Inspection
May 2008
ARIZONA: Nico's finally gets it right, but Arby's on Ina fails an inspection
31.may.08
KVOA News 4
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=8405695&nav=HMO6MUcd
It's a tale of two fast food spots in this week's Restaurant Report Card Investigation.
Pima County Health Inspectors have become regulars at Nico's Taco Shop on Ft. Lowell Road, showing up every 10 to 14 days.
Nico's problems started on April 15th when the health department cited the taco shop for eight critical and seven non critical violations.
Two weeks later Nico's failed a follow up inspection. 10 days after that, Nico's failed a second follow up.
Finally, on May 22nd Nico's Taco Shop passed its latest inspection.
Across town on Ina Road it's a different story for Arby's.
On April 24th a health inspector spotted a cockroach crawling on the wall inside the restaurant and Arby's got slapped with an "N" for Needs Improvement.
Arby's manager didn't want to talk about the pest problem on camera. According to Pima County Health records she has hired a pest control company to battle the bugs.
The documents also show, "sticky traps placed behind the grill area are still catching roaches of all sizes."
OHIO: Health inspections
31.may.08
The Gazette
http://wp2.medina-gazette.com/2008/05/31/health-inspections/health-inspections-6/
- Mack’s Food Center, 9945 Greenwich Road, Harrisville Township, was cited during a May 13 inspection for not having a date marking on a bologna package; having soiled knives in a meat packaging area; improperly storing raw meat with cooked foods and having refrigeration units at an improperly high temperature.
- A Scoop on the Circle, 9281 Norwalk Road, Litchfield Township, was cited during a May 15 inspection for having expired meat in a freezer and for failing to properly sanitize an ice machine.
- Friendly Express Marathon, 830 Bank St., Lodi, was cited during a May 13 inspection for holding chili and cheese sauce at an improperly low temperature.
- Strickland’s, 2930 Medina Road, Montville Township, was cited during a May 12 inspection for having an unlabeled container of a powder substance and having a soiled ice machine interior.
- Kindercare Learning Centers, 1211 Pearl Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 16 inspection for holding turkey and mashed potatoes at improperly low temperatures; failing to have date markings on ham; and for not having an accessible employee handwashing sink.
- Muchos Buenos, 1421 Town Center Blvd., Brunswick, was cited during a May 16 inspection for placing raw shrimp next to cooked meats in a cooler and for having an inaccurate thermometer.
- Buehler’s, 3626 Medina Road, Montville Township, was cited during a Tuesday inspection for having expired baby food on the sales floor; having raw bacon stored with cooked foods; having a soiled interior ice machine lid; failing to have a date marking on vegetable spread; holding prepared foods at improperly high temperatures; and placing cleaning chemicals on the same shelf as plates.
- Bunker Hill Golf Course, 3060 Pearl Road, Brunswick Hills Township, was cited during a May 23 inspection for having a refrigerator at an improperly high temperature; having a soiled can opener blade; and for an employee touching salad with bare hands.
- Cool Beans, 103 W. Liberty St., Medina, was cited during a Tuesday inspection for having food buildup on a panini machine and slicer and for not date-marking deli meats in a cooler. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for the week of June 16.
- Taco Bell, 973 High St., Wadsworth, was cited during a May 16 inspection for having soiled pop dispenser caps and nozzles and for having a shredded cheese container at an improperly high temperature.
- Bob Evans, 151 Park Centre Drive, Wadsworth, was cited during a May 19 inspection for having a soiled can opener blade, tongs and other utensils above a back kitchen sink, and having cooks improperly using single-use gloves.
- Kmart, 180 Great Oaks Trail, Wadsworth, was cited during a May 12 inspection for having expired baby formula cans and baby food boxes on the sales floor.
- Arby’s, 964 High St., Wadsworth, was cited during a May 12 inspection for holding cheese and turkey at improperly high temperatures.
- Sully’s Irish Pub, 117 W. Liberty St., Medina, received no citations during a follow-up inspection Thursday.
- Isham Elementary School, 348 College St., Wadsworth, received no citations during a May 19 inspection.
- Lincoln Elementary School, 280 N. Lyman St., Wadsworth, received no citations during a May 16 inspection.
- Franklin Elementary School, 200 Takacs Drive, Wadsworth, received no citations during a May 16 inspection.
- Longhorn Steakhouse, 4907 Grande Blvd., Medina Township, was cited during a May 23 inspection for having a soiled ice machine shield, cutting boards, soup cups and pans; holding cheese and chicken at improperly high temperatures; and not having date markings on cheese and hot dog packages. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for the week of June 23.
- Villa Pizza, 9909 Avon Lake Road, Harrisville Township, was cited during a May 22 inspection for having a soiled knife, measuring spoons and vegetable peeler; holding meats at improper temperatures; and failing to have date markings on pieces of chicken. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for the week of June 4.
- Club Lafayette, 7511 Lafayette Road, Lafayette Township, was cited during a May 20 inspection for failing to properly rinse dishes; holding cheese and meat at improperly high temperatures; and not having date markings on ready-to-eat foods. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for the week of June 17.
- Boone’s Corners Family Restaurant, 2175 Pearl Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 19 inspection for not having a thermometer in the kitchen, not having date markings on sausage and not having soap at an employee sink.
- Hungry Bear Restaurant, 9261 Norwalk Road, Litchfield Township, was cited during a May 20 inspection for having a soiled waffle iron and ladle, holding cheeses at an improperly high temperature and having expired meats in a freezer.
- Cloverleaf Middle School, 7530 Buffham Road, Westfield Township, was cited during a May 20 inspection for holding cheeses and turkey at improperly high temperatures.
- Jimmy’s Diner, 738 Pearl Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 20 follow-up inspection for having ham in a cooler at an improperly high temperature.
- Pine Hills Golf Club, 433 W. 130th St., Hinckley Township, was cited during a May 15 inspection for having expired turkey and ham in a refrigerator and for storing butter with kitchen cleaning supplies.
- Manzo’s Thunder Road, 65 Pearl Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 12 inspection for having black residue on an ice maker guard and for having expired milk in a refrigerator.
- Center Marks Sunoco, 5329 Center Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 13 inspection for having black residue on pop nozzles, having expired meats on the sales floor and having a hot dog cooker at an improperly low temperature.
- Heimatland Inn, 3511 Center Road, Brunswick, was cited during a May 13 inspection for having food residue on a meat slicer, having expired foods in a cooler and holding kielbasa at an improperly low temperature.
- Burger King, 2828 Medina Road, Montville Township, was cited during a May 12 inspection for not having a functioning thermometer in the kitchen.
Compiled from Medina County Health Department reports.
DETROIT: Hepatitis A concerns surround Farmington Hills Papa Romano's
30.may.08
freep.com
Lori Higgins
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080530/NEWS03/80530113/1005
Barfblog Post
The Oakland County Health Division is asking anyone who ate uncooked items at Farmington Hills Papa Romano’s between May 17 and May 23 to contact their doctor immediately, after a restaurant employee has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A.
The restaurant is located at 22310 Middlebelt Road.
People exposed to Hepatitis A can receive shots that may prevent the disease given within 14 days of exposure, according to a news release from the health division.
George Miller, manager and health officer of the health division, was quoted as saying in the release that, "Hepatitis A is easily preventable. Good hygiene and proper sanitation of surfaces is key to not getting sick."
UTAH Wendy's E. coli O121:H19 outbreak litigation settled today
30.may.08
Marler Blog
http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/05/articles/legal-cases/utah-wendys-e-coli-o121h19-outbreak-litigation-settled-today/index.html
After nearly two years of work, we were able to settle today the last severe E. coli O121:H19 Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) cases related to illnesses stemming in part from a teachers’ conference luncheon in June 2006. According to the Weber-Morgan Health Department (WMHD), at least three attendees had contracted E. coli O121:H19 stool culture positive infections. On August 2, 2006, the WMHD issued a news release indicating that those people had been infected with E. coli O121:H19, and that two of the individuals had developed HUS. WMHD stated that the evidence indicated that all three people contracted E. coli from the same source sometime during June 27-30 at the Wendy’s restaurant in Ogden, Utah. By August 7, WMHD officials had revised the number of outbreak victims to four, including three who had developed HUS.
