Inspection
April 2008

FLORIDA: Inspection cites restaurant for keeping bread in bathroom
30.apr.08
wftv.com
http://www.wftv.com/news/16061928/detail.html
Barfblog Post
SANFORD, Fla. -- Eyewitness News was cited as discovering a popular Sanford fast food restaurant that's accused of storing food on the floor inside the men's restroom. The food that was left on the floor in the restroom was just one of several critical violations health inspectors found at a Checkers location in Sanford.
Employees at the Checkers store on South French Avenue at West 15th Street apparently decided it was okay to store buns for their hamburgers inside a not-so-clean men's room.
Tuesday, it appeared they had changed the policy, but not before racking up a dozen health code violations.
Former customer Willie Jones was quoted as saying, "The bread was stacked sky high to the ceiling, plus it was only about 12 inches from the men's commode."
Checker's goes through a lot of hamburger buns at its drive-thru restaurants. It's hard to even think about what might happen to those buns in a tiny, smelly and dirty bathroom. One customer told Eyewitness News he didn't like the manager's reaction to his complaint about the bread box-bathroom stall combination.
"'You got the bread in the men's restroom.' She got angry with me. She got T'd off and she locked the door," Jones said.
Health officials didn't settle for that solution, forcing the store to throw away all of it. Unfortunately, they don't know how long the Sanford Checkers kept both bread and cups in a bathroom that was quickly cleaned as Eyewitness News arrived Tuesday. An employee denied the bathroom-food storage system.

OHIO: Restaurants questioned regarding food safety violations
30.apr.08
nbc4i.com
Denise Yost
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-04-30-0026.html
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two Central Ohio establishments were called to Columbus Public Health for questioning regarding food safety violations.
A local market and a Chinese restaurant are both facing critical health code violations, NBC 4's Matt Alvarez reported.
The market owner said he understands the need for the health inspections and is working to change the market's violations.
Fortune Chinese Restaurant on Olentangy River Road also received a poor review from food safety inspectors. They found seven violations -- one of which was critical.
Inspectors said they found unsafe food not properly discarded, along with contaminated equipment.
Both the market and restaurant owner must make changes immediately or face disciplinary actions.

INDIANA: Restaurant inspection reports for April 30, 2008
30.apr.08
Courier Press
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/apr/30/inspection-reports/
These summaries of the Vanderburgh County Health Department's inspection reports are made public after restaurants and food stores have had 10 days to respond.
Reinspections are at the inspector's discretion.
FOOD SERVICE
(April 7-11)
All American Coffee, 3311 N. Green River Road, one noncritical violation: Wipe cloths not stored in sanitizer when not in use (corrected).
Big Mama's Cafe, 1802 Stringtown Road, two critical violations: Hand sink used for other purposes (corrected); facility lacking consumer advisory disclosure for raw or undercooked foods; one noncritical violation: Wet wiping cloths improperly stored (corrected).
Central High School, 5400 First Ave., no violations.
China Express, 1550 S. Governor St., one noncritical violation: Ceiling leak in kitchen at light.
Culver Elementary School, 1301 Judson St., no violations.
Eurest Dining/Mead Johnson, 2400 W. Lloyd Expressway, no violations.
Highland Elementary School, 6701 Darmstadt Road, no violations.
Holy Redeemer School, 918 W. Mill Road, no violations.
Joshua Academy, 867 E. Walnut St., no violations.
Joshua Academy, 1000 W. Illinois St., one critical violation: Dish machine sanitizer concentration is below required levels (corrected).
Lincoln Elementary School, 635 Lincoln Ave., no violations.
Oak Hill Middle School, 7700 Oak Hill Road, no violations.
Roly Poly, 5702 E. Virginia St., no violations.
Sacred Heart School, 2735 W. Franklin St., no violations.
St. Agnes School, 1600 Glendale Ave., no violations.
St. Boniface School, 2031 W. Michigan St., no violations.
St. Theresa School, 700 Herndon Drive, no violations.
Showplace Cinemas East, 1801 Morgan Center Drive, one critical violation: Ice machine in back concession soiled.
Taco John's, 604 N. St. Joseph Ave., no violations.
FOOD STORES
(April 7-11)
Casey's General Store, 1900 Oak Hill Road, two critical violations: Handwashing sink near ice machine unavailable for use (corrected); sanitizer spray bottle lacking product label (corrected).
Elbert's Natural Food Market, 5614 E. Virginia St., no violations.

GEORGIA: Restaurant inspections
29.apr.08
The Northeast Georgian
http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/04/29/news/business/02business.txt
Following are the food service inspections for April 22-23 by the Habersham County Health Department's Environmental Health Section.
A score of 85 and above is considered passing. Food service establishments are required to post their score sheets in public so that customers can review them.
For more information about an inspection, contact the environmental health office at (706) 776-7659.
April 22
n Fairview Elementary, Demorest. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose of inspection: routine. Score: 100; current grade: A.
n North Habersham Middle School, 1500 Wall Bridge Road, Clarkesville. Inspection time: Not listed. Purpose of inspection: routine. Current score: 100; current grade: A.
n Habersham County Senior Center, Demorest. Inspection time: not listed. Purpose of inspection: routine. Current score: 99; current grade: A. Consumer advisory provided for raw and uncooked foods. Food additives: approved and properly used. Compliance with variance, specialized process and HACCP plan process and HACCP. Garbage refuse properly disposed, facilities maintained.
April 23
n Lee Arrendale State Prison, Old Gainesville Highway, Alto. Inspection time: 2:15 p.m. Purpose of inspection: routine. Current score: 99; current grade: A; last score: 100. Out of compliance with the following: Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean.
n South Habersham Sixth Grade Academy, 427 Cash St., Cornelia. Current score: 100; current grade: A.
n Cornelia Elementary, Cornelia. Current score: 100; current grade: A.

NEW MEXICO: Restaurant workers diagnosed with hepatitis A
29.apr.08
KOB.com
Eyewitness News 4
http://kob.com/article/stories/S428512.shtml?cat=517
Two Albuquerque I-HOP restaurants are under the microscope after two of its workers were diagnosed with hepatitis A.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the employees work at the I-HOP on Wyoming and Paseo and at the one near Interstate-25 and Montano.
Anyone who ate at either restaurant after March 22 and is feeling sick, is urged to see a doctor.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

CALIFORNIA: Restaurant inspections -- public perceptions vs. reality
29.apr.08
from a press release
Timothy F. Jones
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/ehs-ri042508.php
San Diego--Foodborne diseases cause an estimated 76 million illnesses in the U.S. each year with about half associated with restaurant meals. More than 70 billion meals per year are purchased in restaurants in the U.S., accounting for 47% of total food expenditure. Therefore, preventing restaurant-associated foodborne disease is an important task of public health departments. According to an article published in the June 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the public is generally unaware of the frequency of restaurant inspections and the consequences of poor inspection results.
According to Timothy F. Jones, MD, Tennessee Department of Health and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, “That consumers have a number of misconceptions and unrealistically high expectations of the restaurant-inspection system was a major finding of this large survey. Inspections are one mechanism through which regulatory agencies educate operators and encourage ongoing compliance. However, the industry must ultimately take responsibility for consistently and effectively maintaining food safety. Public health and regulatory agencies should work closely with the industry to improve consumers’ understanding of inspection scores and the limitations of regulatory inspections, as well as the role of regulatory inspections in disease prevention.”
Using data from telephone surveys of 2000 adults in Tennessee in 2006, researchers found that while almost all respondents (97%) were aware that restaurants were inspected regularly, over 50% believed that inspections occurred from 5 to more than 12 times per year. Only 33% correctly answered that the inspection frequency is twice per year. When asked how often restaurants should be inspected, even fewer people (9%) responded that restaurants should be inspected two times per year; 53% believed that inspections should occur about 12 times per year. When asked about the relative importance of inspections to protect consumers from illnesses, 70% said “very important” and 28% said it was “the most important” safety measure.
Tennessee restaurant inspectors use a 44-item checklist with a total possible score of 100 for best performance. Respondents were asked what score would be the lowest acceptable for a restaurant at which they would eat. Seventy-seven percent said a score of 80 or greater, of whom, 45% said more than 90. This contrasts to a mean score of 82 from another study of 168,000 inspections in Tennessee and where only one third of all restaurants scored higher than 90.
When asked what should happen if a restaurant did not get an acceptable score, 657 (37%) said the restaurant should be closed immediately and allowed to reopen when the situation was corrected. In Tennessee, as in many jurisdictions, it is unusual for sanctions to be imposed on an establishment based on a single inspection. Regulators work with operators to promptly mitigate risks, but closure generally follows recurrent problems that have gone uncorrected after substantial training and consultation.
The article is “Public Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Public Health Inspections of Restaurants” by Timothy F. Jones, MD, and Karen Grimm, MA. It appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 34, Issue 6 (June 2008) published by Elsevier.

OHIO: Restaurant inspection report
28.apr.08
The Newark Advocate
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/NEWS01/804280317/1002
# T's Family Restaurant, April 8, 10677 Jacksontown Road, Thornville, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometers in Coke cooler and (unreadable) coolers. 2. Door seals on food prep cooler torn. 3. Two light bulbs are not working above grill. 4. Light bulb not working in walk-in cooler. 5. Hole in wall of hallway from front counter to grill area.
# Duchess Shop 72, April 8, 10638 Jacksontown Road, Thornville, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Wall behind three-bay sink and by floor sink is broken. 2. No test strips for sanitizer in the three-bay sink. 3. Miscellaneous items on and around three-bay sink. 4. Light over three-bay sink and in public restroom are not covered.
# Thornville Shell Food Mart, April 8, 10583 Jacksontown Road, Thornville, standard inspection, no violations.
# Michael's Pizzeria, April 8, 6771 National Road, Jacksontown, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink. 2. Light bulb above dough mixer is not a tuff-skin bulb (provide a shatter-proof bulb). 3. Floor in kitchen is torn in several places.
# Miller Park Diamond Association, April 9, 74 Crestview Drive, Utica, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in Pepsi cooler. 2. Some lights are not covered in kitchen.
# Big Red's Pizza & Subs, April 9, 347 S. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in Delfield cooler. 2. Interior of beverage air cooler has food particles. 3. No cover-end caps on lights over dishwash machine. 4. Two lights in kitchen are not working.
# Stacey's Homestyle Buffet, April 10, 833 S. 30th St., Heath, complaint, no violations.
# MI Fiesta, April 10, 957 Hebron Road, Heath, complaint, no violations.
# Park Ventures Inc., April 10, 701 Hopewell Drive, Heath, complaint, no violations.
# Park Ventures Inc., April 10, 701 Hopewell Drive, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in True cooler. 2. Vent hood over cooking equipment has collected grease, dust and dirt. 3. Interior of brown G.E. oven has food particles. 4. Tops of reach-in freezers are dusty. 5. Wood shelves in kitchen need to be painted.
# Subway, April 11, 620 E. Main St., Unit K, Hebron, complaint, no violations.
# Subway, April 11, 620 E. Main St., Unit K, Hebron, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Food items in north under-counter cooler found at 49 degrees just prepared a short time ago (PHF must be kept at 41 degrees). Called for service on unit. 2. No thermometers found in south under counter cooler or Coke display as required by rule. 3. Light out in walk-in freezer, shield damaged. 4. Damaged plastic pans, cracked and broken (need discarded). 5. Plastic pans found stacked clean and still wet.
# Popeye's/Sbarro, April 11, 10679 Lancaster Road, Hebron, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Stromboli (115 degrees) and meatballs (125 degrees) must be hot held at 135 degrees or above. 2. Lights in pizza oven hood and range hood do not have protective shielding as required by rule. 3. Any cracked, broken plasticware must be discarded as no longer easily cleanable. 4. Pans found stacked, still wet. 5. Hussman walk-in cooler door needs torn, damaged door gasket replaced. Delfield cooler, replace torn and damaged door gasket. Vairak cooler, replace all torn and damaged door gaskets and replace broken plastic door. Replace damaged missing tile on pizza oven. Repair/replace damaged base of front display cabinet. 6. Properly label, per requirements of rule, malt container. 7. No paper towels in dispenser at hand sink. 8. Visible debris on range hood filters. Clean ice machine interior and exterior to remove buildup. Thoroughly clean can opener and mounting bracket to remove food debris. Clean floor in both walk-in coolers and walk-in freezer. Clean racks in chicken walk-in cooler to remove buildup. Clean Bev-Air door handles to remove debris. 9. Replace missing/damaged ceiling tile in rear stock/prep area. 10. Cleaning ceiling ventilation grills to remove dust. Clean all floors thoroughly with special attention to areas under all equipment, under range, under front counters, pizza oven and rear stock/prep area. 11. Dirty aprons found hanging in rear prep room 12. Hot mitts throughout facility are dirty and greasy.
# Popeye's/Sbarro, April 11, 10679 Lancaster Road, Hebron, complaint, no violations.
# Park Place Coffee Roasters, April 14, 26 N. Park Place, Newark, pre-licensing, no violations.
# Twilight Coffee, Etc., April 14, 39 S. Park Place, Newark, pre-licensing, with violations. 1. No thermometer in deli case. 2. No test strips for sanitizer.
# Early Birds Breakfast, April 14, 8290 Mount Vernon Road, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Lonsinger Pharmacy, April 14, 244 N. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, no violations.
# LEADS Head Start, April 14, 308 N. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Interior cavities of microwave has food splash. 2. No lid on trash container in employee's restroom.
# St. Louisville Village Market, April 14, 8260 Mount Vernon Road, St. Louisville, standard inspection, with violation. 1. No cover on lights over three-bay sink.
# Ben Franklin, April 14, 61 S. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violation. 1. No lid on trash container in women's restroom.
# Village Inn, April 17, 50 S. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, no violations.
# Utica Nursing Home, April 17, 233 N. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Hand on Hotpoint fridge is damaged.
# Duchess Shop 225, April 17, 12 Columbus Road, Utica, standard inspection, no violations.
# Hometown Market, April 17, 322 S. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Wiping cloths lying on counter. 2. Chicken was held at 98 degrees in hot food holding unit, must be held at 135 degree or above. 3. No test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink. 4. Lights over three-bay sink not covered. 5. Floor in walk-in cooler has food particles.
# Cones & Concoctions, April 18, 15000 Broad St. SW, Reynoldburg, pre-licensing, with violations. 1. Test strips needed to match quat sanitizer used. 2. Hole in wall behind mop sink and under hand sink needs patched.
# Renetta's Organic Oasis, April 18, 120 S. Main St., Utica, pre-licensing, no violations.
# Betty's Veggies, April 18, 3730 Briar Cliff Road, Nashport, standard inspection, no violations.
# Big Onion 2, April 18, 3730 Briar Cliff Road, Nashport, standard inspection, no violations.
# Big Onion, April 18, 3730 Briar Cliff Road, Nashport, standard inspection, no violations.
# Hebron Area Soccer League, April 19, 1801 Refugee Road, Building C, Hebron, 30-day inspection, with violations. 1. No hair restraints in use. 2. Thermometer needed for refrigerator.
# Lakewood Youth Baseball Association, April 19, 1801 Refugee Road, Hebron, standard inspection, with violation. 1. No test strips for quat sanitizer.
# Pataskala City Soccer, April 19, 10255 McIntosh Road, Pataskala, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Test strips needed for quat sanitizer used. 2. Protective shields needed for lighting.
# Pataskala Parks & Recreation, April 19, 10255 McIntosh Road, Pataskala, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Hair restraints required for all food employees. 2. Test strips required for chlorine sanitizer used.
# Johnstown High School Cafe, April 21, 401 S. Oregon St., Johnstown, standard inspection, with violation. 1. No sanitizer found in wiping cloth bucket.
# Searfoss Elementary, April 21, 85 S. Douglas St., Johnstown, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Exhaust air grill in dry storage needs cleaned of dust and debris.
# Willis C. Adams Jr. High School, April 21, 80 W. Maple St., Johnstown, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Thaw ham properly so food item does not go above 41 degrees.
# Oregon Elementary School, April 21, 125 N. Oregon St., Johnstown, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Delfield two-door cooler at 45 degrees at time of inspection. Unit must maintain 41 degrees or below.
# McDonald's, April 21, 10780 Hebron Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Door seal is torn on beverage air cooler. 2. No thermometer in milk cooler and beverage air cooler.
# Taco Bell 16735, April 21, 10800 Hebron Road SE, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Cracked plastic spatulas in kitchen need replaced. 2. No thermometer in potato bin cooler.
# Daisy's Diner, April 21, 3 W. Church St., Newark, complaint, no violations.
# Daisy's Diner, April 21, 3 W. Church St., Newark, 30-day inspection, with violations. 1. Employees hair must be restrained with hats/nets. 2. Food items not date marked. 3. No probe thermometer.
# Licking County Aging Program, April 21, 745 E. Main St., Newark, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Shelves in walk-in are dirty.
# Licking County Aging Program, April 21, 745 E. Main St., Newark, complaint, no violations.
# Kiwanis Park, April 15, 9688 Butler Road, Newark, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Light over three-bay sink not covered. 2. Light bulb burned out over three-bay sink.
# Dari Shack, April 15, 28 Columbus Road, Utica, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Vent hoods over grill and fryers have grease collected. 2. No test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink.
# Subway, April 15, 42 Columbus Road, Utica, standard inspection, no violations.
# Legend Marathon, April 15, 249 S. Main St., Utica, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Lights over three-bay sink are not covered.
# Dairy Queen, April 16, 720 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No date-marking of potentially hazardous food in cooler. 2. No thermometers to make sure potentially hazardous food is held at 41 degrees or below. 3. Interior of NorLake Cooler has food particles. 4. Door seals on NorLake cooler are dirty. 5. Door seal on Silver King cooler is torn. 6. Hot dogs were held at 132 degrees and coney sauce at 120 degrees; must be held at 135 degrees or above.
# Gas America No. 130, April 16, 759 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Pizza Hut No. 24158, April 16, 846 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Door seals are torn on McCall retarder, walk-in cooler and McCall proofer. 2. Interior of microwave has food splash. 3. Guard on fan in walk-in cooler is dirty. 4. Exterior of dishwashing machine is dirty. 5. Floor in walk-in cooler has food particles. 6. Some food items in walk-in cooler are not date-marked.
# Burger King 665, April 16, 856 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Lid on drive-thru ice bin is missing. 2. Lids are off Dumpster. 3. Vent filters over fryers have grease.
# Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites, April 16, 773 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, no violations.

