A Walmart failed inspection. And two more chain grocery stores got hemp permits.
A Walmart wasn’t up to snuff and a Palm Beach place continued to be rodent heavy. And there’s some CBD/hemp sales regulatory citations and news at three other stores.
Welcome to this week’s version of Gross Grocers.
What follows comes from Florida Department of Agriculture inspections of supermarkets, mid-size grocers, convenience stores, food processors and food storage facilities in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, don’t email us. Click here and file a complaint. We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. We report without passion or prejudice, but with a side order of humor.
And we go in alphabetical order:
American Latin Caribbean 3, 1022 Hypoluxo Rd., Lantana: “Cauliflower, papaya and tomatoes with mold growth in produce retail shelf.”
Want a little Old Metal Seasoning with that chicken? “Observed raw chicken directly touching the rusted side wall of meat display cooler.”
Also observed “food debris on the tenderize machine used day before.”
Cakes by Lara, 410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach: This is one of several businesses that apparently operate out of the same ranch house-like mini-strip mall. Last week, Dept. of Ag Inspector Shauna Gaye-Cox excoriated two of them. This week, Gaye-Cox and fellow inspectors David Grix ripped into three more businesses with the same inspection on Wednesday (Love Katiekakes and Pitbull BBQ of South Florida share this address).
Inspectors?
“Approximately 15 mice excreta were observed on a shelf below the food prep table opposite the one-door reach-in refrigerator in the front kitchen. Approximately 14 mice excreta were observed on the floor next to the toilet in the men’s restroom opposite the front kitchen area.
“One mice excreta was observed on top of a plastic container storing flour on the shelf below the table opposite the display case in the front kitchen area. Approximately seven mice excreta were observed on the shelf below the table opposite the display case in the front kitchen area.”
“Approximately 33 mice excreta were observed on the wooden ledges behind and next to the reach down freezer chest and storage cart in the bar area. One mice excreta was observed on the floor in front of the two-door reach-in refrigerator in the customer seating area.
“Approximately 35 mice excreta were observed on the floor next to the three-door reach-in refrigerator adjacent to the entrance door in the rear kitchen. Approximately two mice excreta were observed on the ledge of the window opposite the water heater in the rear kitchen. One mice excreta was observed on the floor in front of the food prep table neat the water heater in the rear kitchen.”
Just guessing, but they might be getting in through the “approximately one-inch gap surrounding a silver metal pipe leading to an unknown area was observed in the ceiling next to the ventilation hood filters in the front kitchen; and a hole approximately 16 inches in width and length each leading to an unknown area was observed in the ceiling above the one-door reach-in refrigerator in the front kitchen.”
Chef Marta Foods, 7720 NW 76th Ave., Medley: After inspections like this, any wholesale establishment such as this wholesale bakery should have to release a list of their retail customers to the public. Don’t retail consumers deserve to know where food goes when it leaves wholesalers that fail inspection?
But, heck, Chef Marta’s folks couldn’t tell Inspector Angela Orozco how they cleaned, so maybe asking where their food goes is like asking “Where’s Carmen San Diego?” or that Waldo guy.
“Requested management information about their procedures for cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and utensils, and management was unable to explain such procedures.
“Also, operator did not have any sanitizer testing kit. In addition, observed mixer head, cheese grinder, churro machine, preparation tables and packaging table soiled with accumulation of old food residue.”
Inspector Orozco also saw “water leaking from drainage pipes under the warewash sink and causing water pooling along the north wall where equipment was being stored and along the wall leading to the office door causing employees walking from office to process area to step on the waste water.”
An unused electric oven and rolling racks blocked the handwash sink in the processing, packaging and ware wash area.
“Fans in processing area soiled with accumulation of dust and flour.”
Fiesta Food Market, 1249 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: Proper handwashing remains the first line and best defense against the spread of many diseases, including hepatitis A. This comes to mind here, where there was no hand soap or paper towels in the employee toilet room.
“Dry food particles accumulated on inside of container holding food service tongs.”
In the kitchen and backroom, “containers of opened cheese, butter, diced ham and hot dogs inside deli service cooler” and “containers of food items cooked the night before and placed on shelf inside walk-in cooler” got tossed for temperature abuse.
A container of caldo menudo cooked pepper sauce followed them into the garbage for being kept over seven days after being made.
4 Points Market, 6706 N. State Rd. 7, Coconut Creek: Their hemp gummy packages lacked batch numbers and THC levels.
Employees couldn’t get to the backroom handwash sink and there weren’t any paper towels there when they did.
“No parasite destruction letters of guarantee provided for ceviche containing raw tilapia and shrimp.”
A gallon of milk, containers of cooked tamales and rice all got tossed for temperature abuse.
Marathon, 6400 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac: These little furry critters got around.
“Apparent rodent droppings visible on floors under the warewash sink; hand sink; behind and under the prep tables; behind and under the stove, oven and fryer; on a shelf with ingredients under the prep table across from the warewash sink; on a shelf with single-use items by the back door and behind standing cases near the exit door.”