WMHD further concluded that the source of the infection was contaminated iceberg lettuce prepared at the Wendy’s Restaurant and sourced from California. One of the patients with confirmed HUS, who had not attended the teacher’s conference, ate cheeseburgers with iceberg lettuce at the Wendy’s Restaurant during the outbreak period. The second confirmed HUS case was an attendee of the teachers’ conference, and a third case of HUS was determined to be secondary transmission from an infected person at the conference.
We represented all of the HUS and culture-confirmed cases. Eventually, WMHD determined that at least 69 people had become ill in the outbreak. Of those, three remained hospitalized for an extended period and were listed in serious to critical condition. The settlement amounts are confidential.
CALIFORNIA: Restaurant inspection violations: Week ending May 30
30.may.08
OC Register
Erin Welch
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/permit-suspended-reinstated-2056304-infestation-cockroach
Restaurants' permits can be suspended for any one of a number of major violations. During suspensions, the eateries must remain closed. Suspensions are lifted after inspectors confirm the violations have been corrected.
Alberta's Mexican Food, 765 El Camino Real, Tustin; sewage overflow; permit suspended May 27; reinstated May 27.
B & J's by the Sea, 2200 W. Oceanfront, Newport Beach; rodent infestation; permit suspended May 22; reinstated May 23.
Baker's Best Bread, 18166 Imperial Highway, Yorba Linda; plumbing in disrepair; permit suspended May 22; reinstated May 23.
Casa 7 Mares, 802 W. La Palma Ave., Anaheim; fire suppression discharge in facility; permit suspended May 23; reinstated May 23.
La Palma Chicken Pie Shop, 928 N. Euclid St., Anaheim; cockroach infestation; permit suspended May 28.
Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, 1222 Irvine Blvd., Tustin; cockroach infestation; permit suspended May 23; reinstated May 23.
Reyna's Market, 902 W. McFadden Ave., Santa Ana; cockroach infestation; permit suspended May 28; reinstated May 29.
Ristorante Max, 1617 Westcliff Drive, Newport Beach; cockroach infestation; permit suspended May 22; reinstated May 23.
Taqueria Guadalupana, 1997 N. Orange Olive Road, Orange; cockroach infestation; permit suspended May 28; permit reinstated May 29.
Permit status taken from Orange County Health Care Agency Web site. See foodinspections.ocgov.com/closures/ for complete listings.
TEXAS: Restaurant reports
30.may.08
Lubbock Online
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/053008/cri_284383154.shtml
Restaurant reports for the week ending May 25:
NO CRITICAL VIOLATIONS
• Best Western Windsor Inn, 5410 Interstate 27.
• Days Inn-University, 2401 Forth St.
• The Falls Tennis & Athletic Club, 4705 112 St.
• Joyland Amusement Park, 302 I-27.
• Lubbock Club (Bar), 1500 Broadway.
• New Directions Early Center, 417 N. Akron Ave.
• Residence Inn by Marriott, 2551 S. Loop 289.
ONE CRITICAL VIOLATION
• La Quinta Inn No. 922, 4115 Marsh Sharp Freeway - no thermometers in cooling unit. Corrected by next routine inspection.
• Sun N' Fun Swim Club-YMCA, 6204 Elgin Ave. - no certified food manager. Corrected by 6/19.
• Super 8, 6510 S. I-27 - no thermometers in cooling unit. Corrected on site.
TWO OR MORE CRITICAL VIOLATIONS
• Heaven Night Club (Bar), 1928 Buddy Holly Ave. - no towels at hand washing facility. Food contact surfaces soiled. Corrected on site.
• Lakeridge Country Club, 8802 Vicksburg Ave. - no certified food manager on site. Corrected by 6/2. Food contact surfaces not in good repair. Corrected by next routine inspection.
• El Rodeo, 4802 Ave. Q - observed possible cross-contamination. Food contact surface soiled. Corrected on site.
• Lubbock Club (Food Services), 1500 Broadway - good hygiene practice not followed. Observed possible cross-contamination. Corrected on site.
• Lucky Bingo, 1701 Parkway Dr. - improper labeling system. Inaccessible handwashing facilities. Food contact surfaces soiled. Correcred on site.
• Noble Roman's/Tuscano's, 5105 82 St. - inadequate handwashing facilities. No towels at handwashing facility. Corrected on site. No thermometers in cooling unit. Correct by next routine inspection.
• Holiday Inn Express, 5806 I-27 - hot hold food hold at improper temperature. Good hygiene practice not followed. Toxic items stored improperly. Food contact surfaced soiled. Corrected on inspection.
Compiled from City of Lubbock Environmental Inspection Services
AUSTRALIA: Hepatitis linked to Melbourne café
30.may.08
The Age/ABC News/
http://news.theage.com.au/national/hepatitis-linked-to-melbourne-cafe-20080530-2jsu.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23783200-29277,00.html
Barfblog Post
Five people have been struck down with Hepatitis A in an outbreak traced to a cafe in Melbourne's city centre.
Victoria's Department of Human Services was cited as saying the outbreak has been linked to a food handler at the Zanzibar Cafe in Latrobe Street, who also worked part time as a cleaner.
A 65-year-old man from Doncaster, a 32-year-old woman from Reservoir, a 51-year-old man from East Malvern and a 54-year-old man from Aspendale were among those affected.
The department was notified of a fifth case on Friday afternoon.
Victoria's acting chief health officer, Dr Rosemary Lester, was cited as saying those affected fell sick between May 16 and May 22.
Dr Lester said an extensive clean up of the cafe had been carried out under the supervision of Melbourne City Council.
The council visited the cafe again this week to ensure food safety and hygiene measures were being observed, she said.
People who ate at the cafe before April 25 and who are showing symptoms should seek urgent medical attention, she said.
Hepatitis A is found in faeces of the infected person and can be spread by direct contact with food, beverages or crockery.
FLORIDA: Dirty dining; Big problem
29.may.08
CBS 12.com
http://www.cbs12.com/news/restaurant_4707913___article.html/roaches_dining.html
There was a problem under the big red roof of a local Chinese food favorite last month. Peking Chinese restaurant on US-1 in Fort Pierce was shut down on April 11th for a "roach infestation." Now the Dirty Dining team is on the case.
The April 11th restaurant inspection report lists: "live roaches on wall over prep table," "live roaches found in the rack at the dishwasher," and "live roaches... on the paper take out products stored over rice cooker and chest freezer with ice cream." The restaurant's host told our cameras everything was fixed right away.
He's right. They did fix the roach problem and were cleared to open one day later. The dining room also looked clear during our visit, but the host wouldn't let us in the kitchen to take a peek for ourselves. He did tell us that the restaurant had pest control before the closure spraying two times each month, but the restaurant decided to switch companies after the inspector found problems. He told us the new pest control company did a great job. We checked with the new pest control company, and it says the restaurant is keeping up with its sanitation standards.
Since the host wouldn't take us inside the kitchen, we took our own look out back through the gates. We saw cardboard shipment boxes dumped - which is good since roaches can hide out in cardboard and love to eat it. But we also found a potential problem -- a torn screen door. That's a danger because it's a way for pests to get inside the kitchen.
Diners we came across told us the food is terrific and they are surprised to hear about the state closure. Diners also told us they feel better knowing that the restaurant has taken care of the roach issue.
Peking was just inspected again on May 19th and it had a clean inspection again. State inspectors didn't find any roaches or violations. Congratulations to Peking for working hard to keep things clean since that closure. Tara Cardoso, CBS 12 News I-Team.
Over the past few weeks, we've reported on two Dirty Dining pizza restaurants in our area that were shut down. Now, we want to show you a pizza place that's clean. Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza on PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens gets our Clean Plate award this week for a recent good inspection.
