These Merced-area food places earn low ratings from health inspections. Here’s what was found
Out of almost 30 restaurants and food businesses visited by Merced County environmental health inspectors since July 1, five had enough food-safety violations to receive “unsatisfactory” ratings and are required to go through a reinspection.
The top violators are spread across the county: in Merced, Livingston, Los Banos, Snelling and Stevinson.
Nineteen separate violations were tallied at the Merced Grand Buffet restaurant on West Olive Avenue in Merced during an Aug. 2 health inspection, adding up to 43 violation points – more than three times the threshold of 14 points that result in an unsatisfactory rating.
Other unsatisfactory ratings were given to Freddy’s Kitchen, a restaurant in Snelling, at 22 violation points from a July 14 inspection; The Grove on South Van Clief Road in Stevinson, with 18 violation points from a July 17 visit; the 6th Street Diner in Los Banos, with 21 violation points from a July 18 inspection; and the Panaderia La Unica bakery on B Street in Livingston, 26 violation points from a July 20 inspection visit.
The 29 inspections conducted from July 1 through Aug. 2 at restaurants, cafeteria kitchens, snack bars, markets and commissaries served up “good” ratings for 14 businesses with six or fewer violation points, while 10 others scored “satisfactory” ratings for between seven and 13 violation points.
At the Merced Grand Buffet, the 43 violation points resulted from problems including:
Failure to keep food free from contamination, adulteration or spoilage. Inspectors saw bowls being used as scoops for food, and scoops were being stored inside food containers and in the ice machine, creating contamination.
Dirty dishes being stored in the hand-washing sink, obstructing the sink’s use for washing hands.
Raw eggs measured at 54 degrees, well above the required temperature of 41 degrees or lower for cold foods.
Employees’ food and drinks found throughout the restaurant and intermingled with restaurant product; failure to have a designated area for employees to eat and drink; failure to keep the kitchen free of items not used for food preparation or operation of the restaurant; and a sticky fly trap stored incorrectly above a storage rack for canned goods.
Misbranding or mislabeling of food. The inspector saw soy sauce buckets being used for sanitizer solution or storing foods other than soy sauce.
Improper food handling by employees not washing hands and arms. The inspector saw an employee using bare hands to prep raw squid before grabbing a tray and putting the contaminated tray on top of cooked noodles. Other instances of employees switching tasks without washing hands were also observed.
Not having a readily visible thermometer in multiple refrigerator or freezer units.
Dirt and grime buildup on the floor, walls and ceiling and on walk-in refrigerator floors; cracking and flaking wallpaper on the wall behind a storage area.
Buildup of grime on floors near the mop sink and water damage to the ceiling above the storage area for dry goods; mixed storage of food with business and personal items.
Unlabeled buckets of open sauces, unlabeled buckets of cut vegetables sitting directly on the floor; box of chicken covered with frozen meat juice from another product.
Towels without sanitizer solution being used to clean tables; cleaning towels stored on top of a meat-slicing machine.
Missing floor sink covers; grill used as a drain cover.
Failure to thaw potentially hazardous frozen foods in an approved manner. Frozen squid were being thawed in a full basin of a three-compartment sink, submerged by a bowl, instead of under running water.
Failure to properly clean and sanitize all food-contact surfaces, utensils and equipment; failure to prepare food with clean and sanitized utensils to prevent cross-contamination; using a full trash can to prop up a tray holding food being prepped.
Failure to keep utensils and equipment clean and in good repair. A rusted storage table was found in the beverage room, and cardboard was being used to cover trays of food. The condenser of a walk-in cooler was duct-taped, and food prep tables had a buildup of grime.
Food-handler certification cards all expired by at least a year.
Failure to separate food and protect it from contamination. Multiple food items in the restaurant were uncovered or not protected from potential contamination.
Merced County’s Environmental Health Division maintains a database of restaurant and food inspections online for public viewing at its web page, www.countyofmerced.com/597/Environmental-Health; click the “Food Inspections” tab along the left side of the page.