A Stop Use Order got dropped on on all the food processing area, including food service utensils, equipment and the warewash sink. It’s still on, so if you swing by there, they shouldn’t be fixing much food.
Not that they won’t just on the Ag Department’s say-so. When the inspector went back by two days later, she caught them using the ice machine, which had been under a Stop Use Order.
Of course, rodents on the floor, food on the floor: “Packages of chips stored on floor in closet with maintenance equipment.”
When people are working around vermin like this, at least it’s good to know they washed their hands often and properly. Or, maybe they would, except there was no soap or paper towels at the handwash sink by the warewash sink and the chest freezer or the sink retail coffee station. The coffee station handwash sink also lacked hot water.
Both the paper towel and the hand soap problems were corrected immediately, which should make you feel better until you realize that means they just didn’t have the give a darns to do it right in the first place.
“Food employee cutting celery with wet and soiled knife that was not thoroughly washed or sanitized.”
And, that’s not root beer or Dr. Pepper on the soda nozzle. “Brown mold-like substance on soda nozzles at soda machine” and, in the back room, “brown mold-like substance heavily accumulated on ice chute and interior surfaces of ice machine.”
Hot pies, eggs, sandwiches, milk, butter, packaged boiled eggs all got trashed for temperature abuse.
Okeechobee Shell, 5980 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach: They’re operating without an approved sewer and without a 2020 food permit.
Old Dixie Market, 201 Old Dixie Hwy., Riviera Beach: “Container holding in use utensils has build up of food residue.”
In the back, “condenser unit leaking onto packaged beverages” and “Ceiling has a buildup of black mold-like accumulation.”
On on the floor, “Sliding glass doors and gaskets of chest freezer have heavy buildup of dried particles and residue.
They were given 90 days to put indirect plumbing on the three-compartment sink or get a Stop Use Order slapped on all food service. That’s required to limit the nastiness in case of a wastewater or sewage backup.
Pinders Seafood & Market Place, 1655 N. Old Dixie Hwy, Jupiter: All the real ugly problems were in the food processing area.
“No hot water provided at the only handwash sink near soup counter.”
“Cutting boards and knives used for cutting fish not washed, rinsed and sanitized after maximum of four hours.”
“Pooling water inside food processor and inside mixing bowl of small mixer.”
“Accumulation of food debris and grease on baking trays stored clean under prep table.”
Walmart, 15885 SW 88th St., West Kendall: Those who buy Walmart cakes for your kid’s birthday parties might want to note that the pan washer in the bakery go hit with a Stop Use Order because it couldn’t produce hot enough water for proper washing, rinsing and sanitizing.
The self-serve hot holding unit could get up to 85 degrees. Since it’s supposed to keep things such as rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, popcorn shrimp, etc., at 135 degrees, it also got a Stop Use order. And the barbecued wings, potato wedges, chicken breakfast sandwich, and popcorn shrimp went the way of all flesh.
Nobody knew how long an package of ham had been open. No such mystery about “multiple open packages of deli meats” — they had been out over seven days. Basura.
In the kitchen, “the condensing unit in deli cooler housing sub kits and sandwiches found to be leaking in middle of room” and there was no hot water at the handwash sink next to the bakery entrance.
Yalla Market, 6718 N. State Rd. 7, Coconut Creek: “Cooked and cooled zucchini found at 123 degrees and lentil soup at 137 degrees when internally probed with an accurate thermometer two and a half hours after reheating on steam table.” No soup or zucchini for you.
“Wet nesting found in food service pans not air dried after washing.”
“Containers of assorted single service items stored under unprotected sewer lines in cabinet under hand sink.”
In the kitchen, “dry food particles and soil accumulated on shelving inside reach in service freezers, coolers and bottom shelves of prep tables.”
MAJOR CHAINS WITH STORES THAT PASSED INSPECTION
Dollar Tree: 1252 Northlake Blvd., Lake Park.
Family Dollar: 1206 S. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth.
The Fresh Market: 18299 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura: A focused inspection cited Fresh Market for hemp products with labels that didn’t provide enough information.
But the inspection also included the comment, “Food Establishment manufactures, processes, packs, holds, prepares or sells food products intended for human consumption that contain hemp, hemp extract, CBD or other cannabinoids. FE permit type changed to Hemp Food Establishment during this visit.”
The Miami Beach Publix in Sunset Harbour (called “The New Publix” for over a decade after it ceased being new or “The Jetsons Publix” for the architecture) received the same kind of permit change last week.
Publix: 20201 SW 127th Ave., Southwest Miami-Dade; 12100 SW 127th Ave., Southwest Miami-Dade; 1545 W. 49th St., Hialeah.
Winn Dixie: 3275 Coral Way, Coral Gables; 20417 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura; 8855 SW 24th St., West Miami-Dade (Fresco Y Mas); 14595 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach.
The Delray Beach store now has its Hemp Food Establishment permit.