PENNSYLVANIA: Boyertown woman sues Taco Bell for $5 million
28.may.08
BerksMontNews
Matthew Reichl
http://www.berksmontnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=/BMN/News/
The+Boyertown+Area+Times&r21.content=/BMN/News/The+Boyertown+Area+Times/TopStoryList_Story_2111580
An E. coli lawsuit was filed last week against Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.The lawsuit seeks $5 million in compensation filed on behalf of Debra Moyer, a resident of Boyertown, who allegedly became gravely ill with an E. coli infection after eating contaminated food from a Taco Bell in Gilbertsville.
Moyer is represented by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm with previous experience representing victims of food borne illness, and the Ferrara Law Firm of Cherry Hill, N.J.
Moyer is a victim of an outbreak of the highly toxic E. coli O157: H7 bacteria in four northeastern states in November 2006, associated with contaminated lettuce served at various Taco Bell restaurants.
The story says that more than 70 people who ate at Taco Bell restaurants in Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were infected, and eight developed the life-threatening complication Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, including Moyer.
According to a release, Marler said Moyer was hospitalized for 31 days, her kidneys failed, she experienced seizures and was in a coma for weeks, and she has sustained permanent renal injury.
Clark represents six victims of the outbreak; five of which have been successfully resolved. Moyer's case, however, has not been resolved, despite the far greater relative severity of her illness and of her substantially greater loss.
Taco Bell has allegedly yet to make an offer that would be adequate to pay for Moyer's hospital bills and to compensate her for her past and present injuries. Foodborne illness attorney William Marler was quoted as saying, "Ms. Moyer barely survived her acute illness, and her life has been permanently and negatively affected. She is disabled, and both her body and her finances have been ravaged by this illness. It is imperative that corporations take responsibility when their products wreak this kind of personal destruction."
Taco Bell could not be reached for contact, but Greg Creed, Taco Bell president said in an earlier press release that the popular food franchise worked to quarantine the issue.
MINNESOTA: Food illness not linked to pizza restaurant
30.may.08
Alexandria Echo Press
Al Edenloff, Editor
An e-mail about a potential food-borne illness in Alexandria last week spread more quickly than the real thing would have.
And as it turned out, the restaurant that the e-mail said was initially linked to the outbreak, Godfather’s Pizza, had nothing to do with the illness.
The e-mail was intended to be communicated among health professionals only, advising them that if they treated patients suffering from abdominal pain and other stomach-flu symptoms to ask the patients where they had eaten.
Public health officials wanted to see if a link could be traced to Godfather’s, where a possible link to one family was being investigated with the full cooperation of the restaurant.
But after the Minnesota Department of Health completed its investigation, it determined Godfather’s was not the source of the illness.
In the meantime, however, the original e-mail was still making the
rounds, being forwarded among friends, relatives and co-workers.
The result: A drastic drop in business at Godfather’s.
Sandy Tubbs, director of Douglas County Public Health, issued the
following statement about the incident:
“Following a thorough investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health Epidemiology Section and the Douglas County Environmental Health staff, it has been determined that Godfather’s Pizza was not the source of a food-borne illness outbreak. The incredible cooperation from the owner and all of the staff at Godfather’s Pizza contributed significantly to the rapid investigation and ultimately, the conclusion that there was no food-borne illness outbreak
associated with Godfather’s Pizza.”
Godfather’s Pizza owner Mike Hastings noted that the system worked – up to a point – because of the quick response from the Douglas County Public Health and the Minnesota Health Department. But even after the investigation clearly showed that Godfather’s had nothing to do with the outbreak, there was no way to stop the rampant e-mails from circulating.
He described the impact on his business as devastating. He said the incident has left him feeling like a victim of misinformation, stating, “When the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s hard to put it back in. We hope that people realize there was never a problem at Godfather’s – that we investigated really fast and had
nothing to do with it.”
SOUTH TEXAS health officials urge handwashing more often
30.may.08
MySA.com
Don Finley
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/stories/MYSA.052908.dysentery.23fe19a.html
An outbreak of diarrheal illness in Bexar and other South Texas counties has prompted public health alerts to parents, teachers and school administrators to make sure children and their caregivers wash their hands thoroughly and often, and that sick children be kept home.
At least 67 lab-confirmed cases of shigellosis, commonly known as dysentery, have been reported in Zavala and Dimmit counties since May 5. At least 38 have been reported in Bexar County — although local officials say the numbers are certainly higher since most patients aren't tested for the infection. Several have been hospitalized.
At least some of the cases are resistant to standard antibiotic treatment. State health officials are recommending those who need to be treated — many recover without treatment — be given an injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone, sold under the brand name Rocephin.
The Metropolitan Health District on Thursday sent a letter to local day care facilities, urging them to take extra steps including daily cleaning of toys and notifying parents of the outbreak.
NEW YORK: Eastchester cafeteria contractor fined $3,450 for food-safety violations in schools
29.may.08
The Journal News
Ernie Garcia
http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS02/805290512/-1/SPORTS
Westchester County health officials were cited as fining a cafeteria contractor $3,450 this morning for food-safety violations in Eastchester's public schools.
Aramark, a food services provider for several public school districts in Westchester County, agreed to pay the $3,450 fine for serious and minor violations incurred during five inspections of Eastchester schools from Dec. 18 through May 22.
Some of the violations went uncorrected from one inspection to another, which prompted the administrative hearing this morning at the Westchester County Department of Health's headquarters in New Rochelle.
Aramark's attorney, David Redmond, declined to comment about the fine and the conditions at the Eastchester schools after the hearing. Health officials said this morning that all the violations had been corrected by a May 22 inspection except for the lack of a food-safety certified worker in one of the school kitchens.
County health inspectors found several critical food-safety violations in local school kitchens in 2007 and 2006.
MISSOURI: City study calls for fee increases; Restaurant inspection charge among ways officials trying to recover expenses
29.may.08
News-Leader.com
Wes Johnson
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS01/805290368
City officials propose increasing 80 city fees -- some by more than 20 percent -- and adding eight new fees. The City Council will get its first look at this ordinance at its Monday meeting.
The story says that among the new fees: charging all Springfield restaurants for annual health department inspections.
The proposed fees would be $100 for stores with very limited food service, such as convenience stores; $175 for stores offering minimal food service, such as sandwich shops; and $325 for full-scale restaurants that serve a wide variety of foods.
Agim Zendeli, co-owner of the four Ziggies Cafe restaurants in Springfield, was cited as saying the new inspection fee would be an added cost he doesn't need, adding "It makes it harder to do business. I don't think other Ziggies restaurants have to pay that fee. I think the city needs to resolve their own budget issues, not put it on us."
Health Department Director Kevin Gipson said the proposed fees are about average when compared to what other Missouri cities charge for restaurant inspections.
The new fees will cover the cost of the inspections to help ensure restaurants are complying with food safety rules.
OREGON: A different kind of restaurant review
29.may.08
The Oregonian
Peter Zuckerman
http://www.oregonlive.com/metrosouth/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_south_news/1211752516124690.xml&coll=7
The Charbonneau on the Green restaurant didn't make par during its most recent health inspection, information that Clackamas County now offers online.
The vast majority of Clackamas County's 830 restaurants scored well in health inspections, with all of them passing and about one-fourth receiving perfect scores. But there problems.
At Charbonneau on the Green, inspectors gave the restaurant a passing grade of 74 but found, among other problems, a can of Raid and bottle of Ortho Home Defense pesticide in bar or food-service areas. Previous inspections found fruit fly and ant infestations. The restaurant's bar manager, Debee Moody, said the problems have since been fixed.
Clackamas County restaurants receive two unannounced inspections a year. Inspectors evaluate everything from freezer temperature to hand-washing stations, giving a score ranging from one to 100.
A review of the Clackamas County restaurant health inspection reports now available online found problems ranging from rat infestations to employees with unclean hands.
The story says that the lowest-scoring restaurant, according to a recent review of the Clackamas County Web site, was the Dragon Inn Restaurant on Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard in Milwaukie, which rated a 70. Inspectors found "unclean" walls in the waitress area and said "food-contact surfaces are not cleaned between different raw animal foods, between raw to ready-to-eat foods, or as frequently as necessary."
Michael Sun, the owner of the restaurant, was cited as saying the restaurant now has a new person helping with cleaning and has made other improvements.
