Equipment that couldn’t be washed or sanitized got a Hialeah food distributor shut down
The Hialeah distributor of a brand of aioli, mayonnaise and artisanal croquetas got smacked with a Stop Use Order for “all food equipment and open food processing” by a state inspector.
Despite the significance of the other problems at AHR Distributors, which distributes and sells Don Tito’s brand products at 527 W. 27th St, all pale next to that shutdown by Florida Department of Agriculture primary inspector James Zheng and trainee Fausto Ferrer.
Here’s that problem and some of the others found by Zheng and Ferrer on their Wednesday visit.
▪ “No hot water available as water heater not functioning and the facility is unable to wash, rinse and sanitize equipment.” That got the aforementioned Stop Use Order for all food equipment and open food processing.
▪ “Aioli mayo being prepared and packaged at the facility does not have a classification as being acid or acidified as their label states “refrigerate after opening.”” That got a Stop Sale dropped on 73 cases 1,643 pounds of Latin Aioli, an order that “will remain in effect until the facility submits a corrective action or classifies the product with a process authority.”
▪ “The food establishment was found to be operating without a food permit.”
▪ “No paper towels, soap, or hand sanitizer was available at the handwash sink located next to the warewash sink/packing area and at the handwash sink located next to the large oven.”
▪ Not that anyone would actually get to that handwash sink, what with being “blocked by a rolling rack and multiple cardboard boxes.”
▪ By that large gas oven, the back door was “kept open and the metal gate is not sufficient to prevent the entry of pests. Additionally, the front bay door was kept open and no screening was available to prevent the entry of pests.”
▪ That said, despite a junky, overgrown back alley, the inspector saw no rodents, just “various flies flying around in packing area” along with “no screening available at the front or rear doors.”
▪ “The facility has two gas fryers without the benefit of a hood and is using portable liquid propane gas tanks to power them.” Stop Use Orders crashed down on the gas fryers.
▪ “The processing area and ware washing area were found open to roof and rafters, and the rafters are currently rusted and peeling paint.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