CALIFORNIA: Four more cases of Hepatitis A confirmed
28.apr.08
SignonSanDiego.com
Union-Tribune Breaking News Team
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080428-1613-bn28hep.html
LA MESA –- Health officials were cited as saying Monday that four more cases of Hepatitis A have been linked to possible exposure at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant.
A total of 18 people, ranging from ages 23 to 59 years, have been identified. All 26 food handlers who work at the restaurant on 8005 Fletcher Parkway, have tested negative for the infection.
County health officials recommend that diners who went to the restaurant between March 1 and April 22 and have symptoms of the disease, see their physician to be screened for the illness.

OHIO: Test results are back for norovirus at Kent Chipotle
28.apr.08
19 Action News
http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=8236821
Kent, OH -- State health officials at the Ohio Department of Health laboratory confirmed that the food borne illness associated with Chipotle in Kent, Ohio was Norovirus Genotype G2.
It is evident that the food consumed from the Kent Chipotle between Tuesday April 14 and Friday April 18th was contaminated with norovirus.
Stool samples collected from people who had eaten chipotle food between 4/14 and 4/18 tested positive for Norovirus Genotype G2.
The food specimens taken on-site at Chipotle on April 18th were tested by ODH. Kent City Health Department collected food samples from Chipotle as well as leftovers from sick patrons. Samples were testing for the following organisms, and all tests were negative:
* Staphyloenterotoxin;
* Salmonella,
* Shigella;
* E. Coli O157
* Fecal Coliforms
John Ferlito, Kent City Health Department Health Commissioner states "We know the cause of the outbreak was norovirus. It is very difficult to confirm the origin of the contaminated food items to a foodborne outbreak."

UK: Steep fine for owner of dirty restaurant
28.apr.08
Evening Star
Helen Skene
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=
ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=I
PED28%20Apr%202008%2017%3A38%3A52%3A473
A Chinese restaurant owner has been forced to part with his life savings after selling potentially poisonous food to customers.
The Szechuan Inn was deemed so unhygienic by inspectors that rats, insects and birds were likely to contaminate food.
Despite its manager receiving repeated warnings about poor hygiene, a previous conviction and civil actions after an outbreak of salmonella, Shek Keung Kwok still failed to reach the required food hygiene standards.
He told South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court the £16,000 he was ordered to pay in fines and costs were his life savings which he had hoped to use to put his children through university and to pay his mortgage.
Caroline Watling, prosecuting for Babergh District Council, said Kwok, who runs the Catterwade Street restaurant and takeaway in Brantham, used an outside courtyard area which was open to rats, insects and birds to store equipment and to prepare food.
Kwok, who pleaded guilty through an interpreter, admitted failing to prepare a documented food safety management system, to failing to keep his premises and equipment clean and to using the rear yard as a food preparation area.

TEXAS: Agency's error hurts eateries that passed inspections
27.apr.08
El Paso Times
Stephanie Sanchez
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9069307
Three restaurant owners were cited as saying their businesses have suffered since the city Public Health Department released incorrect food inspection scores that subsequently were published in the El Paso Times.
Rosa's Cantina, 3454 Doniphan, Los Jarrones, 120 Redd, and Golden Dragon, 305 S. Main, all passed their health department inspections.
But documents obtained by the El Paso Times indicated the restaurants had received failing scores.
The El Paso Times requested six months of restaurant inspections through the Texas Public Information Act. Those ratings were published last weekend. According to documents, about 10 percent of restaurants or institutions that serve food in El Paso had failed inspections between September and early March.
Since the El Paso Times' request and publication of ratings, the city of El Paso has decided to begin publishing restaurant inspection ratings on its Web site.
The incorrect ratings listed for the three restaurants were clerical errors, said David Sublasky, manager of the department's food inspection program, adding, "The original request was through an open-records request. We don't change open-records requests. We had no idea what the information was going to be used for."
The El Paso Times made its first request for the ratings for publication on March 12.
The mistakes were "tragic," Sublasky said. "We certainly don't feel good about it."
John Ha, owner of Golden Dragon in Anthony, said he didn't mind that ratings are published but that the city should be more careful.

TEXAS: Restaurant reports
25.apr.08
The Courier
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19519180&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=639299&rfi=6
Editor’s note: The Courier each week runs a summary of reports on area restaurant inspections by the Montgomery County Health Department Environmental Health Services. The departmetn routinely performs food establishment inspections twice per year, or more often if the inspection report was bad resulting in numerous demerits or a complaint was filed. Below are all establishments that reeived no demerits, plus esstablishments each week that received the most demerits.
Restaurant inspections for April 19-23.
Restaurants with no demerits:
Handy Plus Food Store #67 - 24712 FM 1485, New Caney
Let’s Eat One Dish Delish - 23447 FM 1485, New Caney
Yankee Doodle Too - 23329 FM 1485, New Caney
Donuts Delight #3 - 2000 STE 101 FM 830, Willis
Luby’s - 201 Longmire, Conroe
WISD Brabham Middle School - 10000 FM 830, Willis
Sunset Harbor Resort - 7041 Kingston Cove, Willis
Sunset Harbor Tiki Bar and Grill - 7041 Kingston Cove, Willis
McDonalds #16608/Kades Shell - 8001 Texas 242, Conroe
Sunrise Donuts - 9255 Texas 242, Conroe
Walden Marina Store - 12050 Melville Drive, Montgomery
Taverna Winery and Restaurant - 12820 Texas 105, Conroe
China Delight 1108-A Loop 336 West, Conroe
Restaurants with the most demerits:
Subway - 18321 Texas 105 East, Conroe - 3 demerits - demerits were issues for not having a certified food manager on duty at the time of the inspection.
C-Store Pizza Inn - 20444 Loop 494, New Caney - 3 demreits- demerits were issued for an expired food managers license.
Winer’s Corner Valero - 16983 Glan Eagle, New Caney - 3 demerits - demerits were issued for improperly stocked hand washing facilities.
Ryan’s Steak House - 1413 Loop 336 North, Conroe - 3 demerits - demerits were issued for damaged disposal system.
Kountry Mart - 18919 Texas 105 East, Cleveland - 4 demerits -demerits were issued for improper labeling of self serve products.
830 Marina - 12155 FM 830, Willis - 4 demerits- demerits were issued for improper labeling of ice bags.
Jack in the Box - 3595 Loop 336 East, Conroe - 4 demerits - demerits were issued for inadequate handwashing facilities.
Panda Village Chinese Restaurant - 17099 Walden Road, STE 290, Montgomery - 6 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for inaccessible hand washing facilities; 3 demerits were issued for iproper storage of toxic items.
Captian D’s - Porter- 6 demrits - 3 demerits were issued for improper disposal system; 3 demerits were issued for not having a certified food manager present.
Multi Express Food Mart - 20444 Loop 494, New Caney - 6 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for improper mechanical warewahing temperature, 3 demerits were issued for absence of thermometers.
Shop N’ Run (Shell) Deli - 14581 FM 1405, Conroe - 6 demerits - 3 demerits were given for inaccessible hand washing facilities, 3 demerits were issued for unapproved sewage systems.
Subway - 14586 FM 1485 STE C, Conroe - 10 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for cross contamination of foods, 3 demerits were given for inaccessible handwashing facilities, 3 demertis were given for unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Parkway Food Mart - 19970 FM 1485, New Caney - 11 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for outdated food products, 4 demerits were issued for water systems being turned off, 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized mechanical warewashing units.
Hartz - Porter - 12 demerits - 6 demerits were issued for unapproved sewage systems, 3 demerits were issued for damaged thermometers in walk-in coolers, 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized food contact surfices.
Peach Creek Grocery/Deli - 26622 FM 1485, New Caney - 13 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for inadequate water supply, 3 demerits were issued for inadequate handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized mechanical warewashing units, 3 demerits were issued for unapproved sewage system.
The Corner Store - 13912 FM 1314, Conroe - 17 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for cross contamination of raw foods, 4 demerits were issued for unapproved water systems, 3 demerits were issued for inaccessible handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were given for storing items in hand sinks, 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Lake Conroe Food Mart (Shell) - 12930 FM 830, Willis - 36 demerits - 12 demerits were issued for unapproved water systems, 6 demerits were issued for inaccessible handwashing facilities, 6 demerits were issued for improperly stocked handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were issud for leaks in the mechanical warewashing systems, 3 demerits were issued for expired food managers licenses, 3 demerits were issued for having no chlorine in the water system, 3 demerits were issued for failure to display health/safety disclosures.

