe enough. The Department of Agriculture inspectors can drop a Stop Use Order on equipment or areas, but can’t close a store outright. But if you get Stop Use Orders in enough key areas, there’s no point in being open.
As stated above, What follows comes directly from inspections by the Florida Department of Agriculture. We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. We report without passion or prejudice, but always with a wee bit of humor.
And we go in alphabetical order:
Bandi Foods, 1100 NW 33rd St., Pompano Beach — There was a large amount of water pooled on the floor with trash and other items at the time of the inspection. Standing water of that kind is a bacteria breeding farm.
There wasn’t a seafood HACCP trained person associated with the food establishment (HACCP stands for Hazard analysis and critical control points. It’s a food safety method.)
“There has been no hazard analysis conducted for all of the seafood products to be handled by the food establishment.” Let’s just say those aren’t steps you want to take two at a time with seafood.
BP Gas Station, 5050 Lake Worth Road, Greenacres — On Tuesday, food for sale featured “White and dark growth spots observed on lemons for sale…hard-boiled eggs with cracked shells kept at room temperature.” Lemons and eggs tossed out.
In the food processing area, the inspector saw “toxic white tracking powder in corners of kitchen floor” and “live roaches observed on handwashing sink and prep table in kitchen.”
In the backroom, “rodent droppings observed on floor under two-door upright freezer and drainboard shelves.” A Stop Use Order got dropped on that area.
Chevron Food Mart, 819 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens — Where’s Chuck E. Cheese’s cousins?
Well,on Jan. 11, in the retail area, where the Pringles, Cheetos and overpriced frozen food lives, poop pellets said Chuck’s relatives were “under and on shelf next to backroom and restroom doors, inside cabinets of coffee-and-drinks station, behind equipment along front windows; under boiled peanut table next to the register.”
The kitchen poop markers were “inside and under unused cooler at entrance, behind the pizza oven, under small stove top, around upright oven and on supply shelving.” And the inspector made it rain Stop Sales and Stop Use Orders.
In the backroom, there were “rodent droppings observed under and on electrical panel by back door…and in between items stored in room” but also “spider webs in between equipment with dead spiders still in them.”
Dollar Tree, 5920 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Lauderhill — On Jan. 10, ”Water not provided at food establishment” and “restroom not accessible to employees during all hours of operation.”
A Stop Use remained on a freezer from Sept. 21.
Economy Meat & Fish, 1300 Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth — Economy? Sometimes, you get what you pay for and cleanliness can be the corner that’s cut. This joint failed inspection on Dec. 19, passed a focused inspection Dec. 21, now failed another inspection on Jan. 8. Meatloaf doesn’t apply here because two out of three IS bad.
Speaking of meat, “observed several raw animal meats stored uncovered in walk-in freezer.”
The meat department had “dead roaches on the prep table near the microwave, under the same prep table and underneath entire meat display cooler and between meat display cooler and the wall.” But that’s not as bad as “live roaches inside and round microwave located on prep table.” There were live roaches running around the three-compartment sink.
Ever wonder why some people order their Coke without ice? Some of them have seen something similar to what inspector Katie Hansen did: “dozens of live roaches crawling around inside the ice machine in the ice machine room.”
So the Stop Use on the ice machine remains in effect and “an additional Stop Sale is being placed on all receiving of food products.”
In the backroom, the inspector saw, “dead roaches under overstock shelving…in ice machine room on the ground, coming half out of the walls and observed dead roaches stuck in a fan in the ceiling.”
Now, to be fair, can the inspector really be sure that wasn’t meant to be some form of art?
The retail area had “dead roaches in retail aisles and under unused coolers” and “dead flies inside an unused cooler.” Here’s a new one: “Observed dead crab stuck behind a wooden shelf up front by the register counter.”
Festival Supermarket, 7346 W. Commercial Blvd., Lauderhill — The inspector “observed employee touching rice with bare hands.” And out went the rice.
There’s no handwashing sink in the seafood area of the meat department. Festival has until Feb. 9 to put in a handwashing sink with hot and cold running water.
The deli department’s slicer stayed in use for more than six hours without being washed. That’s a no-no, as is the band saws being used five hours without washing or sanitizing. Inspector Leni Zunino also saw a pot, a spoon and grinder pieces washed by hand without being sanitized.
The potato/egg salad had a fever — 58 degrees Fahrenheit when it needed to be 41 or, preferably, under. Basura.
Meat, cheese, milk and veggies got tossed for temperature abuse.
Horizon International Services, 1083 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale — In the Deli Area “one cabinet had evidence of rodent excreta.”
The food establishment is operating without a valid 2019 permit.