Restaurants that score below 70 must post a placard that says they "Failed to Comply" with health standards. If these restaurants don't shape up, the county can shut them down, said environmental health manager Steve Dahl.
About five restaurants are shut down every year, he said. The most common problems include food kept at improper temperatures and food handlers who fail to wash their hands.
The scores only reflect conditions at the time of the inspection, the county notes.
The county put the inspection information on the Web in response to public interest, Dahl said. Multnomah, Washington and Marion counties have had their restaurant inspection information available online for more than a year.
OHIO: No 'smoking gun' at Norwalk restaurant
28.may.08
Sandusky Register
Cory Frolik
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/05/28/front/774447.txt
The source of a salmonella outbreak in Norwalk in late April is a mystery that most likely will never be solved.
After weeks of tests, health officials were unable to identify any pattern in what dozens of Casa Fiesta patrons ate or drank that led to them contracting S. muenchen, a form of salmonella that is rare in the U.S.
Huron County health commissioner Tim Hollinger was quoted as sayingm "There is no smoking gun. We could not find a smoking gun that showed, 'Here is what caused it.'"
Since all of the food and drink products tested came back negative and there were no other outbreaks nationwide to which this one could be linked, one of two things could have happened, health officials said.
"A reasonable conclusion is that either you had cross-contamination within the food, or you had a hygiene problem with the workers," Hollinger said.
A significant amount of raw food carries salmonella, but a few seconds of cooking the meat at 165 degrees kills the bacteria.
Cross-contamination occurs when uncooked meats infect ready-to-eat food products. A cook who handles raw meat than fails to thoroughly wash his hands may spread salmonella to vegetables, salads or other items.
Another way salmonella is spread is by faulty storing procedures.
The story says that hygiene is the second possible explanation of how 64 people contracted S. muenchen after eating and working at Casa Fiesta. A restaurant employee who went to the bathroom and did not wash his hands adequately could have spread the bacteria. Anything that person touched could be infected.
Health inspection reports show Casa Fiesta does not have a perfectly clean record since moving to 344 Milan Ave.
New international Food Safety Network infosheet -- Food handlers
28.may.08
International Food Safety Network
http://www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/articles/1196/iFSN-infosheet-5-28-08.pdf
Barfblog Post
The newest food safety infosheet, a graphical one-page food safety-
related story directed at food handlers, is now available at
foodsafetyinfosheets.ksu.edu.
Infosheet highlights:
- Employees with poor hygiene may be origin of Illnesses in Ohio and
New Jersey
- New Jersey health officials say a Salmonella outbreak at Princeton
University appears to have been caused by an ill food service worker
who handled or prepared shredded cheddar cheese.
- Five employees tested positive for Salmonella at the Casa Fiesta
restaurant in Norwalk after more than 35 patrons were sickened in an
outbreak late last month.
- Always wash your hands after using the restroom. Salmonella can be
passed on by some people even if they aren’t feeling sick.
Infosheets are created weekly by iFSN and are posted in restaurants,
retail stores, on farms and used in training throughout the world. If
you have any infosheet topic requests, or photos, please contact Ben
Chapman at bchapman@uoguelph.ca
BARFBLOG: Reese and Jake brighten restaurant inspection disclosure
27.may.08
barfblog
Doug Powell
Barfblog Post
Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are the latest Los Angeles celebrities to brighten up the city's letter-grade system of restaurant inspection disclosure, following Jessica Simpson and Larry David.
Here, Gyllenspoon pick up their morning drinks at Caffe Luxxe on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California on Sunday.
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/05/27/reese-witherspoon-jake-gyllenhaal-luxxe/
A philosophy of transparency and openness underlies the efforts of many local health units across North America in seeking to make available the results of restaurant inspections. Such public displays of information may help bolster overall awareness of food safety amongst staff and the public -- people routinely talk about this stuff. It's all about that food safety culture.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2007/05/articles/ifsn-oped/whats-your-score-mate/
MISSOURI: Restaurant inspections
26.may.08
News-Leader
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080526/COMMUNITIES0401/805280321/1145
City inspections
Andy's Frozen Custard, 2726 S. Campbell Ave. May 16 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Arris Pizza, 1332 E. Republic Road. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 3. Bare-hand contact with salad; no expiration date on beef; inside ice machine not clean. Noncritical violations found: 1. May 14 reinspection. Previously listed critical violations corrected. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Auntie Anne's (East), 2825 S. Glenstone Ave. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 3.
Big Willy's Bar & Grill, 2767 W. Republic Road. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Cleaners stored above and beside straws and cups. Noncritical violations found: 7.
Buckingham Smokehouse BBQ, 2002 S. Campbell Ave. May 16 inspection. Critical violations found: 2. Raw meat stored over ready-to-eat foods; ice machine lid not clean. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Casper's, 601 W. Walnut St. May 14 reinspection. Progress is being made on roach infestation. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Cedars, 3322 S. Campbell Ave. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 4. Ranch dressing not stored cold enough; no expiration date on pork, ham and cooked vegetables; soda nozzles not clean; stored meat slicer not clean. Noncritical violations found: 4. May 14 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Century Buffet, 210 E. Sunshine St. May 15 inspection. Permit suspended due to the number of repeat critical violations. Critical violations found: 9. No one able to fully communicate and answer inspector's questions; no one working in kitchen knowledgeable about food safety; cook had bandage on thumb but no protective covering over bandage; raw shrimp stored over cooked rice and raw chicken stored over green beans; uncovered food items in cooler; shrimp at room temperature and whitefish not held cold enough; no expiration date on cooked ribs; men's room toilet leaking; discard time not being monitored for buffet foods. Noncritical violations found: 3.
Chick-Fil-A, 2825 S. Glenstone Ave. May 16 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Mold on inside of ice machine. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Cody's, 959 S. Glenstone Ave. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 5. Moldy ham in cooler; gravy at room temperature; expired sandwiches in self-serve cooler; discard time not being monitored for hot foods; ice chute not clean. Noncritical violations found: 2. May 15 reinspection. Critical violations corrected. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Cold Stone Creamery, 900 E. Battlefield Road. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Sanitizer too strong. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Cook's Kettle, 200 W. Commercial St. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 5. Potato salad and dressings on salad bar not held cold enough; spatula cracked and split; dishwasher not sanitizing properly; cleaners not labeled; cleaners stored next to dishes. Noncritical violations found: 5.
Dairy Queen, 307 S. Jefferson Ave. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Domino's Pizza, 430 W. Kearney St. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Cleaners not labeled. Noncritical violations found: 4.
Dragon Inn II, 625 S. Kimbrough Ave. May 14 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Easy's Cajun Restaurant & Bar, 1710 S. Glenstone Ave. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 4.
Fire & Ice Restaurant, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Possibility of cross-contamination for some ready-to-eat foods. Noncritical violations found: 3.
Hanna Banana's Gourmet Ice Cream, 303 E. Battlefield Road. May 15 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Izumi Hatake, 302 E. Walnut St. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 2.
Jump Stop Grill, 2540 N. Glenstone Ave. May 12 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Discard time not being recorded for hot foods. Noncritical violations found: 2. May 14 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Korea House, 1112 St. Louis St. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. No backflow prevention for kitchen sink. Noncritical violations found: 2.
Kremer's, 1332 E. Republic Road. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
Kum & Go, 2782 W. Republic Road. May 13 inspection. Critical violations found: 3. Inside ice machine not clean; hot water at sink was shut off; antifreeze stored next to pretzels. Noncritical violations found: 5. May 15 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 1.
Kum & Go, 3352 E. Sunshine St. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 2.
Kum & Go, 3623 E. Sunshine St. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 1. Leak under sink. Noncritical violations found: 2. May 16 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
La Quinta Inn Springfield South, 2535 S. Campbell Ave. May 15 inspection. Critical violations found: 3. Employees lack food safety knowledge; single-serve cream cheese and butter not held cold enough; waffle mix not held cold enough. Noncritical violations found: 4.
Lakeland Regional Hospital, 440 S. Market Ave. May 14 inspection. Critical violations found: 2. Can opener not clean; evidence of mice in dry storage. Noncritical violations found: 5.