America's fast food chains. See how they rank for food safety
25.apr.08
Health Inspections.com
http://healthinspections.com/articles.cfm?YXJ0aWNsZUlEPTExOA==
America's big names in fast food have big problems with food safety. A review of nearly 7,000 health inspection reports revealed thousands of violations and plenty of horror stories.
-Burger King, Houston: An inspector found an employee's half eaten sandwich in a warmer, sitting on top of grilled chicken patties that would be served to customers.
-Taco Bell, Phoenix: Employee licks finger, then continues to prepare taco, handling food without washing.
-McDonalds, Phoenix: A customer complains that her child found two roaches in her pancakes. Inspectors visited the restaurant and found enough roaches to "support the allegations," and threatened legal action because of repeat violations.
When you step into a fast food restaurant – whether it's McDonalds or Wendy's, KFC or Sonic – inspection reports indicate that you're likely to be eating in a place that has a history of repeating serious health code violations.
Healthinspections.com analyzed two years worth of health inspection reports for the top 10 fast food chains in 12 cities at the request of Dateline NBC.
Among the findings:
Arby's: The worst over all record. Inspectors were likely to find two or more violations uncorrected from previous inspections when they visited an Arby's.
Arby's had the worst record for serving foods at dangerous temperatures with a fourth of its stores cited for repeat temperature violations.
Arby's also has a problem with dirty or unsanitized slicers which have been indentified as the cause of making customers sick.
Sonic Drive-In: Sonic had the worst record for repeat employee hygiene violations. 60% of the Sonics were cited for repeating a variety of health code violations.
McDonalds: One out of three McDonalds had repeat violations for either employee hygiene problems or for holding and serving foods at dangerous temperatures.
Overall, 41% of the McDonalds locations were cited for a serious, repeat violation.
Wendy's: 42% of the Wendy's locations were cited for serious repeat violations including employee hygiene, temperature problems, and unsanitized countertops and equipment.
KFC and Popeye's – two fried chicken giants – were repeatedly cited for problems with employee hygiene, plus they led the way with violations for rats, mice, roaches, and flies.
"Repeat violations are certainly an indication of problems," according to Chirag Bhatt, former director of inspections in Houston. Bhatt is now food safety director at Healthinspections.com.
"When restaurant workers keep repeating the same violations, it means they either don't care, they're not trained, there is bad management, or they're just not paying attention," said Bhatt.
"These are big chains that should be doing a much better job."
Other key findings:
-Worst City: Orlando. The home of Mickey Mouse is the place where fast food is most likely to make you sick based on health code violations.
In Orlando, when inspectors visited fast food restaurants, they found an average of 12 serious violations – a staggering number. During most health inspections, the average is only one or two serious violations.
-Employee Hygiene Problems: Sonic, KFC, Popeye's, Wendy's and Dairy Queen had the most locations with repeat violations for employee hygiene problems.
Customers Sick At Arby's Because Of Dirty Slicers
With the worst overall record, perhaps it's not surprising that Arby's had two high profile cases of customers getting sick during the past two years.
Illnesses that were traced to employees cutting roast beef on contaminated slicers.
"It was horrible, I couldn't believe how sick I was," said Frances Parks, a nurse who got sick after eating a roast beef sandwich at an Arby's in Valdosta, Georgia.
She was one of 19 people hospitalized because of salmonella bacteria -- traced to an Arby's slicer. The local health department concluded the slicer had not been properly cleaned and sanitized.
Arby's blamed the manufacturer for making a handle that was difficult to clean.
But dirty slicers and temperature problems are common violations at the roast beef chain.
In Phoenix, five Arby's were cited for having beef sitting at the wrong temperature on a slicer. Five other locations were cited for having a dirty slicer.
At a Sacramento Arby's, an inspector found that employees were only cleaning the slicer once a day. It's supposed to be cleaned every four hours to prevent dangerous bacteria from multiplying and contaminating any meat that's being sliced.
In all, 11% of the Arby's locations that we analyzed were specifically cited by inspectors for cutting roast beef on dirty slicers.
In Moses Lake, Washington an Arby's meat slicer tested positive for salmonella last year, after several people reported getting sick.
As a result, the health department in Moses Lake sent an inspector to the restaurant nine times last August, just to make sure employees were washing their hands and properly cleaning the slicer.
But, in December, the meat thermometer used to monitor roast beef on the slicer was not working properly.
And in January of this year, an inspector found that the slicer was once again not being cleaned every four hours as required.
Dirty Restaurants in Orlando
With so many violations in Orlando fast food restaurants, every chain we reviewed had problems. A couple of the worst offenders:
Dairy Queen, Curry Ford Rd in Orlando. Since 2006, this Dairy Queen has been written-up for 58 critical violations.
Employees consistently don't wash their hands. And a recent inspection found nine violations including dishes and utensils not properly sanitized before being re-used.
KFC, Colonial Drive, Orlando. This restaurant was been cited for 66 critical violations in three inspections.
The most recent, resulted in 26 serious violations. Inspectors counted 12 examples of dirty countertops and utensils, plus employees handling customers' food with bare hands, and an employee with long fingernails handling food.
There were so many flies in the KFC that the inspector counted it as a double violation.
Are Customers At Risk?
"Obviously, if food is served at the wrong temperature, or by workers with dirty hands, then there's a risk," says Chirag Bhatt, who ran Houston's inspection program.
And there are cases of customers getting sick from poor food handling.
In a lawsuit filed back in 2003, the Velotta family in Colorado sued and settled with KFC after they became ill from Salmonella bacteria that the health department connected to popcorn chicken.
The suit cited poor employee hygiene and failure to keep foods at the proper temperature as the reason for the family's illness.
Two year old Gianni Velotta was hospitalized as a result of the illness.
The Velotta's attorney, Bill Marler, a noted lawyer handling food safety cases, told Healthinspections.com that the fast food chains should
Check inspections and restaurant surroundings
Food safety expert Chirag Bhatt says that it's important to check a restaurant's inspection reports. If a place has "a history of repeated violations, it would be smart to avoid it."
He also says that you should check-out the basics in a restaurant: are the floors, tables, counters, or bathrooms clean?
Do employees have on hats or hairnets?
Do you see someone handle money, then handle food without washing? These are signs that will tell you how much emphasis management places on hygiene.
"Still, it's a bit of a gamble when you eat out," says Bhatt.
"What these numbers really tell us is that there's more risk than we like to think when we eat fast food because so many of these places obviously aren't paying attention to food safety."
The Cities
Here's how the cities rank for dirty fast food. Orlando topped the list.
1. Orlando 7. Manhattan
2. Phoenix 8. Virginia Beach
3. Denver 9. Kansas City
4. Miami 10. Sacramento
5. Houston 11. Philadelphia
6. Raleigh 12. Columbus
How The Chains Rank: Repeat Violations
This ranking shows which chains had the most stores with repeat violations.
1. Arby's 6. Wendy's
2. Sonic 7. Hardees/Carl's Jr.
3. Dairy Queen 8. McDonald's
4. KFC 9. Taco Bell
5. Popeye's 10. Burger King
How The Chains Rank: Hygiene
This ranking shows which chains had the most stores with repeat violations for employee hygiene violations.
1. Sonic 6. Arby's
2. KFC 7. McDonald's
3. Popeye's 8. Hardees/Carl's Jr.
4. Wendy's 9. Burger King
5. Dairy Queen 10. Taco Bell
What Do The Chains Have To Say About Their Performance?
We got no response from Arby's, Taco Bell, or Popeye's.
We asked the chains if they knew about the repeat violations. Most of them did not specifically answer the question. All of the chains said that serving safe food is a priority.
Dairy Queen: Called the results "deeply troubling." The company says it began a training program with an emphasis on handwashing last year, as well as creating a "team of people whose sole focus" is to monitor food safety in the restaurants.
McDonalds: The chain says it has some of the "strongest food safety standards in the industry." The spokesman did not respond specifically to our findings.
KFC: "While many of these violations go back several years and have been corrected, we find these results absolutely unacceptable." The chain says it has started a process to track local health inspections.
Sonic: The chain calls critical violations "unacceptable." Their food safety training program, called Sonic Safe, has been expanded to begin keeping track of health inspection results.
Burger King: "We frequently audit our restaurants for food safety." The chain says that it responds to health code violations by "putting in place a documented action plan and verification tools to ensure compliance."
Wendy's: "We welcome the independent eyes of local health inspectors because they help us get better. Our policy is to address any issues ASAP."
Hardees/Carl's Jr: The chain claims that many local health departments don't indicate repeat violations on inspection reports. The company says it requires restaurants to send health inspection reports to the corporate office, and that action is taken if required.

OHIO: Local restaurant closed after 23 get sick
25.apr.08
whiotv.com
Jill Del Greco
http://www.whiotv.com/news/15999430/detail.html
Barfblog Post
Xenia, Ohio -- Health officials closed a Mexican restaurant for several hours Friday after nearly two dozen people reported becoming sick, police said.
Mark McDonnell, with the Greene County Health Department, said they received 23 illness complaints from residents who ate at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurante in Xenia.
Health officials believe the sickness was caused by a norovirus, otherwise known as the Norwalk virus.
"We strongly suspect it's the Norwalk virus simply because of the time frame," McDonnell said. "

CALIFORNIA: Two more fall ill with hepatitis A
25.apr.08
SignOnSanDiego.com
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080425-1826-bn25hepa.html
La Mesa -- County health officials Friday identified two more people who became ill with hepatitis A after visiting a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in La Mesa, bringing to 14 the total number of patients linked to the outbreak.
Eight men and six women ages 23 to 55 have been sickened, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
Health officials have advised anyone who ate at the restaurant, at 8005 Fletcher Parkway, between March 1 and Tuesday to see a doctor if they experience symptoms of the viral infection.
Hepatitis A spreads by fecal contamination of water and food. It attacks the liver, and symptoms of an infection include nausea, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, dark urine and jaundice.
The current infection hasn't been found in any of Chipotle's 25 employees who have been tested for the virus.

SAN DIEGO: Additional hepatitis-A cases may be linked to La Mesa restaurant
25.apr.08
AM 600
http://kogo.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=125548&article=3597618
Barfblog Post
The number of cases linked to possible exposure at a Chipotle restaurant now totals 12.
The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reports six additional cases of Hepatitis A linked to possible exposure at a Chipotle restaurant in La Mesa, bringing the total number of cases to 12. HHSA Community Epidemiology employees are interviewing individuals whose symptoms are consistent with the illness.
Epidemiology and County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) staff continue to investigate the source of the illness. The County recommends that individuals who dined at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22, 2008 - and are symptomatic for Hepatitis A - see their physician to be screened for the illness.
Monty Moran, president and chief operating officer of Chipotle, was quoted as saying, “The health and safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority. We continue to partner with the County of San Diego as they investigate the cause of this illness. Employees tested to date have been negative for Hepatitis A. Our restaurant has received ‘A’ ratings in all five inspections in the last five months.”
Hepatitis A is commonly transmitted when an object contaminated with the stool of someone with Hepatitis A comes in contact with another person’s mouth. Exposure also can take place when an individual consumes food or water contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus.
Individuals with no medical provider, or anyone who would like more information, may call the County Epidemiology Branch at (619) 515-6620. Information about Hepatitis A vaccine may be obtained from the HHSA Immunizations Branch at (619) 692-8661. More information is also available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/

BAHRAIN: Three restaurants closed over food safety violations
24.apr.08
Gulf Daily News
Mandeep Singh
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=215409&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31035
At least three restaurants have, according to this story, been shut down in the last one week after Health Ministry food control section inspectors found they were violating health and hygiene norms.
An official, who did not want to be named, was quoted as saying, "The restaurants were found to be violating the basic rules related to storage, delivery and cooking food. Several more restaurants are under watch and action is being considered against them."
Section head Dr Abdulla Ahmed was cited as saying that action had been taken against some food outlets, but said he could not provide any figures, adding, "We are very strict with our inspections and some places have been closed down and told to brush up their act."

SAN DIEGO: 6 cases of Hepatitis A linked to La Mesa Chipotle
23.apr.08
Fox 6
http://www.fox6.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=471d0b29-5ce4-4eae-a4ac-e26ec0663dcf&rss=tick
Barfblog Post
The San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and County Department of Environmental Health are investigating six cases of Hepatitis A linked to a La Mesa Chipotle restaurant.
The county is recommending individuals who dined at the restaurant between March and April 22, 2008, and may see symptoms of Hepatitis A, to see their physicians for screenings.
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable illness, according to health officers, and the public is urged to talk to their physicians about getting vaccinated.
According to health officials, Chipotle has been very cooperative as the investigation is underway.
Monty Moran, president and chief operating officer of Chipotle, was quoted as saying, "The health and safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority. We have done and will continue to do everything we can to assist the health department in identifying the cause of this illness."
Hepatitis A is a result of poor hygiene. Health officials say that victims are exposed when an individual consumes water or food contaminated with the stool of someone with the virus.
Individuals with no medical provider, or anyone who would like more information, may call the County Epidemiology Branch at (619) 515-6620. Information about Hepatitis A vaccine may be obtained from the HHSA Immunizations Branch at (619) 692-8661. More information is also available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov.

GEORGIA: Restaurant inspection scores released
23.apr.08
The Northeast Georgian
http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/04/22/news/business/01business.txt
Following is the foodservice inspection scores for April 11-15 by the Habersham County Health Department's Environmental Health Section.
A score of 85 and above is considered passing.
Foodservice establishments are required to post their score sheets in public so that customers can review them.
For more information about an inspection, contact the environmental health office at (706) 776-7659.
April 11
* Demorest Elementary, Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway, Demorest. Inspection time: 10:30 a.m. Purpose of inspection: Routine. Score: 100; current grade: A; last score: 100.
April 15
• Skin's Hotdogs, 153 Quality Foods Center, Cornelia. Inspection time: 4:45 p.m. Purpose of inspection: Routine. Score: 100; current grade: A; last score: 100.

AUSTRALIA: Cockroaches in hotel kitchen
23.apr.08
Adelaide Now
Kim Wheatley
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23590455-5006301,00.html
A leading luxury Adelaide hotel, investigated for a gastroenteritis outbreak which is believed to have affected 50 people, had cockroach-infested kitchens.
The Advertiser can reveal the Stamford Grand Hotel was also found to have had unclean and ill-maintained premises after a January, 2007, inspection by the Holdfast Bay Council. But the seaside resort was not prosecuted, receiving three $2500 fines.
At the time, the Health Department advised doctors of a norovirus outbreak affecting at least 50 people "at a particular venue" but it did not name the Grand.
Independent MP Bob Such, who has been campaigning for greater transparency on food safety, has renewed calls for the State Government to name and shame offending outlets in light of revelations that councils made no prosecutions for breaches of food standards in 2006-07.
Dr Such was quoted as saying, "The fine was just a slap on the wrist. This is another case of SA being the secrecy state. People have a right to know whether food establishments meet proper standards . . . food poisoning is a very serious health matter."
Health Minister John Hill was quoted as saying allegations of cockroach infestations in commercial kitchens were "naturally very disturbing".
While arguing that it was the responsibility of local councils to inspect food premises and to impose fines, Mr Hill said he had asked the Health Department to request information from the Holdfast Bay Council on the Stamford Grand matter.
Documents received by The Advertiser show that the Communicable Disease Control branch had alerted the council to an apparent outbreak of norovirus at the Stamford Grand. An inspection of the food preparation areas show:
AN INFESTATION of cockroaches in two kitchens.
UNCLEAN premises.
Ill-MAINTAINED premises.
INADEQUATE hand-washing facilities at several locations.
Asked why the hotel wasn't prosecuted, Holdfast Bay Council chief executive Rob Donaldson was cited as saying there was no direct link with norovirus, adding, "The investigation was initiated by the Health Department (but) our guys didn't make a specific connection with the norovirus."
He stood by the decision not to notify the public about the cockroach infestations. "It was dealt with," Mr Donaldson said.
Recently appointed Stamford Grand manager Sacha Adell said he was not aware of the offences but invited people to inspect the kitchens. He also said a new management team and executive chef had been enmployed over the past year to uphold the highest health and hygiene standards.

OHIO: About 435 Chipotle patrons report getting sick
23.apr.08
Ohio.com
Katie Byard
http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/18034289.html
The number of people who reported that they became sick after eating at the Chipotle Mexican Grill in Kent has grown to about 435.
That's up from the 180 reports received as of Saturday afternoon.
Kent Health Commissioner John Ferlito was cited as saying Tuesday that the additional cases involve people who ate at the restaurant before Saturday, adding, "We're not seeing any problem in the last three days."
The restaurant at 429 E. Main St. reopened Saturday, after a voluntary shutdown Friday. Workers replaced the food and sanitized equipment with a bleach solution.
Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle, was cited as saying the company has established a claims process to reimburse the related medical expenses of those who became ill, and that people who sought medical attention for their symptoms should call Chipotle Claims at 888-366-2150.
Monty Moran, the company's president and chief operating officer, was quoted as saying, "Food safety is, and always has been, our highest priority."

