Mold on fruit. Old flour. Dirty equipment. Fort Lauderdale grocery store problems
A state inspector found mold on produce and “a pattern of non-compliance,” with food safety standards at a Fort Lauderdale grocery store last week.
The Kwik Stop at 1512 NW 19th St. is classified by the Florida Department of Agriculture as a Convenience Store with Significant Food Service and/or Packaged Ice, although the food safety citations found by Inspector Lori James on July 19 calls the “convenience” part into question.
Unlike Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspectors, Ag Department inspectors can’t close down an establishment that gets the worst inspection result, “Re-Inspection Required.” They can, however, issue Stop Sale orders on food and Stop-Use Orders on equipment and areas. Enough of those in the wrong places and store management might decide against opening a store.
And, the Stop Sales came down like summer rain on this Kwik Stop owned by Kwik Stop Dajani Food Store Incorporated. State records say the owning company has been run by Maher Dajani since its registration with the state in 2011.
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Here’s what Inspector James found:
▪ “A pattern of non-compliance was observed as evidenced by violations regarding cold & hot holding, hand washing, sanitation of equipment and allergen awareness.”
▪ The handwashing sinks don’t seem to be high traffic areas here, at least not for the reason they exist. A food service area hand sink next to reach-in cooler was “blocked by gallon of water” in it and a food processing area sink contained “a bucket of rags.”
▪ Peppers count as both fruits and vegetables, but no matter the classification, a red pepper shouldn’t be “found with white, mold-like substance” nor should green peppers be “found to be rotten” as was the case with peppers for sale. Stop Sale orders hit a red pepper and two green peppers.
▪ “Flies observed around entire retail area” and in the processing area.
▪ Stopping in for coffee? “Accumulation of old food debris around the nozzle area of coffee machines next to the boiled peanuts.”
▪ In the food processing area, where folks make food, the “food employees were not wearing effective hair restraints.”
▪ The tong and spoon on a retail area counter next to boiled peanuts hadn’t been washed or sanitized since the previous day.
▪ Two food processing area ice machines were “found with black, mold-like substance around the ice chute and surrounding area.” Both machines got hit with Stop-Use Orders.
▪ Deli slicer had “old food debris.”
▪ In the food processing area, the flour used for breading chicken hadn’t been sifted since the previous day.
▪ The hot counter’s hot holding case needs to keep food above 135 degrees. The temperature measured 120 degrees and couldn’t go any higher. The unit got a Stop-Use Order.
Unsurprisingly, the fried mushrooms, sausage, breakfast sausage and fish in that case got hit with Stop Sale, Stop Sale, Stop Sale and Stop Sale after coming in as low as 107 degrees.
▪ A reach-in cooler got taken out of action with a Stop-Use Order because it couldn’t get down enough, 50 degrees when it needed to be under 41 degrees.
▪ Inside a walk-in cooler, shredded cheeses, five gallon containers of milk and eight half gallon containers weren’t cool enough. All were basura after a Stop Sale shower.