Logan's Roadhouse, 1110 E. Battlefield Road. May 14 reinspection. Critical violations found: 0. Noncritical violations found: 0.
OHIO: Huron County Health Department eyes restaurant 'grade cards'
24.may.08
The Morning Journal
Heather Chapin-Fowler, Norwalk Bureau Chief
http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19717333&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6
\NORWALK -- In the wake of the recent salmonella outbreak, the Huron County General Health District is proposing restaurants start posting the results of their last health inspection.
Cities in North and South Carolina and Tennessee have already implemented the ''grade card'' system with positive results, said Huron County Health Commissioner Tim Hollinger.
The health department wants feedback from the community before deciding whether to implement it, Hollinger said. ''We just want to hear from the community whether they want it,'' he said, adding that the new program would cost the health district additional staff hours.
At the entrance of each restaurant, a posting of the health department's inspection results would be classified as an A, B or C. That grade card would greet patrons who could then use it to make the determination if they wanted to eat there, Hollinger said.
''That's the best thing I can come up with so this will not happen again,'' said Hollinger in regards to the salmonella cases reported from Casa Fiesta on US 250 in Norwalk.
More than 60 patrons experienced symptoms of salmonella infection and the case is closed.
The health officials have narrowed the cause to two speculative causes, Hollinger said.
Five employees who tested positive for salmonella either ''cross contaminated'' portions of patrons' food by not using sanitary methods of handling hot and cold foods together or by not washing their hands properly after using the restroom and then resumed their work duties, he said.
The restaurant remains open for business, but the sick employees were taken off the work schedule, by law, until they pass health tests.
In January, the health department's inspection reports show the restaurant was warned through ''critical violations'' about improper supervision of employees and handling of foods, in addition to other health code violations, according to the report.
Some of the same warnings were issued in August 2007, according to that report.
On May 1, just after the outbreak occurred, a series of similar warnings were issued by the health department. Food handling employees weren't properly washing their hands and changing gloves between working in various food stations, the report stated.
Supervisors were also warned to familiarize themselves with standards concerning the handling of foods and other issues.
OREGON: Deschutes County restaurant scores online
23.may.08
Hack Bend
http://www.hackbend.com/2008/05/23/deschutes-county-restaurant-scores-online.php
This is huge: Deschutes County is now posting restaurant inspection scores online and publicly available. Go here to see them.
Every restaurant in the County—even places that are not nominally restaurants, like hotels, or small food counters in other types of establishments—is online, it looks like. You can search by name, city, score, and address, and you can click through to the details for each restaurant, which include:
* The comments and details of each violation;
* Date of inspection(s) and subsequent follow-up re-inspection(s);
* Google Map of the establishment;
* Graphed view of the score(s);
* And, of course, the actual score.
Each restaurant is scored on a scale of 100—100 being the best possible score. Each violation reduces the total score, and restaurant scoring less than 70 get the dreaded "Failed to Comply" sticker.
So far, it's been very interesting to page through all the results... there have been some surprises.
However, the site comes with the following disclaimers:
[From the press release]
Posting restaurant inspection scores is not in any way meant to disparage or benefit any restaurant in Deschutes County. The scores are a reflection of the conditions observed by the health inspector on the day she or he made that inspection.
[From the site]
It must be noted that scores don’t always tell the full story of how a restaurant is performing with regard to safe food handling practices. The scoring system is not perfect and neither are health inspectors or restaurant operators. A low scoring restaurant may never make anyone sick or a high-scoring restaurant may have an outbreak tomorrow. Foodborne illness is an inexact science with MANY risk factors that influence how, when, where, and why an outbreak occurs.
MISSOURI: St. Charles county restaurant inspections
22.may.08
St. Louis Today
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/57161EE2795C9E2F8625745200072CC4?OpenDocument
St. Charles County inspectors grade restaurants on a numerical scale with 100 being the best score. St. Peters inspectors use the ABC system for grading with A being the best, followed by a numerical rating to reflect the number of demerits. Only the numerical ratings are listed here. Violations are expected to be corrected by the time of the next inspection. Only the more serious infractions are listed here. Occasionally, other comments by inspectors will be listed.
SF, for Smoke Free, designates establishments where smoking is not allowed in the enclosed dining area.
NSF, for Not Smoke Free, means that smoking is allowed, whether throughout the dining area or in a separate section.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY
QuikTrip, 955 Bryan Road, O'Fallon. May 1. Score 96. Food product improperly stored on the floor in walk-in freezer. A violation was corrected. SF.
Jack in the Box, 415 South Main Street, O'Fallon. May 1. Score 96. Flooring littered under shelving in back storage area. Waste receptacle cabinet soiled. Air vent dusty. Interior of reach-in cooler soiled. SF.
Domino's Pizza, 8760 Veterans Memorial Parkway, O'Fallon. May 1. Score 98. Floor needs cleaning in employee restroom. SF.
Los Cardenales Grocery, 108 West Terra Lane, O'Fallon. May 1. Score 94. Interior of small white refrigerator soiled. Kitchen area cluttered with boxes and miscellaneous items. No self-closing device on restroom door. Coving missing from wall in kitchen (repeat violation).
Dairy Queen, 817 North Main Street, O'Fallon. May 5. Score 94. Frozen dessert machine leaking product. Trash bin not covered properly. A violation was corrected. SF.
Park Place Restaurant, 2002 Boardwalk Place Drive. O'Fallon. May 6. Score 93. Flooring soiled in walk-in cooler. A violation was corrected. SF.
Sushi Kitchen, 209 Fairway Green Drive, O'Fallon. May 6. Score 98. No hand towels provided for employees. SF.
Hunan King, 3038 WingHaven Boulevard, O'Fallon. May 6. Score 88. Four dented cans found in storage area. Hoods soiled. Sanitizer solution for wiping cloths not at proper strength. Soda nozzles soiled at bar. Dishwashing machine not sanitizing properly. SF.
Blue Sky Cafe, 9999 WingHaven Boulevard, O'Fallon. May 7. Score 82. Baked goods made at a residence, not an approved licensed kitchen. Interior of ice machine shield soiled. Food product improperly stored on the floor in walk-in freezer. Test strips in poor condition. Other violations were corrected. SF.
A Better Pizza, 8622 Mexico Road, O'Fallon. May 7. Score 96. No hand towels provided at handwashing sink. Test strips for sanitizer not accurate. SF.
Burger King, 2882 Highway K, O'Fallon. May 7. Score 98. Water on the floor near walk-in cooler. SF.
Thai D'Lish, 2447 Highway K, O'Fallon. May 7. Score 96. Food product improperly stored on the floor in dry storage area. Uncovered food in walk-in cooler. Grease buildup on hood vents. SF.
QuikTrip, 8601 Mexico Road, O'Fallon. May 8. Score 98. Energy drinks improperly stored in handwashing sink. SF.
Big T Deli, 1322 North Main Street, O'Fallon. May 8. Score 95. Manager's certification was not posted. Person in charge must have ServSafe certificate. No one on duty certified. SF.
Piggy's Bar-B-Que, 327 North Main Street, O'Fallon. May 8. Score 93. Soda nozzles soiled at soda machine in dining room. Mop sink soiled. Floor soiled in walk-in cooler. SF.
El Tio Pepe Mexican Restaurant, 315 West Terra Lane, O'Fallon. May 8. Score 98. Trash bin not covered properly. Trash bin area littered. NSF.
QuikTrip, 55 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville. May 8. Score 96. Cappuccino machines leaking. Food service license must be posted in public view. SF.
Phillips 66, 1235 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville. May 8. Score 96. Trash bin not covered properly. No thermometer provided for hot box. SF.
Wal-Mart, deli, 1971 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville. May 8. Score 100. No violations. SF.
Papa Belle Pizza, 1971 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville. May 8. Score 91. No test strips provided for sanitizer. Food service license must be posted in public view. A violation was corrected. SF.
Imo's Pizza, 1127 West Pearce Boulevard, Wentzville. May 9. Score 98. No test strips provided for sanitizer (repeat violation). SF.