MASSACHUSETTS: Health inspection reports: Lucky Garden, Jose's, Takemura
21.apr.08
Wicked Local Cambridge
Erin Smith
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x292017127
Cambridge - The following is a log of recent restaurant and food service inspections by the Inspectional Services Department that resulted in one or more health code violations. Unless otherwise noted, the problems were fixed when officials returned to re-inspect. Compiled by Erin Smith.
· Lucky Garden at 282 Concord Ave. was cited for 15 health code violations March 7. The restaurant owners were cited for storing foods in the original cans after opening, failing to store dry foods in covered containers, food deposits in the handwashing sink and storing food containers on the floor and then placing them on the clean cutting boards. Inspectors also ordered the restaurant workers to stop preparing food on an unsanitary table in contact with an unsanitary wall, to clean the kitchen and to clean the can opener blade. The restaurant was cleared of the violations March 21, after two re-inspections.
· March 17, health inspectors found 15 health code violations at Jose’s Mexican Restaurant at 131 Sherman St. City inspectors ordered the workers to clean the kitchen floors, the soda gun holster at the bar and inside the walk-in refrigerator. Inspectors also ordered the owners to stop defrosting meat in standing water, put rodent traps outside the restaurant and clean the mouse droppings in the kitchen and call an exterminator.
· When city health inspectors visited Takemura at 18 Eliot St. March 5, they ordered the owners to clean the floors under the kitchen equipment, clean and sanitize the slicer between uses and clean the rear area by the trash.
· During a routine inspection March 6, inspectors cited four health code violations at Tanjore at 18 Eliot St. Inspectors ordered the workers to give the dish room and walk-in refrigerator a general cleaning and stop storing foods in open cans after opening.
· Sheraton Commander at 16 Garden St. was cited for four health code violations March 3. Inspectors told the restaurant workers to clean the floors under the kitchen equipment and clean inside the ice machine.
· Health inspectors told the owners at Tampopo at 1815 Mass. Ave. to clean the shelves in storage and clean the floors in the restaurant kitchen after a routine inspection Feb. 20. Inspectors also noted mouse activity in the restaurant and storage room.
· Inspectors told the owners of Ortanique at 370 Huron Ave. to put rodent traps outside the business after a routine inspection March 9.
· When health inspectors visited Grendel’s Den at 89 Winthrop St. March 5, they found three health code violations and ordered the restaurant to clean soda gun holsters and the floors under the kitchen equipment.
· During a routine inspection March 17, inspectors cited Gran Gusto at 90 Sherman St. for six health code violations. Inspectors told workers to stop keeping raw chicken and beef at room temperature and stop using bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
· March 12, health inspectors found four health code violations at Upstairs on the Square at 91 Winthrop St. City inspectors ordered the workers to clean the soda gun holsters and the floors under the equipment in the upstairs kitchen.
Perfect scores!
Health inspectors found no violations during routine inspections at:
· Porter Café, 1815 Mass. Ave., Feb. 2
· Fresh Pond Market, 358 Huron Ave., April 9

ARIZONA: Health-inspection process for licensing isn't smooth for 2 restaurants
20.apr.08
Arizona Daily Star
Shelley Shelton
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/235143
Two eateries on transitional licensing to new ownership were unable to get their regular restaurant licenses in March because health inspectors found too many violations to make the changeovers official.
If Los Betos, 32 N. Campbell Ave., and Cuvée World Bistro, 3352 E. Speedway, had their normal licenses, they would have been placed on "provisional" status — the nice way of saying they failed inspection and needed to pass a follow-up.
But instead they remained on transitional status — though Los Betos has since gotten a regular license.
Cuvée World Bistro
At a March 25 inspection, foods were found at improper temperatures in several refrigerators. A dishwasher was observed taking a bucket out to the grease barrel before returning to rinse dishes and put away clean dishes without washing hands between.
Employees had beverages without lids at the prep table. There was heavy food debris on two pans that were stored as clean and on the dough machine. Dry storage shelves had a heavy dust buildup.
The inspector saw one live "juvenile cockroach" in front of the salad prep area and a dead nymph roach in front of a hand sink. The inspector also found two live adult roaches — one under a hand sink and another under a wait-station ice bin.
Owner Robert Bossardet, who bought the restaurant in November, said he takes full responsibility for all the issues and set a goal to have everything corrected within 30 days — though he was given 90 days.
Most problems were, he said, "a series of small violations, but they were considered critical."
He and two chefs were out of the restaurant the day the inspector came, and the employees made some admittedly dumb mistakes, he said.
Los Betos
At a March 19 inspection, the sanitarian found that a refrigerator wasn't working properly, causing food to be too warm. The inspecting sanitarian also observed a cook crack eggs and then touch utensils and ready-to-eat tortillas without washing his hands. Hands must be washed after cracking eggs.
Proper sink use for hand-washing and dishwashing seemed to be a problem overall.
An employee rinsed his hands in the three-compartment sink — the one intended for use as a dish sink — and continued working in the front area. The cook cracked raw eggs and then went to the three-compartment sink to wash, using no soap and washing for less than 20 seconds, as is required. The employees were advised to use soap and wash for 20 seconds in the single-compartment hand sink and then dry hands on paper towels, and they did.
The inspector saw employees drinking sodas and keeping them on the food-prep table without lids or straws, with open bags of tortillas next to the drinks. A cook was rolling ready-to-eat burritos with bare hands. When asked about gloves, he said they were on order, but then he found a box, washed his hands and put gloves on.
These food establishments scored Excellent on their last three inspections.
Bronco Ice Cream Truck, 31 W. Los Reales Road
Coffee Caboose, 15455 S. Camino Lago Azul
Early Bird Daycare and Learning Center, 132 E. Prince Road
Homer Davis Elementary, 4250 N. Romero Road
Keeling Elementary, 2837 N. Los Altos Ave.
L & G Ice Cream, 1684 S. Research Loop
Mario's Pizza, 3157 N. First Ave.
Mary's Ice Cream, 2005 S. Westover Ave.
Nayelly's Ice Cream, 219 W. 28th St.
Roberts Elementary, 4355 E. Calle Aurora
Rose Elementary, 710 W. Michigan St.
Seattle's Best Coffee, 4235 N. Oracle Road
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 8650 N. Shannon Road
Subway, 7555 N. La Cholla Blvd.
Walter Douglas Elementary, 3302 N. Flowing Wells Road
This list does not include establishments that earned a "Good" rating, nor those that earned an "Excellent" rating this time unless it was the third "Excellent" rating in a row.

TEXAS: Special report: How safe is your food? 251 El Paso food sellers failed inspections during the last six months.
20.apr.08
El Paso Times
Stephanie Sanchez
http://www.elpasotimes.com/health/ci_8987102
Slightly more than 10 percent of restaurants, fast-food establishments and grocery stores in El Paso County failed health inspections in the past six months, an El Paso Times analysis of records shows.
From September to March, 251 of those eateries -- including fine-dining, country club, private dinner club, popular, small and fast-food restaurants -- flunked, according to reports obtained through the Texas Public Information Act.
Of 4,464 establishments inspected, 2,590 were restaurants, fast-food establishments and grocery stores. Other establishments that served food but are not considered restaurants that failed were two high schools and a child-care center. During the six-month analysis, 40 restaurants were repeat offenders, meaning they failed at least two inspections. For at least 30 years, no food establishments have been given a permanent notice of suspension of permit, which would require closure.
Some notable restaurants that failed were El Paso Country Club, Lancers Club, Mesa Street Bar and Grill, Holiday Inn Airport, several McDonald's and Subway eateries, a Jaxon's, an Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, an IHOP, KFChicken, Ciro's restaurants, Taco Cabanas, a Carl's Jr., Pro's Ranch Market, and Casa Jurado.
Among the violations found were beef and chicken kept too warm, exposing them to bacteria; employees not washing their hands; rotten tomatoes; and a can of insecticide stored near soda syrup.

INDIANA: Food establishment inspections -- Wayne County
20.apr.08
Pal-Item.com
Palladium-Item.com
http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080420/NEWS01/804200324/1008
The Wayne County Health Department makes routine inspections of food service establishments for employee practices, food storage and handling, food temperatures, utensil washing, restrooms and general sanitation. They are graded with critical and non-critical violations. A critical item is defined as a violation that is more likely than other violations to contribute to food contamination, illness or environmental health hazard. Information: Marshall Kern, Health Department, (765) 973-9245.
Abington General Store, 6776 Abington Pike, Centerville, April 3. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Adair's Spice of Life, 109 S. Morton, Centerville, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
American Legion Post 315, 1214 S. Eighth St., Richmond, March 26. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
American Legion Post 65, 109 N. Sixth St., Richmond, March 19. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical - 0.
Area 9 Centerville-Abington Senior Center, 111 S. Second St., Centerville, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Area 9 Nettle Creek Senior Center, 327 E. Main St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Area 9 Western Wayne Senior Center, 1007 E. Main St., Cambridge City, March 31. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Bear Creek Coffee, 990 Chester Blvd., Richmond, March 24. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Bear Creek Coffee-East, 4741 National Road E., Richmond, April 1. Critical -- 1, no employee certified in food safety; Non-Critical -- 1. April 3 follow-up inspection: Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Blockbuster Video, 3300 E. Main St., Richmond, April 1. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Bluegill's Bar and Grill, 1032 E. Main St., Richmond, March 14. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
BP One Stop Shop, 5801 National Road E., Richmond, April 3. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Buffalo Wings & Rings, 500 Commerce Road, Richmond, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Burger King 1140, 4360 National Road E., Richmond, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Burger King 7474, 2414 Chester Blvd., Richmond, March 19. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Carla's Café, 475 E. Main St., Hagerstown, April 3. Critical -- 5: 1) ham in the south reach-in cooler had dissolved aluminum foil on it; 2) dish machine had sanitizing level of less than 10 ppm; 3) evidence of a certified food handler employee not provided; 4) no employee health policy provided; 5) consumer advisory on the menu does not disclose which menu items are being referred to. Non-Critical -- 5.
Centerville Elementary School, 115 W. South St., Centerville, April 4. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Centerville Farmers Market, 300 N. Morton St., Centerville, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Central Kitchen, 101 S.W. D St., Richmond, March 18. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Chili's, 4383 National Road E., Richmond, April 2. Critical -- 1, knives, food containers and lids stored to be used for food contact were heavily soiled with food residue; Non-Critical -- 0.
Chipotle Mexican Grill 1101, 3726 National Road E., Richmond, March 31. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Chug A Lug Pub, 115 S. Center St., Cambridge City, March 10. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
CVS 6646, 1122 Indiana 1, Cambridge City, March 10. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Dairy Queen, 1700 National Road W., Richmond, April 1. Critical -- 1, several containers of wimpy in front reach-in cooler measured 47-50 degrees; Non-Critical -- 1. April 4 follow-up inspection: Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Dave's Café, 581 E. Main St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 5: 1) kitchen handwashing sink had dirty dishes/utensils stored in it; 2) hamburger patties in reach-in cooler not date marked; 3) sliced meats in prep cooler were not date marked; 4) lasagna in the walk-in cooler not date marked; 5) condiment cooler holding at 45.2 degrees and not at 41 degrees or below. Non-Critical -- 1.
Druid's Lodge, 123 S. Eighth St., Richmond, March 17 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
El Cazador, 408 E. Main St., Cambridge City, April 2 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Elks Country Club, 2100 U.S. 27 S., Richmond, March 18. Critical -- 3: 1) employee health policy not in place; 2) chili, macaroni and cheese and cheese balls prepared before March 17 were not date marked in the walk-in cooler; 3) a metal-banded brush was used for food applications at the grill; Non-Critical -- 2.
Fazoli's, 4711 National Road E., Richmond, March 24. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Forest Hills Country Club, 2169 S. 23rd St., Richmond, March 18. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Gas America Mini Mart 29, 298 E. Main St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Hagerstown Elementary School, 299 N. Sycamore St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 1, north reach-in cooler is not holding at 41 degrees, ambient air measured at 48 degrees; Non-Critical -- 1.
Hagerstown High School, 700 Baker Road, Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Harvest Land Co-Op 62, 1435 N.W. Fifth St., Richmond, April 4. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Highland Lake Golf Course, 1972 Highland Road, Richmond, March 28. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Joe's Pizza, 911 N. E St., Richmond, March 14. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
KC's Korner, 255 E. College St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 1, middle condiment cooler measured 44.8 degrees and not holding at 41 degrees; Non-Critical -- 0.
Main Street Diner, 1600 E. Main St., Richmond, March 25. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Marsh Hometown Market 325, 501 National Road E., Richmond, March 27 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Marsh Supermarket, 1301 S. E St., Richmond, March 27: Critical -- 1, ham salad and pasta salad at 48 degrees, bologna at 52.1 degrees and macaroni salad at 52.5 degrees in the deli case; Non-Critical -- 1.
McBride Stadium, 201 N.W. 13th St., Richmond. March 28. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
McCarty Mart, 2267 E. Cumberland St., Dublin, March 31. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
McDonald's, 400 Commerce Road, Richmond, March 31. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical – 2.
Meijer Gas Station 155, 2505 Chester Blvd., Richmond, March 20. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
National Road Shell, 5890 National Road E., Richmond, March 31. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Quaker Hill Conference Center, 10 Quaker Hill Drive, Richmond, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Red Lobster, 5400 National Road E., Richmond, March 20. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Richmond 40 Bowl, 75 S. 37th St., Richmond, March 17 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Richmond Community Kitchen, 800 N. A St., Richmond, April 2. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Richmond Toyota (doing business as Seattle's Best), 5601 National Road E., Richmond, March 27. Critical -- 1, establishment has lost certified food handler and needs replacement; Non-Critical -- 1.
Ritter's Frozen Custard, 3005 National Road E., Richmond, March 20.Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Ron-De-Voo Inn, 99 N. Perry St., Hagerstown, March 27 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Rose Hamilton Elementary, 1281 Round Barn Road S., Centerville, April 4. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Rose Mary's Garden, 55 E. Main St., Hagerstown, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Salvation Army, 707 S. A St., Richmond, April 3. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Southside Café, 401 S. Fifth St., Richmond, March 26. Critical -- 1, hot dogs in reach-in cooler did not have date mark; Non-Critical -- 0.
Square Donuts, 1241 N.W. Fifth St., Richmond, March 18. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 4.
Subway/Wal-Mart, 3601 E. Main St., Richmond, March 19 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Surjit Gas, 1605 E. Main St., Richmond, March 25 follow-up inspection: Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Taco Bell, 3302 E. Main St., Richmond, March 27. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Taste of Asia, 2515 Chester Blvd., Richmond, March 28. Critical -- 2: 1) the establishment does not have an employee who is certified in food safety; 2) tubs of raw beef, pork, chicken and seafood were stored over containers of produce; Non-Critical -- 0.
University Shell, 2320 Chester Blvd., Richmond, March 20. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Welcome Inn Bar & Grill, 721 N.W. Fifth St., Richmond, April 4. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 1.
Wellings Steak House, 1500 N. E St., Richmond, March 20. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.
Wendy's, 1716 E. Main St., Richmond, March 31 follow-up inspection. Critical -- 0; Non-Critical -- 0.

OHIO: Health officials investigating possible food-borne illness outbreak at Chipotle in Kent
18.apr.08
recordpub.com
http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/3656141
Health officials are, according to this story, investigating a possible food-borne illness outbreak at Chipotle restaurant in Kent.
The restaurant was closed Friday.
The first cases were reported around 10 p.m. Thursday.
Robinson Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Farquhar was cited as saying 17 patients were treated and released with classic food poisoning symptoms," including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. They were given fluids and medication, and released after they felt well enough."
John Ferlito of the Kent City Health Department has confirmed that Chipotle Restaurant in Kent on S.R. 59 has voluntarily closed pending a health department investigation. The restaurant is closing to sanitize all surfaces and is currently interviewing all employees to exclude any staff who may be ill. Health officials are working with the Ohio Department of Health to test ill individuals and food from the restaurant.