There’s direct plumbing at the three-compartment sink, a common violation. That means a “direct connection exists between the sewage system and a drain originating from equipment in which food, portable equipment or utensils are placed.”
That’s a no-no. If they don’t get this corrected in 90 days, all the food equipment that’s to be washed and sanitized will get hit with a Stop Use. Only commercially pre-packaged, unopened food will be allowed to be sold.
Kwik Stop Food Store, 12925 NW 27th Ave., North Miami-Dade — On Wednesday, the inspector observed two things you dont’want to observe: “multiple packages of rice and pasta with insects inside” and “rodent excreta on floor in multiple areas through out the storage area.”
But the inspector didn’t observe any soap or hand towels in the employee restroom.
Over at the food was a Bizarro World McDLT. Instead of keeptin ghte hot side hot and the cool side cool, Kwik Stop kept the hot food too cool (multiple ham croquettes and beef empanadas at 88 or 89 degrees instead of at least 135 degrees) and cold food too hot (tomatoes and lettuce).
All got trashed.
In the retail area, “observed trash and litter behind game machines” and in the backroom, “observed trash and litter inside walk-in cooler, underneath pallets of beverages throughout.”
La Puissance, 700 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. W, Belle Glade — There was no handwashing sink in the food processing area near the three-compartment sink and there was old food on the band saw. Both got Stop Use Orders.
Out on the shelves, the inspector saw “some dented cans on retail shelves. Various cans of tomato sauce adulterated with droppings.” Those cans were tossed out, but you can see where this is heading.
And here we go…”observed rodent droppings throughout the establishment, including the office backroom, back stock storage room, all shelving in food establishment. Stop Use issued.”
Kind of makes “Observed live roach on three-compartment sink and underneath a box of salted fish…” feel almost quaint, eh?
“Old, dried food, debris and product accumulation on floors (and) around packaged beverages, cobwebs throughout the establishment.”
Did you know you had to have a mop sink? La Puissance knows after it was given 30 days to install a service sink with hot and cold water.
Latin America Discount, 100 NW Eighth Ave., Miami — There were water problems in Latin America.
“Establishment unable to prove water source by a water bill or other means as requested.” This falls under the violation “Drinking water not obtained from an approved source o that is constructed, maintained, and operated according to law.”
“Establishment unable to prove sewage source by a sewage bill or other means as requested.” This is under the violation “Sewage not disposed through an approved facility o that is a public sewage treatment plant or an individual sewage disposal system that is sized, constructed, maintained, and operated according to law.”
This place also is working without valid food permit.
Liberty Gas Station, 14800 N. Miami Ave., North Miami-Dade — What’s the bigger problem? “Observed multiple packages of rice with insects inside” or “No hot water available at food establishment.” Discuss...
Liberty has until Feb. 8 to get hot and cold running water in its house.
So, no hot water, no soap or hand towels at the one unisex restroom. But there was a mop and a mop bucket in there, so we guess you could mop your hands after wiping.
In the back, there was “rodent excreta on floor and on top of an equipment box and on shelf inside beverages storage area.”
As some mothers would tell Liberty, this place is junky. This is a gas station and minimart, not Sanford & Son Salvage.
The inspector noted “Dust accumulation on grocery shelves throughout food entity” and “Observed soiled floors through the entire area. Establishment is not able to clean properly (because of) the amount of clutter everywhere.”
Sip Java Company, 638 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale — This was their first inspection in almost two years. They seemed rusty.
Up at the coffee bar “employees are not washing hands between changing tasks.” Something called “Blabby’s Cookies” was being sold without a permit so got tossed.
The kitchen had sliced roast beef with a use by-or-freeze-by date of Jan. 7. This was Tuesday, Jan. 15. Bye, bye beef.
7-Eleven, 10721 SW 56th St., South Miami-Dade — ”Food employee placing food items in small oven without washing her hands prior.”
“Food service, food employee entering the food service area wearing the same gloves from the backroom, another food employee reusing the same single use glove to engage in open food service.”
A “large table top hot unit” wasn’t so hot. It needed fixing. So, already fixed but not hot enough chicken wings, chicken tenders, mini beef tacos and French fries got tossed.
Multiple food items found inside table top units not time marked when time as a control is used: meat pastries, ham and cheese (cachito) breads, spinach empanadas and ham croquettes. All got tossed.
West Calle 8 Circle K, 7411 SW Eighth St., West Miami-Dade — In the backroom, a food employee was observed removing and placing food inside the small oven without washing her hands. Then again, there was no soap at the coffee area handwashing sink or the backroom handwashing sink.
They couldn’t keep their Chicken Bites warm, so they couldn’t keep their chicken bites.
When washing cookware by hand in the back room, no sanitizer was used.
This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 2:58 PM.