Subway Sandwiches & Salads, 608 West Pearce Boulevard, Wentzville. May 9. Score 98. Food service license must be posted in public view. SF.
Domino's Pizza, 504 West Pearce Boulevard, Wentzville. May 9. Score 92. Trash bin not covered properly. No thermometer provided in refrigeration unit. No hand towels provided at handwashing sink. Top of oven dusty. NSF.
UK: Restaurants and supermarkets to display their hygiene ratings
23.may.08
The Guardian
James Meikle
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/22/fooddrinks.supermarkets
Restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and other food outlets will be graded on their hygiene inspection results and expected to display them on their doors or windows under a scheme to be launched next year.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed a UK-wide system which would also allow consumers to check ratings on a website to try to improve standards and cut food poisoning.
The agency believes a national scheme is needed to replace the plethora of "scores on doors", with nearly half the 435 local authorities already having or being about to introduce their own systems. In some areas, consumers and the media have had to use freedom of information legislation to find out the verdict of hygiene inspectors.
The FSA yesterday launched a consultation on the best way of measuring compliance with EU hygiene rules, suggesting either a four-tiered system with premises getting a pass rating of up to three stars or failed, or "pass" or "improvement required" certificates being issued.
The agency is reluctant to require businesses to display the ratings, leaving consumers to make their own judgment about those that fail to do so. However, London authorities operating their own schemes already have a bill before parliament which would enforce such a requirement.
All food outlets are already inspected, but the frequency of checks varies. Rating schemes vary widely, with symbols including stars, smiley faces, tulips and traffic lights.
Most schemes allow appeals and some allow reinspections, although the cost sometimes has to be paid by the business. The agency believes no charge should be made for reinspections, and any extra costs to the taxpayer or businesses in preparing for a national system would be outweighed by cuts in bills arising from food poisoning incidents.
Lacors, the local government body overseeing food hygiene regulation, was cited as saying that the FSA did not include a five-star rating system used by most councils running schemes in England, adding, "This decision will cost councils tens of thousands of pounds, risks frittering away the political and local backing for schemes that have already been built up, and undoes a lot of the good work councils have done in working with local restaurants, cafes and takeaways. It is fair to say we are baffled by the FSA's decision."
US: Are you dining at a dirty restaurant?
21.may.08
WPEC News 12
Tara Cardoso
http://www.cbs12.com/news/dirty_4707804___article.html/worst_experiences.html
Food poisoning can be one of the worst experiences -- violent vomiting and diarrhea. It happens to 76 million Americans every year. The CBS 12 I-Team found one woman who says it happened to her family. Our story exposes a restaurant under investigation for foodborne illness complaints. Watch Dirty Dining tonight on CBS 12 News at Eleven.
TEXAS: Restaurant monitor for May 21
21.may.08
Bryan/College Station Eagle
http://www.theeagle.com/food/052108-restaurant-monitor-print
The Restaurant Monitor is a weekly listing of scores for restaurants inspected by the Brazos County Health Department.
Inspection scores are on a 100-point scale. Generally, scores below 80 might cause the department to schedule a follow-up visit. Scores in the 60s and below would cause the department to consider closing an establishment temporarily for health reasons.
The following inspections were conducted from May 7-14 and are restaurants that scored less than 85. Reports on all restaurants inspected during the same time period are available at www.theeagle.com.
BRYAN
Bryan Food Xchange -- Service, 2907 Texas 21 E. -- 71. Unapproved systems (hazard control plans);evidence of flies or other insect contamination; toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used; improper manual/mechanical ware-washing and sanitizing; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); hot-hold temperature violation(s) (140 F); cross contamination of raw/cooked foods/other.
Chef Cao's Chinese Restaurant LP No. 2, 3105 S. Texas Ave., Suite 500 -- 80. Toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used; evidence of flies or other insect contamination; hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; cross contamination of raw/cooked foods/other.
COLLEGE STATION
Bennigan's No. 4455, 1505 A Texas Ave. S. -- 80. Unapproved sewage/wastewater disposal system, improper disposal; food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; unsound condition; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used.
Comfort Suites, 907 E. University Drive -- 79. Hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; food establishment permit lacking/not available/not displayed; cold-hold temperature violations (41 F/45 F); hot-hold temperature violation(s) (140 F); equipment not adequate to maintain product temperature; unapproved systems (hazard control plans); cross-contamination of raw/cooked foods/other.
Holiday Inn & Suites, 2500 Earl Rudder Freeway -- 82. Lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; unapproved systems (hazard control plans).
Holiday Inn Express, 1203 University Drive E. -- 84. Hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); cold-hold temperature violations (41 F/45 F); unapproved systems (hazard control plans).
Plaza Hotel and Suites, 410 Texas Ave. S. -- 80. Lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); equipment not adequate to maintain product temperature; toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used; no certified food manager or demonstration of knowledge; thermometers not provided/accurate/properly calibrated; improper/adequate hand-washing.
Potato Shack, 405 A. University Drive -- 77. Food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; improper/adequate handwashing; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; evidence of flies or other insect contamination; evidence of rodents/other animals; toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used.
Plaza Hotel and Suites, 410 Texas Ave. S. -- 80. Lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); equipment not adequate to maintain product temperature; toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used; no certified food manager or demonstration of knowledge; thermometers not provided/accurate/properly calibrated; improper/adequate hand-washing.
Potato Shack, 405 A. University Drive -- 77. Food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; improper/adequate handwashing; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; evidence of flies or other insect contamination; evidence of rodents/other animals; toxic items not properly labeled/stored/used.
Top Donuts, 1734 Rock Prairie Road -- 78. Water -- unapproved source/sufficient capacity/lack of hot/cold; lack of good hygienic practices (eating/drinking/smoking/other); cold-hold temperature violations (41 F/45 F); evidence of flies or other insect contamination; food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; equipment not adequate to maintain product temperature.
Zapatos Cantina/Bar-ber Shots, 211 University Drive -- 77. Unapproved sewage/wastewater disposal system, improper disposal; equipment not adequate to maintain product temperature; improper manual/mechanical ware-washing and sanitizing; hand-wash facilities without soap and/or towels; food contact surfaces of equipment/utensils not cleaned and sanitized; thermometers not provided/accurate/properly calibrated; cold-hold temperature violations (41 F/45 F).
MARLER BLOG: E. coli lawsuit filed against Taco Bell and Hepatitis A lawsuit filed against Chipotle
21.may.08
Marler Blog
Food Poisoning Attorney
http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/05/articles/legal-cases/e-coli-lawsuit-filed-against-taco-bell-and-hepatitis-a-lawsuit-filed-against-chipotle/index.html
A week without a blog post? That has not happened for a long time. Being "off the grid" in Alaska for a few days did not help (me in the Obama hat with a very fresh steelhead), and spending the balance of the time in airports and airplanes getting to and from Omaha and Minneapolis absorbed the balance of the time. I did however squeeze in a few more lawsuits:
Victim of Taco Bell E. coli Outbreak Sues Yum Brands
An E. coli lawsuit was filed today against Yum Brands—the parent company of Taco Bell—in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Debra Moyer, a resident of Boyertown, PA, who became gravely ill with an E. coli infection after eating contaminated food from a Taco Bell in Gilbertsville.
Ms. Moyer is a victim of an outbreak of the highly toxic E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in four Northeastern states in November, 2006, associated with contaminated lettuce served at various Taco Bell restaurants. More than 70 people who ate at Taco Bell restaurants in Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were infected, and eight developed the life-threatening complication Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), including Ms. Moyer. Ms. Moyer was hospitalized for 31 days, her kidneys failed, she experienced seizures and was in a coma for weeks, and she has sustained permanent renal injury. Ms. Moyer’s case, however, has not yet been resolved, despite the far greater relative severity of her illness and of her substantially greater loss. Taco Bell has yet to make an offer that would be adequate to pay for Ms. Moyer’s hospital bills and to compensate her for her past and present injuries. “Ms. Moyer barely survived her acute illness, and her life has been permanently and negatively affected,” said food borne illness attorney William Marler. “She is disabled, and both her body and her finances have been ravaged by this illness. It is imperative that corporations take responsibility when their products wreak this kind of personal destruction.”