UK: Five star and zero star eating places in Northampton
18.apr.08
Northampton Chronicle and Echo
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Best-and-worst-of-Northampton39s.3996446.jp
Scores from inspections of eating houses by environmental health officers have been published as part of a venture aimed at shaming poor food cleanliness standards in Northampton.
The list published below is the information currently available on the inspection website.
Companies have the right to appeal their rating and those with zero ratings will have worked with hygiene officers to improve.
Five star venues
Argos Ltd, 55-57, AbingtoStreet, Northampton
Boots, Fairground Way Riverside Park, A45, Northampton
Carlsberg Brewery, 140 Bridge Street,
Northampton
Carlsberg Tetley Brewing Ltd, Tithe BarWay, SwaValley, Northampton
Gist Limited, Carlsberg-tetley Brewing Ltd, Tithe BarWay, SwaValley, Northampton
Hardingstone Village Hall, High Street, Hardingstone, Northampton
HoughtoHams, 58 Tenter Road, MoultoPark, Northampton
KFC, 73 AbingtoStreet, Northampton
KFC, Nene Valley Retail Park, Towcester Road, Northampton
Liburd Community Room, WhiltoRoad, Kingsthorpe, Northampton
Manfield Health Campus, Cynthia Spencer & Favell House, Kettering Road, Northampton
Nu Nu Day Nursery (next to Morrisons), Kettering Road, Northampton
Office Depot, GowertoRoad, Brackmills, Northampton
Tate & Lyle Sugars (Hoyer UK), C/o B&r Commercials, Tweed Road, WeedoRoad Industrial East, Northampton
Tesco Stores Ltd, Caswell Road, Brackmills, Northampton
The Ambridge Room, Arlbury Road, Blackthorn, Northampton
Tmi Foods Ltd, Cornhill Close, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton
Uniq Prepared Foods, 15 Deer Park Road, MoultoPark, Northampton
Whittard Of Chelsea, 2 Ravens Way, Crow Lane Industrial Estate, Northampton
Zero ratings
AbingtoStores, 70 Edith Street, Northampton
Al-madina Supermarket, 192 Kettering Road, Northampton
Aroma Of India, 15 WellingtoPlace, Northampton
Bangla Bazar, 95 Clare Street, Northampton
Bellybusters, Tyne Road, WeedoRoad Industrial Estate, Northampton
CC Foods Limited, 62 Bunting Road, Kingsthorpe Hollow, Northampton
Clicker, 1 Collingdale Road, Headlands, Northampton
Eurest @ Tesco (public cafe), 1/2 WestoFavell Centre, WestoFavell, Northampton
Eurest @ Tesco (staff canteen), 1/2 WestoFavell Centre, WestoFavell, Northampton
Fontana's Hamburgers, 23a Gold Street, Northampton
Forum, 50-54 Cattlemarket Road, Northampton
Gourmet House, 98 Wellingborough Road, Northampton
Jwdk Foods, Unit H4d, KG Business Centre, Kingsfield Way, Spencer, Northampton
Kenya Hal-al Meat, 74 Wellingborough Road, Northampton
Klassik Afro Market, 42a Barrack Road, Northampton
Kwic Snax, Crow Lane Industrial Estate Ravens Way, Crow Lane Industrial Estate, Northampton
Maharajah Tandoori, 146/148 Wellingborough Road, Northampton
Mama Mia's, 6 AbingtoSquare, Northampton
Marefair Pizza & Kebab, 17 Marefair, Northampton
Marlene's Den, 89 OpeMarket, Northampton
Masala IndiaCuisine, 7 Greenview Drive, Links View, Northampton
Millennium, 44-46 Gold Street, Northampton
Millennium Pizza & Kebab, 8 AbingtoSquare, Northampton
Mirpur, 126 Wellingborough Road, Northampton
Mix Spice, 108 Bailiff Street, Northampton
Munchy's, 26 St James Mill Road, Northampton
Munchy's Mobile, Lodge Way Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton
NB's, 25 Bridge Street, Northampton
New Imperial House, 22 CastiliaStreet, Northampton
Papa Luigi Pizza, 14 AbingtoSquare, Northampton
Paul's Takeaway, 13 WellingtoPlace, Northampton
Peaceful Blessing, 19a Harborough Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton
Preps Ltd, 62 Bunting Road, Kingsthorpe Hollow, Northampton
Red Hot Pizza And Grill House, 59-61 Gold Street, Northampton
Sargeants Delicatessen, 3a-4a WestoFavell Centre, WestoFavell, Northampton
Savannah Cafe, 137 Kettering Road, Northampton
Shajahan, 62 High Street, Kingsthorpe, Northampton
Sixfields Balti Tandoori Express, 19 Ross Road, St James, Northampton
Sophia's, 54/56 Bridge Street, Northampton
StatioCafe, Billing Aquadrome, Northampton
TGI Fridays, Walter Tull Way, Sixfields, Northampton
The Express Pizza, 65 Kettering Road, Northampton
The Meating Place, Billing Garde
Village, The Causeway, Great Billing, Northampton
Wedgwood, 79/81 AbingtoStreet, Northampton
Woky, 236 Wellingborough Road, Northampton
Xing Qiang Express, 11 Fairfield Road, Kingsley, Northampton
How they rate the venues...
Five star: Very high standards of compliance with food safety legislation. Demonstrating best practice in managing and achieving this.
Four star: High standard of compliance with food safety legislation. Robust food safety management.
Three star: Good level of legal compliance. Only minor safety issues not addressed.
Two star: Mainly compliant with food safety legislation. An understanding of food safety and standards being maintained or being improved.
One star: Some non compliance with food safety legislation. More effort required.
Zero: A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety.

OREGON: County to consider publishing restaurant inspection scores
14.apr.08
The Daily Astorian
http://www.dailyastorian.com/Main.asp?SectionID=2&ArticleID=50548
Clatsop County Health and Human Services is considering a plan to regularly publish inspection scores of licensed food establishments on the county's Web site. The public is welcome to comment on this proposed plan by attending one of two scheduled sessions: at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225 Avenue A in Seaside; or at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St.
Written comments may also be sent to Hal Nauman at (hnauman@co.clatsop.or.us) or mailed to Clatsop County Health and Human Services, 820 Exchange St., Suite 100, Astoria OR 97103.
Establishments that serve food to the public are routinely inspected by Clatsop County Environmental Health for compliance to the Oregon Food Sanitation Rules, which set standards for food protection, the facilities and provide employee restrictions to safeguard the public's health and provide consumers food that is safe.
The results of routine inspections are, by law, public information. Currently, inspection results can be obtained by directly contacting the Environmental Health Program.

NEW JERSEY: Restaurant inspection report
14.apr.08
Newark Advocate
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080414/NEWS01/804140316/1002
# Heath Schools -- Garfield Elementary, March 31, 680 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Family Dollar Store No. 3165, April 1, 1036 Mount Vernon Road, Newark, follow-up, no violations.
# Lee's Kitchen, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Food opened from original packages not date-marked. 2. Handle off (unreadable) freezer; 3. Bulk food container (rice) is broken. 4. No test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink. 5. Hand sink in kitchen is inaccessible. 6. Lights out over grill area. 7. Vent filters and vent hood have grease collected. 8. Thermometers in food prep unit by grill read 50 degrees F. (must be 41 or below). 9. Cardboard on shelves in walk-in cooler and on equipment in kitchen.
# Happy Gyro, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Charley's Steakery, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Employee not using hair restraint or cap when serving ready-to-eat foods. 2. Food not date-marked in coolers.
# Auntie Anne's, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Osaka Japan Grille II Inc., April 1, 771 S. 30th St. No. 609, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No quaternary ammonia based sanitizer test strips. 2. Drain line for ice machine at floor drain has no air gap.
# Sbarro the Italian Eatery, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Baked ziti was held at 126 degree F. on the hot food holding unit; must be 135 degrees F. or above. 2. Floor in kitchen is dirty.
# Arby's, April 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in cold table. 2. No test strips for quaternary sanitizer. 3. Door seal torn on Beverage Air Freezer. 4. Door hinge loose on Beverage Air Freezer. 5. Interior cavities of microwave have food splash.
# Our Lakeside Diner, April 2, 11143 Hebron Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in the Wassertrom cooler. 2. Door seals on Wasserstrom cooler are torn. 3. Cold water faucet at hand sink does not work.
# Louie's Corner House, April 2, 11174 Hebron Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, no violations.
# Family Dollar Store No. 2965, April 2, 4675 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Floor tiles missing in employee restroom. 2. Floors in back room and employee restroom are dirty. 3. Lids on Dumpster not closed.
# Scooter's Sports Bar, April 2, 4675 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink. 2. Interior of pizza pan has food splash. 3. No shield on lights in men's restroom.
# LEADS Head Start -- Buckeye Lake, April 2, 5312 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, standard inspection, no violations.
# McDonald's, April 2, 789 S. 30th St., Newark, complaint, no violations.
# McDonald's, March 31, 789 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No thermometer in drive-through cooler. 2. Door seal on drive- through cooler is torn. 3. Condensation problem in walk-in freezer. 4. No air gap at floor drain. 5. Spigot by three-bay sink floor drain leaks. 6. Three-bay sink spigot leaks.
# Newark Catholic High School, April 2, 1 Green Wave Drive, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Dairy Isle No. 1, April 2, 471 W. Church St., Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Dairy Isle No. 2, April 2, 527 E. Main St., Newark, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Broken pieces of cove molding (up front) and broken floor tile by drain.
# J&M at Church St. LLC, April 2, 490 Highland Blvd., Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Babe Ruth National Complex, April 2, 429 Ohio St., Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Panther Pizza, April 3, 2448 W. High St., Newark, 30-day inspection, no violations.
# Cottage Restaurant, April 3, 2710 N. High St., Newark, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Sides of fryer and Vulcan oven have grease.
# Hanover Village Market, April 3, 2165 W. High St., Newark, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Hand sink in produce area has plumbing disconnected. 2. Ceiling in produce area has mildew/mold.
# Licking Memorial Hospital -- 2nd/3rd/4th/5th, April 4, 1370 W. Main St., Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Hebron Area Soccer League, April 4, 1801 Refugee Road, Building C, Hebron, pre-licensing, no violations.
# Carmen's Pizza, April 4, 106 W. National Drive, Newark, 30-day inspection, no violations.
# Dog Wild, April 4, 286 N. Cedar St., Newark, 30-day inspection, with violations. 1. No towels at hand sink. 2. Pans in storage are not inverted. 3. Wiping cloth on countertop. 4. Bare hand contact of ready-to-eat foods.
# Licking Heights Central Middle School, April 7, 6565 Summit Road, Pataskala, standard inspection, no violations.
# Licking Heights North, April 7, 6507 Summit Road, Pataskala, standard inspection, no violations.
# Licking Heights South, April 7, 6623 Summit Road, Pataskala, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Replace missing shield on light in hood. 2. Replace missing ceiling tile above entry door.
# Kroger Co. No. 926, April 7, 910 Hebron Road, Heath, complaint, no violations.
# White Castle No. 24, April 7, 904 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Door seals are torn on McCall freezer. 2. Hand wash sink used to soak equipment and utensils; for hand washing only.
# Honey Baked Ham Co. and Cafe, April 7, 1006 Hebron Road, Suite C, Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Papa John's Pizza No. 625, April 7, 566 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Wiping cloths lying on countertops. 2. No thermometer in Victory food prep unit. 3. No quaternary test strips for sanitizer in three-bay sink. 4. Door seals on Victory cooler are torn.
# Duchess-BP No. 176, April 7, 753 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Three-bay sink is inaccessible. 2. No lid on commode tank in public restroom. 3. No cover on lights in public restroom. 4. No paper towels in public restroom.
# Wonder Thrift Store, April 7, 1317 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Lights out in store area. 2. Handicap door will not open. 3. No lid on trash container in women's restroom.
Compiled from official reports.

N.Y. media eateries score health violations
11.apr.08
Newsmax.com
Stewart Stogel
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/ny_health_violations/2008/04/10/87039.html
Last year, rats found in a Greenwich Village KFC and at several United Nations restaurants made the headlines among the Big Apple's TV stations and tabloid newspapers.
Now, the New York City Department of Health has turned its attention to the media itself.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's health inspectors recently made surprise visits at numerous media employee restaurants.
The Bloomberg police headed for the both executive and employee dining halls. What they found was less than appetizing. The move by the city was first revealed by TV Newser last week.
Under New York statutes, a score of 28 health violation points could result in a facility being fined and or shut down. Though none of the media cafeterias got 28 points, some did come very close.
On the broadcast side, ABC's employee cafe at 47 W. 66th St. came in near the bottom of the list. It scored 20 violation points. According to the health inspectors, the conditions inside the Disney division's restaurant were far from "magical."
The Health department found "facility not vermin proof, harborage or conditions conducive to vermin exist, evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food or non/food areas."
In the restaurant at ABC's executive offices at 77 W. 66th St. inspectors found "plumbing not properly installed; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention devices not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained, sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly."
NBC's commissary at Rockefeller Center, the legendary butt of jokes by Johnny Carson, was next at 14 points. The health department found that "non-food contact surface was improperly constructed . . . unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained."
The NBC violation is curious, since in 2001 the commissary was at the center of a major controversy. The infamous anthrax attack at NBC headquarters occurred only yards away from the very same restaurant and the company's medical infirmary just across the hall.
As thousands of NBC staff ate away, the letter containing the anthrax laid unprotected on a desk in the NBC Security office just feet from the restaurant for more than three weeks.
While Tom Brokaw forced the network to spend two months and more than $10 million to sanitize and refurbish the Nightly News offices four floors below (where the infamous envelope was first delivered), word around NBC was that the cafeteria, close to where the anthrax was actually found, only got "a hosing down" by the company.
Right across the street, Time Inc.'s restaurant scored 11 points. "Sanitized equipment or utensils, including in-use food dispensing, improperly used or stored . . . food not protected from potential contamination during storage or preparation."
But, if you could munch at the nearby Time-Warner executive cafeteria on Columbus Circle, you would have seen a shining "0" violations, says the Health Department.
The only other "0" gold medal went to the employee dining room at Bloomberg LLP. on Lexington Ave. Coincidentally, it is the same company owned by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
But surprisingly, none of the broadcast media topped the list of the worst employee Big Apple dining rooms.
Two of the worst places to dine were The New York Times, which came in at 27 points. It fell just one short of possibly being shut down and fined. Then came the giant Hearst Corporation. The publisher of Cosmopolitan scored 24 points.
Ironically, both are located in "glittering" new corporate headquarters less than three years old.
Mice and rats were found in both facilities, as well as water that could be contaminated. Cold food was stored too hot and hot food too cold, say the health inspectors.
However, most disturbing was what the city agency found in some other "employee" cafeterias, namely health and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The world headquarters of the maker of Viagra and Lipitor at 235 W. 42nd St. came in with a whopping "42 points" just last month.
The health department found rats, mice, and flying insects throughout the facility. The report did note that "Pfizer is working to address the situation."
If it didn't, it ran the risk of major fines and possibly being shuttered. One of Pfizer's competitors, Colgate-Palmolive, just four blocks away, only scored 8 points. Pfizer spokesman Chris Loder told NewsMax he was surprised and admittedly embarrassed by the health department findings: "We are disturbed by the information contained in the report . . . Nothing is more important to us at Pfizer than the health and well-being of our employees."
Loder could not explain how the situation inside the Pfizer facility had deteriorated to such a degree.
On Thursday, New York health officials told Newsmax that a re-inspection of Pfizer's facility last week resulted in a reduced score of "27."
While down from the controversial 42 points, Pfizer avoided punitive action by just 1 point.
Even with the "updated" inspection, Pfizer still ranks among the bottom of New York employee dining rooms.
Among some of the "better" media dining halls in Manhattan was CBS's "Station Break" in the basement of the CBS Broadcast Center at 524 W. 57th St.
The "Tiffany" network had only 9 points, but even those included sewage and plumbing violations.
None of the violations had been reported by the major media.
Perhaps some of the best off were the Fox employees.
They have no cafeteria and as such are forced to eat at a nearby Burger King, Subway, or McDonald's all of whom scored higher health ratings than the majority of the media's restaurants.

