Lunch meat 3 weeks past its trash date among the problems at a Broward Fresh Market
Lunch meat that should have been thrown out in mid-January and equipment “encrusted in old food residue” or with “yellow-brown rust buildup” marred an inspection of The Fresh Market store in Plantation.
By the time Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors Laura Sanchez and Timothy O’Neil left 12171 W. Sunrise Blvd. on Friday, a meat grinder was taken out of action and watermelon, cooked chicken, a pork roll, pork ribs, milk and deli salads sat in the garbage.
Here’s some of what led this Fresh Market to get “Re-Inspection Required,” the lowest Ag Department inspection result possible, from Sanchez and O’Neil:
▪ In the deli area, the cheese slicer, deli meat slicer, cutting board and tongs had been in use for over four hours without being washed, rinsed and sanitized.
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▪ The scoops used for the self-serve bulk nut and candies were “encrusted in old food residue.”
▪ The table top grinder in the meat processing room sported “yellow-brown rust buildup inside the worm hole canal.” That got the grinder hit with a Stop Use Order.
▪ “Heavy food debris on floors throughout” the deli area, produce area and backroom.
▪ Food tongs weren’t stored in clean places. The tongs for the deli area’s hot unit sat on the outside door of the case. The tongs for the salad case sat on top of an air vent.
▪ The bakery processing room’s baking pans were “encrusted in grease residue,” and the rolling racks were “soiled with accumulation of food debris.”
▪ A deli area food worker didn’t properly wash hands before putting on gloves “to work with open foods.”
▪ A woman working in meat processing with food wore a “hair restraint with all her front hair hanging out.”
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▪ In the deli area, the expiration date sticker on a bulk chunk of pork roll lunch meat read 01/16/25. This inspection was on Friday, Feb. 7 —that’s 22 days after the meat should have met the garbage. Stop Sale on the pork roll.
▪ Numerous salads, cooked foods and sandwiches sitting in the salad case and made at least the previous day, if not before, didn’t have any date marking. Some of the salads got hit with Stop Sales.
▪ The containers of cut melons on the shelf that should have been under 41 degrees for safe-keeping measured 42 to 48 degrees. Trashed.
▪ In the deli area’s hot case, mashed potatoes measured 122 degrees and pork ribs from 112 to 125 degrees. The inspectors let the mashed potatoes get reheated, but the cooked flesh got tossed.
▪ Joining the pork ribs were watermelon slices, watermelon quarters, two containers of cooked chicken, milk in the coffee bar, all of which measured over 41 degrees. Stop Sales all around.
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This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 4:47 PM.