Second Lawsuit Filed In Chipotle Grill Hepatitis A Outbreak
A second Hepatitis A lawsuit was filed today against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., in San Diego County Superior Court. The complaint was filed on behalf of San Diego resident Rhonda Salgado, who was infected with Hepatitis A after eating food from the Chipotle Grill in La Mesa, California, between February and April 2008. The lawsuit states Ms. Saldago developed symptoms of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection on April 10, 2008 and required medical attention on multiple occasions including April 19, April 24, and May 1, 2008. In the course of these visits, her blood tested positive for Hepatitis A. Ms. Salgado remains ill, and has not been able to return to work. In late April 2008, San Diego County health officials announced that a number of HAV infections had been traced to the restaurant, located at 8005 Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa. Officials advised customers who had eaten at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22 that they might be at risk for infection.
CALIFORNIA: Marin's restaurant inspection web site to debut this fall
21.may.08
Marin Independent Journal
Richard Halstead
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_9328989
Restaurant patrons who have been waiting for Marin County to post the results of its biannual restaurant inspections on the Web have a new deadline to look forward to.
County officials who oversee restaurant inspections told county supervisors Tuesday they expect to have a rudimentary version of the program in operation by this fall, "with a substantially complete listing of major food facilities being available online by the end of the 2008 calendar year."
In 2005, the county pledged that an online system would be up and running by spring 2006. In 2006, the county promised the system would be online by 2007.
All of Marin's neighbors - San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Sonoma counties - already post inspection results on their Web sites. Sonoma County started putting its results on the Web five years ago. Los Angeles County requires restaurants to post health inspection grades in their windows.
"I'm very excited to finally see this," said Supervisor Susan Adams. "I know we've been asking for this for quite a long time."
"I think this is a good first step," Supervisor Judy Arnold said.
Supervisor Steve Kinsey, however, expressed concern that the county might post inaccurate information and damage the reputation of restaurants. He asked if the Community Development Agency, which oversees environmental health services in Marin, planned for the additional workload the site would create.
"I don't want to open this up and not be ready with what it will take to manage it," Kinsey said.
Inspection documents indicate the county's Environmental Health Services division logged 281 food-related complaints in 2007, including 88 from people who believed they were sickened by the food they ate. The number of restaurants and other food sellers that required three or more reinspections for violations of the California Retail Food Code - and received at least one fine - nearly doubled from a year earlier to 29.
In its initial form, the program will provide detail only on violations the state deems critical. These cover five risk factor areas:
- Improper holding temperatures of potentially hazardous foods.
- Inadequate cooking, cooling or reheating.
- Poor personal hygiene of food handlers.
- Contaminated equipment.
- Food from unsafe sources.
Phil Smith, director of the county's environmental health services division, said his inspectors will begin feeding data into the system this fall. They will simultaneously input new inspection results and past results so that by the end of the year the Web site should contain about a year's worth of results.
Brian Crawford, the Community Development Agency's assistant director, said that if the supervisors desire, county staff could add a scoring or grading system by 2009.
Kinsey expressed concern about the amount of staff time that would be taken by restaurants clamoring to get their grades raised and the ability of the county to re-inspect in a timely fashion to minimize the impact on restaurant business.
KENTUCKY: LCDHD reports inspections
21.may.08
Commonwealth Journal
http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/local/local_story_142080447.html
85-100 — pass inspection.
70-84 — must be reinspected within 30 days.
Under 70 — a suspension of permit notice is sent to owner; if owner doesn’t reply in 10 days, the permit is revoked and the restaurant is closed.
The following establishments were inspected by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department:
914 EXPRESS MART
41 Jordon’s Way
Rating Score:
Food Service: 95
Retail Food: 96
VIOLATIONS: Dishes not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized (corrected); no chlorine chemical test trips; soda nozzles soiled; no paper towels at utility tub or hand sink; no covered trash can in restrooms; change out thermometers for range, 0-220 degrees F.
TRAY’S GARDEN
345 North U.S. 27, Somerset Plaza
Rating Score: 81
VIOLATIONS: Raw foods stored above ready-to-eat foods in walk-in cooler; food containers stored on floor; produce prepared beside raw food; raw meats stored in ice cream freezer; hand washing was not observed; drink stored above food bar; ice buildup in freezer; unclean utensils in back room; unclean coffee cups in dining area; soda nozzles are unclean; crockpot is unclean; dishes are not properly sanitized (corrected); countertops are unclean; handles of hand sink are unclean; lights not properly shielded with end caps; light over three-compartment sink is not working; mop not properly stored.
LITTLE OAKS ACADEMY
2060 Oak Hill Road
Rating Score: 93
VIOLATIONS: Eggs stored next to ready-to-eat foods; employee drink in food preparation area (fridge; corrected).
RUBY TUESDAY
1975 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 98
VIOLATIONS: In use utensils not stored properly; lights in cooler not shielded.
KIDS DEPOT
2695 North U.S. 27
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
LYNN’S LUNCHBOX
101 South Maple St.
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
SNACKS ’N’ SUCH
4150 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 98
VIOLATIONS: Ice machine unclean (back); ice bin unclean (front).
OAK HILL FOOD MART
Rating Score:
Food Service: 100
Retail Food: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
McDONALDS’ NO. 2
4000 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 92
VIOLATIONS: Wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer; single serve items (front counter) stored in unclean container; mold build-up at ice dispenser at self-service counter; McFlurry ice cream machine soiled; orange juice and cappuccino machines soiled; refrigerator door at drive-thru not closing properly; cooler in back line with lettuce and cheese does not have thermometer displayed; burger cooler in back needs defrosting; cooler number three soiled (corrected); mold buildup on ice dispenser in back line.
HARDEE’S NO. 2
3626 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 90
VIOLATIONS: Ice cream freezer needs defrosting and no shield on light; ice cream scoop stored in standing water; ice cream topping stored uncovered; cappuccino maker door in poor repair; single service containers stored on soiled shelves; biscuit cooler has leak; no drain plug in dumpster areas.
TRAY’S GARDEN
345 North U.S. 27
Rating Score: 99
VIOLATIONS (follow-up inspection): Mops not properly stored; insects found in flour container (flour discarded).
OREGON: Getting the scoop on local eateries; talking ice age
20.may.08
The Oregon City News
Aaron Breniman
http://www.oregoncitynewsonline.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=121132392510611100
Following in the style of the TV show Kitchen Nightmares and KPTV channel 12’s Dirty Dining segments, Clackamas County has recently added restaurant inspection scores to its website. Visit http://www.clackamas.us/, click on “restaurant inspections” and search for your favorite dining spots in O.C. and throughout the county to see recent inspection scores and trends. Or, just choose Oregon City and peruse all restaurants, bars and fast-food restaurants together. (Note: some scores for newer restaurants are not yet available)
COLORADO: How to be sure your next meal out won’t make you sick
20.may.08
KRDO.com
Marshall Zelinger
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=8355943
El Paso County -- Every day you pack thousands of local-area restaurants, but how many of you know how that place scored on its most recent inspection? What about its last inspection date? The state requires twice a year restaurant inspections, but the El Paso County Health Department only averages about once every two years.
"We sort of have the perfect storm here," says El Paso County Public Health Administrator Rosemary Bakes-Martin. "More restaurants, less money, not able to get out and get the job done. It's not acceptable."
Knowing that, how can you go out to eat and know you won't get sick?
"There's going to be very little, if anything, that you're going to be able to do when you walk into that restaurant and sit down and judge what the sanitation in that place is," says El Paso County Environmental Health Director Rick Miklich.
Even though the inspection report for your restaurant may be outdated, it could be your best look behind the scenes.
"If you're curious, if you're interested, if you want to know what's going on back in that kitchen of the place you're eating at, give us a call or come by and sit down with someone and let's look and see what the history is on that," says Miklich.
NEWSCHANNEL 13 got an exclusive look at a restaurant inspection in action. We followed food safety inspector Madeline Wells as she inspected the Corner Café, a restaurant just across from the El Paso County Courthouse at 7 E. Vermijo Ave. What may come as a surprise, Wells was more just as interested in asking questions of the employees, as she was checking the restaurants cleanliness.