NEW YORK: Suffolk collects $300M in health violations annually
11.apr.08
newsday.com
Delthia Ricks
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ligerm0411,0,2019923.story
Food-borne illnesses have been trending downward statewide, but violations of safety standards in public eateries are still so prevalent that Suffolk County collects $300 million annually in fines.
A rogues gallery of pathogens can trigger food-borne illnesses, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention turned a spotlight on the issue Thursday with the release of a new report that examined the incidence of food-borne illnesses in the past year. Federal health investigators focused on 10 states, including New York, and found the illnesses have not declined significantly compared with the previous three years.

TEXAS: Fannin County restaurant reports
10.apr.08
The Herald Democrat
Vicki Graves
http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2008/04/12/local_news/around_texoma/doc47fe766bd1aa7230710664.txt
BONHAM — Inspector Amanda Brogdon rates all Fannin County restaurants and other places that serve food based on their adherence to codes set by the Texas Department of Health. Restaurants are given an “A,” “B,” “C,” or “F” score.
An “A” means sanitarians reported no or only a few minor health code violations. Those with a “B” were found to have several minor violations, but nothing major. Restaurants with “C” might have a major violation or repeat offenses, but according to sanitarians, nothing bad enough to warrant a “F.” In her March, report, Brogdon provides the following grading information: Happy Kampers — 201 East Russell in Bonham — B;
Itzy Bitzy — 1712 North Main Street in Bonham — A;
Majestic 6 Theater — 231 S. State Highway 121 in Bonham — A;
Frenzee’s — 410 N. Center Street in Bonham — A;
Rose Marie’s —507 North U.S. Highway 69 in Leonard — A;
Honey Bee’s Donuts — 104 W. Main Street in Honey Grove — A;
Honey Grove Nursing Center — 1303 E. Main Street in Honey Grove — A;
Bonham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center — 709 W. Fifth Street in Bonham — A;
Braum’s — 416 E. Sam Rayburn Drive in Bonham — A;
Sonic — 1735 North State Highway 121 in Bonham — A;
The Woodmoore — 1200 W. Russell Avenue in Bonham — A; and
Esther’s Country Kitchen — 3811 County Road 2700 in Telephone — A.
Brogdons list also gives the following details of violations she observed at each location:
Happy Kampers: Employee beverages observed without lids and straws stored on prep table; arm jewelry worn; Gravy observed being held at 68 and 88 degrees F; Spatula worn and needs replacing; Stainless steel ice scope is severely damaged and needs replaced; Ice machine baffle is lightly soiled; Sanitizer test kit not observed; dial thermometer and case thermometer not observed; Table under grill and fryer interior are soiled with grease; Mop and broom holding device not observed; Flooring under equipment and box syrups is moderately soiled; Ceiling tiles lightly soiled with dust accumulations; Light in walk-in is non-operational; Vent hood filters are heavily soiled with grease.
Majestic 6: Dishes observed in the handwashing only basin; Interior of ice bins are lightly soiled in the far back area; top interior portion of microwave is moderately soiled; Flooring under wire racks and along wall in rear storage area is lightly to moderately soiled; Test kit for the sanitizer was not observed.
Frenzee’s: Top interior portion of microwave is lightly soiled; Single-use trays need to be inverted.
Bonham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center — Wiping cloth solution incorrect; Flooring behind two-door freezer in dry storage is soiled; An outer opening observed at the base of the exterior door; Ice machine baffle observed with a mold-like substance; Interior of blue bucket holding ice scoop is lightly soiled.
Braum’s: Can opener is lightly soiled; Top portion of microwave interior is heavily soiled; Ice machine baffle is moderately soiled with a mold-like substance; Hamilton Beach Shake Mixer is lightly soiled on the top portion; Soda fountain nozzles are lightly soiled with a mold-like substance; Gaskets on units are soiled in areas; One gasket is damaged on the warmer; The rack holding cans is moderately soiled; Interior of floor cabinets throughout establishment are lightly to moderately soiled; Grill area is heavily soiled in areas.
Sonic: Top portion of mixers are lightly soiled with a mold-like substance; Spatula is worn; Area around front counter “handwashing only” station is soiled with a pink mold-like substance; Area under front tables is moderately soiled; One slide cover on exterior dumpster is observed open; Floor drains are soiled; Flooring under wire racks along wall and under chemicals is moderately soiled.
Esther’s Country Kitchen: Ice scoop observed directly on ice; Packages of meat stored above dessert plates.

PENNSYLVANIA: Avalon cited for 4 critical violations
10.apr.08
GoErie.com
Erie Times News
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NEWS02/417518268/-1/NEWS
Coolers not keeping food cold enough and improper hand washing by workers led Erie County Health Department officials to cite the Avalon Hotel with four critical violations following recent inspections.
At least once a year, Erie County Health Department officials inspect each of the more than 1,400 restaurants and stores in Erie County that sell unpackaged food.
Here is a list of violations during the inspections from April 2 through Wednesday.
For the first look at the weekly list, go to GoErie.com on Thursday.
4 critical violations
# Avalon Hotel, 16 W. 10th St. (Walk-in cooler not keeping food cold enough; raw bacon not kept cold enough in three-door cooler; employees assembling sandwiches without proper gloves or handwashing; employee handling dirty and clean dishes, glasses and silverware without proper gloves or handwashing.) Also 5 noncritical violations. Wednesday.
1 critical violation
# Imperial Chinese Buffet, 5138 Peach St. (Chicken and crab legs not kept cold enough.) Also 4 noncritical violations. Tuesday.
# Country Inn and Suites, 8040 Oliver Road, Summit Township. (No employee certified in food safety.) Also 2 noncritical violations. April 4.
# Teresa’s Italian Deli, 3203 Greengarden Blvd. (Meat and tuna not kept cold enough.) April 3.
# Boston’s, 8071 Peach St., Summit Township. (Not enough chlorine in dishwasher.) Also 2 noncritical violations. April 2. Reinspected Tuesday, previous violations corrected.
5 noncritical violations
# Lager Café, 2056 W. Eighth St. Monday.
# Twins Restaurant, 4353 W. Ridge Road, Millcreek Township. April 3.
3 noncritical violations
# Eat ‘n Park, 2519 W. 12th St., Millcreek Township. Monday.
2 noncritical violations
# Calamari’s, 1317 State St. Tuesday.
# Peninsula Gateway, 2860 W. Eighth St., Millcreek Township. April 4.
# Valone’s Brooklyn Grocery, 201 S. Lake St., North East Borough. April 3.
1 noncritical violation
# Holiday Inn Express, 8101 Peach St., Summit Township. Tuesday.
# Holy Rosary Church cafeteria, 1012 E. 28th St. Monday.
# Main Moon, 102 Erie St., Edinboro. April 3.
# Gino’s Bistro and Jazz, 2027 Peach St. April 3.
No violations
# Subway (inside Wal-Mart), 2711 Elm St. Tuesday.
# Kwik Fill, 3620 Peach St. Tuesday.
# Wingate Inn, 8060 Old Oliver Road, Summit Township. Tuesday.
# Our Lady of Mercy Church, 837 Bartlett Road, Harborcreek Township. Tuesday.
# Shell, 4917 Peach St., Millcreek Township. Monday.
# Hanna’s Place, 3920 Main St., Lawrence Park Township. Monday.
# Folly’s End Campground, 8600 Avonia Road, Fairview Township. Monday.
# Trawka’s Market, 712 Payne Ave. April 4.
# Subway, 550 Millcreek Mall, Millcreek Township. April 4.
# Villa Pizza, 654 Millcreek Mall, Millcreek Township. April 4.
# Creamland Drive-In, 6221 W. Ridge Road, Fairview Township. April 4.
# Presbyterian Lodge, 2628 Elmwood Ave. April 3.
# Straw Hat Drive-In, 207 S. Lake St., North East Township. April 3.
# Wall St. Express, 2 Wall St., North East Borough. April 3.
# Wesley United Methodist Church, 3308 South St., Wesleyville Borough. April 3.
Previous violations corrected
# Delta Sonic/Kiss Mart, 6900 Peach St., Summit Township. Wednesday.
# JFK Center, 2021 E. 20th St. Tuesday.
# The Breakfast Place, 2340 E. 38th St. Tuesday.
# Applebee’s, 4002 Buffalo Road, Harborcreek Township. Tuesday.
# Country Fair, 1564 W. 26th St. Monday.
# The Club, 3040 W. Lake Road, Millcreek Township. April 4.
# Hampton Inn, 8050 Old Oliver Road, Summit Township. April 4.
# Hill’s Market, 2013 Station Road, Wesleyville Borough. April 3.
# Arby’s, 2812 W. 26th St., Millcreek Township. April 3.
Licensed to open
# West Lake Bakery and Deli, 3443 W. Lake Road, Millcreek Township. Tuesday.
# CK’s Lemonade and More, 8199 Perry Highway, Summit Township. April 4.

CANADA: More health inspection results coming to a computer near you
09.apr.08
The Vancouver Courier
Naoibh O'Connor
http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=8d4c629f-ac2f-44e0-ab53-cd1cca7343f4
Six years after Vancouver Coastal Health started posting restaurant inspection results online, it's gearing up to add inspections of licensed residential care facilities for seniors and swimming pools to the website.
The goal is to eventually add day care inspection results, but the other information could be available for public viewing as soon as mid- to late-April. Nick Losito, Vancouver Coastal Health's regional director of health protection, was cited as saying some logistical details are being worked out, adding, "Obviously, with day care and residential care there are some further freedom of information--or actually more protection of privacy issues that we need to address."
Postings for senior homes would include basic information about the facilities and the types of issues uncovered during the last three inspections. Units, room numbers or client names won't be listed to protect privacy. Losito believes the public is interested in accessing such facts, citing the Ontario Ministry of Health website, which shows online reports of long-term care facilities. "The fact that these [sites] are out there and in use in other jurisdictions creates a demand from the public and from folks who are wanting to place family members in care," he said.
Coastal Health has always meant to add swimming pool inspection results to the website. A summary of concerns, what was done to rectify problems and if any further action was taken, would be included.
In 2006, Montreal's mayor shut down 48 of that city's public swimming pools following a media investigation into swimming pool sanitation. Some pools were found with high levels of fecal matter, urine, E. Coli, C. difficile, legionella, hepatitis A and giardia, the last of which may cause nausea, diarrhea, respiratory problems and skin and eye infections.
In Vancouver, public pools and hot tubs are randomly tested a couple times a year to ensure they meet provincial standards. Losito said a recent review of two years of Vancouver swimming pool inspection statistics revealed few significant problems.
The story also notes that in the future, results from drinking water systems inspections may be added to the website, along with reports about beauty parlours, barber shops and other personal care facilities such a tattoo parlours. But Losito suspects the most interest will still be with the restaurant site.
That site allows users to look up specific restaurants and see the dates and results of restaurant health inspections. It was designed to get information out to the public in a timely manner and was developed with input from the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association. The first inspections appeared in 2002.
Losito said it was launched after a few sensational stories about dirty restaurants appeared in the media, and other cities such as Toronto were developing ways to inform patrons about cleanliness issues. Coastal Health sat down with the B.C Restaurant and Food Services Association to create its plan.

NEW YORK: More suing Great Escape
09.apr.08
Times Union
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=679360&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=4/9/2008
QUEENSBURY -- More than 40 additional people have, according to this story, joined a lawsuit against Six Flag's Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark.
Lawyer John Aretakis filed a summons of his notice to sue Great Escape at the Warren County Supreme Court today. More than half of the plaintiffs in the suit are children.
Great Escape had an outbreak of the Norwalk virus in March. Between March 3 and March 22, more than 500 people fell ill. The virus causes vomiting, diarrhea and a fever. No deaths were reported.
DeGraff, Foy & Kunz, a Saratoga Springs law firm, and Dreyer Boyajian, an Albany law firm, have also filed law suits against the amusement park.

ILLINOIS: Establishments earn perfect health inspection ratings
06.apr.08
Trading Markets.com
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1315601/
PALESTINE -- Several local food establishments earned perfect ratings during routine health inspections in March by city sanitarian Brenda Murray.
Those receiving no demerits, or points off, included Westwood Junior High School's cafeteria, the Donut Palace on W. Oak Street, the Dollar General stores on Crockett Road and W. Oak Street, Southside Baptist Church's daycare facility and a new Mexican restaurant on W. Point Tap Road, Pupuseria y Taqueria.
Generally, the most common causes for a restaurant, a store selling food or a school or nursing home serving food to receive demerits include failing to clean the stainless steel surfaces; not keeping the areas clean enough which come in contact with food during storage, preparation or serving; inadequate handwashing facilities; and leaving expired food on the shelf to be sold or served.
--Westwood Junior High School, 1801 Panther Blvd. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 6.
--Mazzio's Pizza, 1929 S. Loop 256 -- 7 demerits ("Good hygienic practices (eating, drinking, smoking, other)," 4 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 11.
--Village Seafood, 2503 W. Oak St. -- 6 demerits ("Handwash facilities adequate and accessible," 3 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 12.
--Subway, 2607 W. Oak St. -- 6 demerits ("Handwash facilities adequate and accessible," 3 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 12.
--Donut Palace, 3121 W. Oak St. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 14.
--Cotton Patch Restaurant, 1711 S. Loop 256 -- 6 demerits ("Handwash facilities adequate and accessible," 3 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 18.
--Dollar General, 2030 Crockett Rd. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 18.
--Taqueria Mexicano Grill, 1717 W. Palestine Ave. -- 11 demerits ( "Proper/adequate handwashing," 4 demerits; "Sound condition," 4 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 19.
--Top Taste Donuts, 1916 W. Oak St. -- 7 demerits ("Proper/adequate handwashing," 4 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 19.
--Little Caesar's Pizza, 321 E. Spring St., No. 701 -- 10 demerits ("Good hygienic practices (eating, drinking, smoking, other)," 4 demerits; "Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits; "Food establishment permit," 3 demerits). Inspected March 20.
--Chip's Burger Ranch, 908 W. Palestine Ave. -- 3 demerits ("Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 24.
--Dollar General, 601 N. Elm St. -- 4 demerits ("Sound condition," 4 demerits). Inspected March 24.
--Harris Food Store, 3911 W. Oak St. -- 4 demerits ("Sound condition," 4 demerits). Inspected March 24.
--Pupuseria y Taqueria, 810 W. Point Tap Rd. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 27.
--The Store, 800 W. Point Tap Rd. -- 4 demerits ("Sound condition," 4 demerits). Inspected March 27.
--Dollar General, 4019 W. Oak St. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 27.
--El Toro Mexican Restaurant, 2111 S. Loop 256 -- 3 demerits ("Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils cleaned/sanitized/good repair," 3 demerits). Inspected March 28.
--Sunshine Daycare, 924 N. Esplanade -- 3 demerits ("Food establishment permit," 3 demerits). Inspected March 31.
--Southside Baptist Church Daycare, 1500 Crockett Rd. -- 0 demerits. Inspected March 31.

COLORADO: Fewer inspections has your health at risk
08.apr.08
NEWSCHANNEL 13 KRDO
Marshall Zelinger
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=8132925
EL PASO COUNTY -- Imagine going out to eat and putting your health at risk. Even taking your kid to a dirty daycare or risk disease at the public pool. It's a chance you take every day and the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment knows it can do little to change that, without more money.
"We've got a large increase in the number of complaints that are coming to us, we really ought to be out there finding these things before they end up to be a complaint," says El Paso County Public Health Administrator Rosemary Bakes-Martin. "We think what's lagging the most right now is restaurants, a restaurant inspection is pretty time consuming."
As NEWSCHANNEL 13 highlighted last month, state law requires restaurant inspections twice a year. El Paso County Public Health leaders told us budget constraints keep them from inspecting even once every two years.
The county's inspection problems don't stop with just restaurants.
State law requires daycare centers to be inspected once every two years. A requirement El Paso County can't keep up with.
"There is food that's being served at child care centers, so we look at that, where diapers are being changed because there can be spread of disease," says Bakes-Martin. "Anything that could contribute to the spread of a disease, we don't look for dirty floors or anything like that."
"What needs to be cleaned the most? I think toys," says Jessica Dickinson, a parent of a three and four-year-old in daycare. "Kids cough, sneeze, wipe their nose."
State law requires public pools to be inspected twice a year, once at the beginning of the season and again in the middle. El Paso County can only get to pools once a year. Pools can pose a danger for kids because of the risk of E. Coli and salmonella.

MISSOURI: Health department looking for budget trims
08.apr.08
Springfield News-Leader
Kathleen O'Dell
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS01/804080357/1007
Restaurant owners and Ozark Empire Fair vendors could, according to this story, face inspection fees for the first time in 2009 as a way to help shoulder costs with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
Cost hikes for clean air burn permits, travel vaccines and asbestos inspections are also possible, as Director Kevin Gipson ponders how to trim $450,000 from the department's annual $10.1 million budget.
Gipson was further cited as saying Greene County is one of the only places in Missouri that doesn't charge a restaurant inspection fee.
He's considering a rate structure much like Columbia's, based on food volume. For example, if food sales are under $100,000, the owner might pay a $100 flat fee that year to cover two inspections and one spot inspection if needed, he said. Restaurants with sales of $100,000 to $500,000 could pay a $200 annual fee, and so on.
"It won't completely pay for the program but we think it will help us recoup some of the cost," Gipson said.
Greene County never charged for restaurant inspections or a few other fees because the funding was always there, Gipson said, and the department made a commitment to shoulder the costs as long as it could. Those days are coming to a close, he said.

KANSAS: Inspections outdated
06.apr.08
Wichita Eagle
Dan Glickman and Mike Taylor
http://www.kansas.com/205/story/363894.html
Dan Glickman, a former member of Congress from Wichita who served as secretary of agriculture during the Clinton administration and Mike Taylor, who served as administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, write in this op-ed that one might be tempted to conclude from recent video showing abuses of cattle at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. that responsibility rests with one profit-hungry company and a few inspectors not doing their jobs. But that would be a big mistake.
The failure at Hallmark/Westland is symptomatic of a meat and poultry inspection system that is antiquated and not up to the task of the modern era.
Congress gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service about $1 billion a year to put 7,500 inspectors in nearly 6,000 meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants every day. These plants are high-risk places and certainly deserve a lot of inspection, but not the way it is being done right now.
FSIS inspectors are today locked into highly prescribed, repetitive tasks that the National Academy of Sciences concluded long ago contribute little to food safety. This outdated approach to inspection wastes scarce government food-safety resources and creates an unhealthy culture of interdependence between inspectors and the plants they inspect.
It is way past time for Congress to overhaul the nation's meat and poultry inspection laws.
We know how hard it is to overcome the status quo at USDA, having served there the last time the inspection system underwent major reform. The changes we made to require modern preventive controls for food safety in all plants were a step in the right direction, but frankly only an incremental step. Only Congress can solve the underlying problem.
Not only is the carcass-by-carcass visual inspection mandate obsolete, but FSIS lacks basic tools for tackling today's food-safety problems and enforcing food-safety requirements. Most important, USDA should have clear authority to set standards for the dangerous bacteria in raw meat that are still making people sick in America, including the ability to oversee certain practices in feedlots and poultry houses where many such problems originate.
USDA also still lacks mandatory recall authority -- the authority other agencies employ to remove unsafe toys or consumer products from the market. USDA should have the ability to levy civil fines against violators of the laws it administers in this area, instead of only having available the draconian step of completely closing a plant -- although clearly necessary in some instances. Being restricted only to this extreme action, USDA sometimes avoids taking intermediate steps to stop smaller problems from growing into massive problems.
The Food and Drug Administration is in even more immediate need of congressional action than USDA. While it is responsible for 80 percent of the food supply -- including the vast volumes of seafood, fresh produce and food ingredients flooding the U.S. market from overseas -- FDA gets only one-third of the federal food-safety budget and, like FSIS, its statutory authorities are obsolete.
Here's our solution: Congress should give priority attention to FDA, modernizing its mandate and authorities for the prevention of food-safety problems and making sure it has the resources it needs. FSIS, too, should be given modern standard-setting authority, and Congress should give both FDA and FSIS the full gamut of enforcement tools necessary to act when the inevitable crises occur.
We need a modern, adaptive, science-based system that sets and enforces clear standards for the safety of food and for the humane treatment of the animals that provide it -- and that makes good use of scarce resources. The public deserves nothing less, and only Congress can provide it.

ARIZONA: Loophole keeps eatery's failed inspection quiet
08.apr.08
Tuscon Citizen
Tom Stauffer
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/81927.php
Two restaurants failed county inspections in March, but because of a loophole, such records don't appear on the Health Department's monthly inspection reports.
Sharon Browning, program manager for the Pima County Consumer Health and Safety unit, was cited as saying she hopes the loophole can be closed by revising the current county code, stating, "It kind of distorts the record a little, because these restaurants have failed their inspections just like restaurants that are listed in the monthly reports. Because of a legal issue that's related to a change of ownership or an initial inspection, they can sort of fly under the radar."
Los Betos, 32 N. Campbell Ave., and Cuvée World Bistro, 3352 E. Speedway Blvd., failed unannounced inspections March 19 and 25, respectively. It takes five or more critical violations to fail an inspection. Los Betos had 10 critical violations; Cuvée had six.
Browning was further cited as saying that restaurants failing such inspections but escaping scrutiny on monthly reports is common enough to warrant revision, adding, "For example, the same thing happened in February with Ali Baba Restaurant (2545 E. Speedway Blvd.) where the new owner failed his inspection."
Browning added that the point of releasing inspection records is to inform the public in the interests of protecting consumer health and safety, so it makes sense that any failed inspection should be part of the monthly reports, and that, "These are public records, and they are there on the Web site if people search restaurants individually, as you did, but they fall into this little loophole the way the code presently is written."
The loophole surfaced several years ago when the county overhauled its licensing and inspection system. In addition to making data available online, the overhaul included dividing the license holders and their statuses into specific categories, she said.
"What happened was that in giving different statuses to different license holders, we didn't realize that we would have to craft certain statements regarding these statuses into the code to include them in the monthly reports," Browning said. "It wasn't intended to give new owners a break. It's really just a mistake, and in order to be on the safe side, it was determined that we would exclude those restaurants from monthly inspections until they had been issued inspections that weren't related to changing ownership or initial inspections."
Representatives from Los Betos did not return phone calls seeking comment. Cuvée owner Robert Bossardet was forthright in acknowledging the restaurant's failed inspection, stating, "First and foremost, I embrace responsibility for all of it. It doesn't matter if some of the problems were due to predecessors or the fact that it's a 55-year-old building. I own it, and I'm responsible for it."
The sanitarian for Cuvée's inspection reported critical violations for 10 different food items that were not being held at proper temperatures, observed three live cockroaches and one dead one in four different areas of the restaurant, and found two pans stored as clean containing food debris, among other violations.
Bossardet said he contracted the state's top entomologist and has embarked on an extensive, proactive pest eradication program. He also said all other violations relating to food operation and handling were rectified during the inspection.

ARIZONA: Illness concerns at Tucson deli - roach concerns at Tucson bistro
07.apr.08
News 4
John Overall
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7978354&nav=menu216_24
Health inspectors performed a surprise inspection at the Food Spot Chinese Deli in Tuscon after two regular customers filed complaints saying they believed they contracted a foodborne illness at the deli.
The health inspector couldn't positively identify the cause of the foodborne illness but inspection reports show raw eggs were stored in the walk-in refrigerator above cooked meats. Health inspectors say that can cause cross contamination and that's a critical violation.
The manager of the Food Spot Chinese Deli declined to go on camera for this story but he did tell News 4 that he was not aware of any illness issues. The health inspector also found potentially hazardous foods stored at improper temperatures, another critical violation.
The Food Spot Chinese Deli also got hit with ten non-critical violations. Despite those violations the Food Spot gets a "G" for good.
The new owner of Cuvee World Bistro on East Speedway Boulevard says he's picking up the problems left behind by the previous owner. Robert Bossardet told News 4, "As a new owner you're now responsible for the ills and sins of the previous owners."
The health department says Cuvee's problems include six critical violations and more than a dozen non-critical violations. A health inspector found a couple of cockroaches inside the facility - that is a critical violation and Bossardet says it's not acceptable.
Bossardet tells News 4 he has hired one of leading entomologists in the state, "So we're not just going to resolve this, we're not just going to put a band-aid on this issue and then, therefore, pass an upcoming inspection. Instead we're going to eradicate these pests now and forever."
Bossardet is also addressing other issues. Health Inspection reports show the dough machine had heavy dried dough buildup, potentially hazardous foods were stored at too warm a temperature, and three pans of cooked beef were stored in the walk-in refrigerator without a discard date. All are critical violations and all were corrected on the spot.
Cuvee World Bistro gets a "P" for provisional license.
The new owner says he's got a plan in place to make the necessary improvements and expects to pass his next inspection with flying colors.
Health inspectors say their mission is to educate all new restaurant owners about current health regulations, not to punish them.

OHIO: Restaurant inspection report
07.apr.08
The Advocate
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/NEWS01/804070302/1002/NEWS01
# Yoder's Country Kitchen, March 21, 725 Hebron Road, Heath, complaint, no violations.
# Southtown Kids Club, March 21, 645 Heath Road, Heath, complaint, no violations.
# Southtown Kids Club, March 21, 645 Heath Road, Heath, standard inspection with violation. 1. Interior of microwave has food splash.
# Freddies Inn, March 26, 8352 Mount Vernon Road, St. Louisville, standard inspection with violations. 1. Vent hood/filters over cooking equipment have grease. 2. No quat test strips for tablets in three-bay sink. 3. Potato slicer is dirty.
# Speedway No. 1170, March 27, 624 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection with violations. 1. Door seal torn on walk-in cooler door. 2. Interior top cavities of microwave have food splash. 3. Lights are not covered over three-bay sink and dry food storage room. 4. Floor by three-bay sink is dirty.
# Chengs China Buffet, March 27, 789 Hebron Road, Heath, follow-up, no violations.
# Dragon Buffet, March 27, 597-4 Hebron Road, Heath, complaint inspection with violations. 1. Crab meat is cold; broccoli and cheese was held at 126 degrees F at buffet line; internal holding temperature for potentially hazardous food must be held at 140 degrees F.
# Dragon Buffet, March 27, 597-4 Hebron Road, Heath, standard inspection with violations. 1. Wiping cloths lying on counters in kitchen. 2. Food in all coolers are not date-marked. 3. No thermometers in Dr. Pepper cooler and food prep cooler in kitchen. 4. Interior of Dr. Pepper cooler is dirty. 5. Top of Frigidaire freezer has dirt/dust. 6. Exterior of bulk food containers in kitchen is dirty. 7. Interior of oven in kitchen is dirty. 8. Ice on floor in walk-in freezer; line for unit is broke.
# J&B's Pizza, March 27, 6621 Outville Road, Pataskala, 30-day inspection, no violations.
# Mick's Dairy Stop, March 27, 1872 Cherry Valley Road, Newark, Prelicensing inspection with violations. 1. Top of ice machine has dust/dirt. 2. Interior of microwave has food splash. 3. Floor in walk-in cooler has spill.
# Heath Schools -- Garfield Elementary, March 31, 680 S. 30th St., Heath, standard, no violations.
# Hanover Fellowcraft Club, March 28, 5178 Fallsburg Road, Newark, Prelicensing inspection with violations. 1. No thermometer in cooler. 2. No metal stem thermometer.
# Glenn's Market, March 28, 6085 Fallsburg Road, Newark, standard inspection with violations. 1. No handle on Frigidaire freezer. 2. No hot water in public restroom. 3. No lids on trash containers in public and employee's restrooms. 4. No soap in public restroom.
# Rocky Fork Grocery and Pizza, March 28, 7270 Fallsburg Road, Newark, standard inspection with violation. 1. Guards on fans and ceiling and in walk-in cooler need to be cleaned.
# All-Star Pre-school LLC, March 28, 13455 Bolen Road NE, Newark, standard, no violations

INDIANA: Restaurant inspections for April 4, 2008
04.apr.08
Times-Mail
http://www.tmnews.com/stories/2008/04/04/news.nw-320186.tms
BEDFORD — The following are restaurant inspections by the Lawrence County Health Department.
Feb. 26
Jacob Diehl House, 1503 16th St., two critical violations: Eggs were stored on a shelf in the refrigerator above cooked soups (corrected) and items in the refrigerator were not date marked (to be corrected the same day). Four non-critical violations: The facility is operating without a current food service permit (to be corrected the same day), a package of styrofoam containers was sitting on the floor in the prep area (corrected), a clean cutting board was stored next to the hand sink (corrected) and there is no test kit for checking the strength of the sanitizer (to be corrected by March 4). Note: Needs to obtain maximum registering thermometer or thermolabels to monitor dishwasher per variance (to be corrected by March 4). Written response from Jacob Diehl House: Eggs are now stored on bottom shelf, items are now marked with tape for dates, license renewed on Feb. 27, stryofoam to go boxes off floor, cutting board is stored away from sink, purchased test strips for disinfectant cleaner (sanitizer) and purchased maximum registering thermometer for the dish washer.
Feb. 28
Fayetteville School Cafeteria, 223 Old Farm Road, one critical violation: The temperature of mashed potatoes on the steam table were at 119 degrees Fahrenheit and 129 degrees Fahrenheit (corrected-put in oven and reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit). Written response from Fayetteville School Cafeteria: The mashed potatoes were taken from the steam table and put into oven at 320 degrees for 45 minutes, reaching 180 degrees.
Feb. 29
Casa Brava, 3405 W. 16th St., two critical violations: Cheese sauce was found at 98 degrees Fahrenheit after three hours of cool down (corrected-placed in ice bath to chill to 41 degrees Fahrenheit prior to placing in cooler) and packages of raw beef and seafood were observed thawing together in a container of water (corrected). Four non-critical violations: The cheese sauce was being cooled in a deep plastic container (improper cool down method) (corrected), meats were observed thawing improperly in a container of water (corrected), there is no thermometer in the cooler on the front line for the carry out guacamole, etc. (corrected) and there is debris on the ground around the dumpster area (corrected).
March 3
Subway, 904 16th St., one critical violation: The cutting board for the tomato slicer has two broken pieces making it no longer easily cleanable (needs to be ordered-should be in by March 7). Two non-critical violations: There were single service forks, spoons, etc. stored below the drain line of the hand lavatory on the front service line (corrected) and equipment was not being rinsed of detergent prior to being sanitized at the three-compartment sink (corrected).
March 4
Dollar General #522, 659 X St., no violations found.
Asian Pearl, 1309 James Ave., follow-up. All cleaning issues have been addressed from Feb. 25 inspection, the plumbing leak at the hand lavatory has been repaired and the cold bar freon leak has been repaired by Goff Refrigeration on Feb. 26.
March 5
Quiznos Sub #9318, 647 X St., three non-critical violations: The single service spoons, forks and knives in the consumer self-service area were not positioned in the container with the handles the same direction to avoid contamination (corrected), cleaned and sanitized equipment is not being air dried prior to being stacked with other clean equipment (corrected) and the three-compartment sink and prep sink are supplied with handwashing aids (corrected-soap and towels were removed from both sinks).
March 6
Pappa’s, 2810 Washington Ave., one critical violation: The temperature of cooked mushrooms, green peppers and onions were between 77 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (corrected-reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit prior to placing on steam table at 135 degrees Fahrenheit). Six non-critical violations: The gaskets of the reach-in cooler doors are loose and torn (to be corrected by March 16), there is mold growth on the tracks of the beer cooler sliding doors (corrected), there is trash on the ground around the dumpster (to be corrected by March 18), the wall behind the hand lavatory and pasta prep area is deteriorating and no longer easily cleanable (to be corrected by April 16), there is food debris and paper trash on the floor and lower shelf behind the grill cook’s line (to be corrected the same day) and the three compartment sink in the bar is supplied with hand wash aids (to be corrected by March 7).
March 14
Bedford Middle School cafeteria, 1501 N St., follow-up. No evidence of rodent activity.
March 17
Sixty’s Eastside, Ind. 60 and Ninth Street, Mitchell, two critical violations: There is mold growth on the baffle of the ice machine (to be corrected the same day) and the hose attached to the mop sink does not have a backflow prevention device (to be corrected by March 24. One non-critical violation: There is no separate sink for washing equipment (will install 3 compartment sink by May 27, 2008_.
Dollar Tree #3565, 3132 John Williams Blvd., no violations found.
March 19
Shawswick School Cafeteria, 71 Shawswick School Road, one non-critical violation: The fans in the dish wash area have dust build-up (corrected).
March 20
Wendy’s #96, 3416 W. 16th St., two critical violations: An employee went from putting frozen raw chicken patties in the fryer to making sandwiches without removing gloves, washing hands and placing on new gloves (corrected-handwash information provided) and the temperature of chicken in the hot holding drawers was found between 108 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit (discarded). One non-critical violation: There is grease/food debris on the ledge below the hot holding drawers on the drive-thru line (to be corrected the same day). Written response from Wendy’s #96: The employee involved was immediately coached and all employees are undergoing retraining for handwashing/food handling, the equipment in question has been service and is operational and the surface in question was cleaned immediately and was put on a schedule to maintain it cleanliness.

NEWFOUNDLAND: Opposition wants restaurant inspection reports more accessible
04.apr.08
The Telegram
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=123403&sc=79
Opposition Government Services Critic Roland Butler is, according to this story, urging government to make food inspection reports easily accessible to the public.
Last month — in response to a critical report by the Auditor General and an investigation by The Telegram — the province created a new policy that allows anyone to call a Government Services office and, within hours or days, get the latest health inspection report for any provincially-licensed restaurant.
"Unfortunately, the process being used does not promote easy access for the general public,” said Butler. “Calling a Government Service centre, leaving a message, and waiting several days for the information to be mailed out simply does not work. It is so difficult to get the information that people are simply not bothering. This is completely unacceptable, especially when government has the ability to put the reports online so that they would be easily accessible to everyone.”
In February, The Telegram — under access to information laws — requested certain restaurant names that had previously failed health inspection. The un-named restaurants were highlighted in the auditor general’s annual report in released January. Auditor General John Noseworthy criticized the province for delays following up on critical violations and said the system had inadequate controls.
Government Services Minister Kevin O'Brien told The Telegram that, as a result of the AG report, restaurant inspections have moved from a paper-based to a computer-based tracking system. O'Brien also said The Telegram investigation prompted the policy shift to immediate public access to all restaurant reports.
The new policy brings the province closer in line with Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton, Ont., Toronto and New Brunswick, which all post restaurant inspection reports online. Last month, Information Commissioner Ed Ring said if the telephone system didn’t work, then the province should move to an online system. O’Brien said there are no current plans to do that.

ALABAMA: New web site makes it easier to see inspection scores
04.apr.08
The Andalusia Star
Andrew Garner
http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/articles/2008/04/03/news/news01.txt
Keeping up with the health scores of favorite restaurants is just one mouse click away as the Alabama Department of Public Health has now made them available through the web.
ADPH senior environmentalist Stacy Williamson said the Web site to access the scores splits restaurant areas by county.
"We have a new Web site and it's going to be www.alabamafoodscores.com," Williamson said. "You should be able to search by county and it should have the most current scores available. I would stress to the public to always look at the score that is posted in the restaurant because when we do our inspections, it takes time for the system to update their records. There may be a more current inspection that has already taken place."
Williamson said the frequency with which restaurants are inspected is based upon their previous grade.
"Normally, a restaurant who scores an 85 or higher on a zero to 100 scale are inspected every four months," he said. "This is for a full food service establishment. A full food service establishment is one that serves what we call potentially hazardous foods or items that require cooking and prep work."
Williamson added that establishments are also split up into categories, which determine how much food they sell.
"A full food service establishment would fall into category three," he said. "We also have a limited food service, which is a category two, which are convenient stores. They are inspected once a year, but that may be changing."
Doing follow up inspections is not at all uncommon for Williamson and the department. "Anytime when we receive a complaint or question from a consumer about the establishment, of course we'll go back and do a follow-up inspection," he said. "If a score is anywhere from 70 to 84, we have to go back in within 60 days, and from 60 to 69 we'd be back within 48 hours. And if the score falls below 60, than it would be an immediate closure of the establishment. They would immediately stop operations and correct whatever needed to be corrected and we would do a re-inspection."
Williamson said restaurants are graded based upon an inspection sheet that has a certain number of points for each violation detected.
"We have an inspection sheet and there is a total of 42 items on the sheet and within each item there are several things we look for, so we look for more than 42," he said. "The most severe violation is a five-point violation and we consider that a critical item. A critical item is something we see that they're doing in the food handling storing that could cause someone to become sick."
Preventing the public from becoming sick is one of the many objectives the ADPH sticks by.
"The reason why we inspect restaurants is two-fold," Williamson said. "No. 1 is to protect the public health and our main goal is to ensure that the food that is prepared in the establishment is prepared according to our regulations to ensure that it is safe for human consumption. We are also there, on the flip side of that, we're there to assist the restaurant owners and managers with any questions they have concerning the proper way of handling food. We do a lot of education for the general public and for the restaurant owners."
For churches and non-profit organizations, Williamson said that state law requires a permit from the local health department if they are selling food.
"It allows for a civic organization or a club to be able to do a bake sale or fundraiser involving food," he said.
To register for a food permit, Williamson suggested to call the local department of public health. The environmental office can be reached at 222-1585 and the direct line is 222-1175, ext. 340. The best times to call, according to Williamson, are between 8-9 a.m. and between 4-5 p.m.
"Anyone interested in starting a new food business and establishment we would like for them to contact us before they commit to a building or start building because we have information for them to guide them through the process," he said. "It helps them to understand what they are needing as far as structural content."

CONNECTICUT: Norovirus sickened 30 who were at restaurant banquet
04.apr.08
The Courant
Grace E. Merritt
http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-ctadamsmill0404.artapr
04,0,3394400.story
MANCHESTER--Health officials say it was a norovirus, the type of illness known to race through cruise ships, that sickened about 30 people who attended a banquet hosted by a University of Connecticut sorority at The Adams Mill Restaurant on Saturday.
UConn sent out a campuswide e-mail Thursday detailing the outbreak and urging precautions to prevent the virus from spreading on campus.
Manchester Health Department Director Maryann Cherniak Lexius was cited as saying norovirus can be food-borne, can spread from person to person or can be contracted from the contaminated surfaces of doorknobs and handles.
At the health department's suggestion, The Adams Mill, a restaurant and banquet center on Adams Street, voluntarily closed for the day Wednesday for a top-to-bottom cleaning, she said.
As of Thursday, about 30 students had been treated at UConn's infirmary after falling ill following the banquet Saturday night for about 150 people hosted by the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
Anthony Scarpace, the owner of The Adams Mill, was cited as saying Thursday that the restaurant is cooperating with the health department and noted that the source of the illness is inconclusive. He said it is not clear whether the illness was foodborne or perhaps was spread by a student who brought it into the restaurant, adding, "None of our employees are ill."
Scarpace said the restaurant has had a good record with the health department.

CINCINNATI: Clinic runs out of vaccine For hepatitis A
03.apr.08
ABC 9 WCPO
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=31c2be49
-faae-4354-b2b5-b119feeb41a3
People fearing they may have contracted Hepatitis A after eating at the P.F. Chang's restaurant in West Chester lined up for vaccinations on Wednesday at a church on Cincinnati Dayton Road but the clinic ran out of vaccine around 4 p.m. and sent those left in line to an Urgent Care facility on Kingsgate Way.
The Urgent Care was over-run. Some had to wait for up to three hours.
"It's total chaos, wall-to-wall people, no chairs – it was standing room only, and I finally got my shot at 10 [minutes] til 7 [p.m.]"

IDAHO: 300 people vaccinated in hepatitis A scare
03.apr.08
FOX 12 Idaho
http://www.fox12news.com/Global/story.asp?S=8103392&nav=menu439_2_14
Boise, Idaho -- Nearly 300 people were vaccinated for hepatitis A at Central District Health this past week after a health scare at the Red Feather Lounge downtown.
The Health Department confirmed that an employee working there was infected with the liver disease.
Although it appears the worker practiced good hygiene, the illness is spread by someone going to the bathroom, not washing their hands, and then handling something that someone is going to eat or drink.

CHICAGO: Mouse feces, fruit flies lead to closure of Greektown restaurant
02.apr.08
Chicago Sun-Times
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/874913,greekisles040208.article
The discovery of mouse feces and live fruit flies in a basement food storage area prompted City Health Department inspectors to shut down a well-known Greektown restaurant on Wednesday.
The inspection of Greek Islands at 200 S. Halsted St. was triggered by a customer who called 311 to claim his family of five became ill after a recent meal at the Near West Side restaurant, according to a release from the Department of Public Health.
In addition to the discovery of the mouse feces and fruit flies, the restaurant was cited for unsafe storage of food after inspectors found a container of raw chicken over a container of potato salad, for having handwashing sinks that were obstructed and for lacking soap and hand towels, the release said.
The restaurant will remain closed until management has taken corrective action and Greek Islands passes re-inspection.
Representatives of Greek Islands will face a fine expected to total $1,750 and a May 15 administrative hearing, according to the release.
Chicagoans who believe a restaurant or other food establishment is operating in an unsafe manner are encouraged to call 311, the release said

ALABAMA: Making the grade
01.apr.08
Times Daily (Florence, AL)
Russ Corey
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20080401/NEWS/804010329/-1/COMMUNITIES02
Anyone who's eaten at a restaurant is likely, according to this story, to be familiar with the Alabama Department of Public Health's Food Establishment/Retail Food Store Inspection Report. It's normally posted conspicuously in the area where people order or pay for their food and is boldly marked with a score. The higher the score, the more likely the establishment is following the state health department's rules regarding food service.
The story says that health inspectors such as Chris Jackson will cite restaurants and food service providers for minor infractions such as inadequate ventilation of restroom facilities to improperly stored linens, or more critical items such as cooked food that is not being stored at over 140 degrees or the presence of insects, rodents or other pests.
Jamey Congleton, environmental director for Public Health Area 1, was cited as saying the health rating that a restaurant receives is indicative of how well an operation is being run at a given time and reflects how well they manage the rules of the state health department, adding, "To be able to manage (restaurants) well, you have to be trained; you have to read the rules; you have to set up a checklist. It's all about food safety."
So when should a consumer be wary of a health rating?
"That's a difficult question to answer," Congleton said.
He said many people look at the score and think if it's in the 90s, it's safe to eat there. If it's in the 80s it might be a little risky and in the 70s, "maybe I shouldn't be eating there."
He said people should realize, however, that the score represents the state of the business at a given time. In reality, the current state of the restaurant could be much better or in some cases, worse.
Jackson, who has been an environmentalist with the health department for two years, was cited as saying he always starts his inspection by washing his hands. He begins his inspection from the back of the building, normally in storage areas and coolers, and works his way slowly to the front.
He looks in corners and underneath shelves near the floor for insects.
It might appear that Jackson is focusing on one aspect of the inspection, such as checking the seals on a cooler door, but he always keeps an eye on employees to make sure the ones who are handling food are wearing gloves, their hair is properly covered and the female employees' fingernails are free of polish.