Her sample questions included:
* "How often are you taking your temperatures of your soup on the hot table or a piece of chicken when you cook it?"
* "Your raw chicken, does this come to the facility frozen or is it fresh?"
* "What if you're sick?"
Wells wanted to see how educated the employees were, to check the safety of the food preparation process.
"It's an idea for them to teach me what I don't know and what if I'm doing something wrong, to correct that," says Corner Café owner Bob Smoot.
During the inspection, we learned that hot food needs to be kept at a temperature warmer than 135-degrees and that cold food needs to be kept refrigerated colder than 41-degrees.
"Deli meat out of temp can make someone sick," says Wells.
When hot food is stored for the night, it has to be cooled properly to be safe to eat again. At the Corner Café, we got an example of this with a pot of gravy. It was placed into a container at a temperature warmer than 135-degrees. Before it gets put in the refrigerator, it needs to be cooled to less than 41-degrees in less than six hours. To do this, an ice stick is placed in the middle of the gravy and spun around to cool the sauce evenly.
"If it just sat out and cooled on its own, it might not make it in those timelines and grow a lot of bacteria," says Wells. "If you stick in the fridge and it's not at 41-degrees yet and you're covering it, even with the holes it's not going to cool real quick."
Wells also checked for cleanliness, rodents and food storage practices. El Paso County bases its inspections off "critical" and "non-critical" violations. Critical violations are directly related to food borne illnesses. Examples of this include temperature control, hygiene, sanitization, plumbing and pest control. The Corner Café had no critical violations and got a passing grade, but you won't find the letter "A" or "B" hanging in its front window.
"Implementing a letter grade system in this county is extremely labor intensive," says Miklich.
"It's a false sense of security," says Smoot.
Smoot used to get inspection grades at a restaurant he owned in Southern California.
"It might be a letter grade for that day, not in the future," says Smoot. "The county needs to have enough money that they can come by and see me at least twice a year, that's a good way of knowing where you want to eat and where you don't want to eat."
"The code that is in place in the state of Colorado and the inspection reports that we use are not conducive to assigning grades because you need a number system in order to do that and we do not inspect by numbers, we inspect by type of violations," says Miklich.
"There are much better ways for the public to find out what's going on back in the kitchen of a restaurant than having some arbitrary letter grade put on their front door," says Miklich. "(You) can come in and actually look at (inspection reports) and talk to someone and say what does this mean? What does it mean to me? What is the degree of this violation?"
Food inspection reports are available to anyone at the El Paso County Health Department (301 S. Union Blvd.)
"We get requests for records everyday, but it's seldom from the general public," says Miklich. "What's better about having something online or having the public come in and actually look at the inspection reports, is they get a better idea of what's exactly going on in there, rather than looking at, ‘That one's got a B, I wonder what happened?'"
NEVADA: Bacteria found on restaurant lemon slices: One-third fail small test for E. coli
20.may.08
kmbc.com
http://www.kmbc.com/health/16338312/detail.html
Las Vegas -- In testing of lemon wedges from six restaurants, a radio station found two contaminated lemons. In one case, it was bacteria that you wouldn't want anywhere near you, let alone your mouth.
The lemon tested positive for E. coli, which is usually found in fecal matter.
"For feces to be present in a lemon -- that's pretty gross," said Anthony Francis of Silver State Laboratories.
Francis did the testing.
"This is pretty serious. Yeah, you don't want to see E. coli in food or water," he said.
To collect the samples, the station visited restaurants the Olive Garden, El Pollo Loco, IHOP, Jerry's Nugget, McCormick and Schmick's and Triple George Grill.
Without touching any of the lemons, they were scooped them from the cups, placed into a bag and taken to the lab to get the results.
"I was surprised, because I would expect most lemons in most restaurants to come back clean," Francis said.
Four out of the six did.
But the lemon from Triple George Grill contained E. coli.
"Any type of contaminated fruit is a critical violation," said Robert Urzi of the Southern Nevada Health District.
Urzi said the lemon could have come into the restaurant contaminated, or the E. coli could have come from an employee who didn't wash his or her hands after using the bathroom.
There was nothing other than small violations, such as an ice scoop left in a bin, on Triple George's past inspection reports.
The health department visited the restaurant to investigate the E. coli and take action by continuing to monitor the situation.
The other contaminated lemon contained coli form bacteria. There are hundreds of types. The lemon was found at IHOP.
NEW MEXICO: Red or green restaurant report, May 18
19.may.08
KOAT.com
http://www.koat.com/news/16333770/detail.html
During a follow-up inspection by Albuquerque health inspectors, the Duke City Lights restaurant at 9200 Central Avenue SW received a downgrade for these critical violations:
Improper handwashing Health inspectors saw employees touching lettuce after handling meat without washing their hands.
Wiping cloths improperly stored - a violation the restaurant was cited for during a previous inspection.
A restaurant manager would not go on camera, but when asked about the cross-contamination violation, the manager said,"That's pretty much the truth. When we're trying to do three or four things at the same time, it happens."
As for the repeat violation of improperly storing wiping cloths, the manager said, "There was a towel on a shelf. It shouldn't have been there."
After another follow-up inspection, the restaurant is back in compliance.
In the green this week:
* Bonnie's Breakfast Club, 640 Coors Blvd. NW
* Pho Linh Vietnamese Grill, 5000 Central Ave SE
* Red Robin Restaurant And Bar 10009 Coors Blvd. NW
* Spinns Burger And Beer, 6001 Winterhaven Road NW
* Subway, 110 Louisiana Blvd. SE
* Old Town Snow Cone Factory, 204 San Felipe St. NW
For more details visit the city of Albuquerque's official restaurant inspection page .
OHIO: JUST IN: More than 60 diners could have had salmonella poisoning
19.may.08
Sandusky Online
Cody Frolik
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/05/19/front/765067.txt
Authorities have still not identified the source of a salmonella outbreak that caused as many as 64 people who dined at Casa Fiesta in Norwalk to fall ill.
Health officials are unable to say for sure how many people who ate at the Mexican restaurant in late April contracted salmonella, since 28 patrons who exhibited salmonella-like symptoms chose not to be tested for the bacteria.
But laboratory tests did confirm 36 people had the infection.
NEW ZEALAND: 70 vaccinated for hepatitis A
19.may.08
Otago Daily Times
Elspeth McLean
http://www.odt.co.nz/article.php?refid=2008,05,19,2,00200,3f34ed53cddca0491f338cb39501da10§=4
The Southland Times
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4552697a6011.html
Hepatitis A vaccinations have been given to about 70 people who were in close contact with a Korean waitress who had the disease while working in Queenstown.
Public Health South medical officer of health Dr Marion Poore said yesterday efforts were continuing to contact about 3000 people who were guests at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront between April 20 and May 3, the time when the waitress was at her most infectious.
Dr Poore said the hotel and tour operators were helping to locate these people, but most of them would have returned overseas to countries where the disease was endemic and it was believed many of them could be immune.
Fifty-six close contacts and co-workers of the waitress in Queenstown have received immunoglobin (antibodies) and vaccinations and a further 15 have received similar treatment in other parts of the country.
No further cases of the highly contagious disease have been notified at this stage, which Dr Poore said was encouraging, but the long incubation period, which could be up to 50 days, meant that it would be the end of June before the allclear could be given.
ALABAMA: Health department restaurant ratings
19.may.08
The Birmingham News
http://www.al.com/entertainment/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1211199323115650.xml&coll=2http://www.al.com/entertainment/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1211199323115650.xml&coll=2The Jefferson and Shelby County departments of health regularly inspect all establishments where food is prepared or sold for human consumption. These scored inspections were made without prior notification of the food service owner, operator or employees.
Points are deducted on a scale of 1 to 5, with the higher numbers indicating more serious problems. The health departments consider 4 and 5-point violations as critical items requiring immediate action.
The lists are divided into those that scored 84 or below out of a possible 100 and those that scored 97 or above out of a possible 100.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
84 and under
A&N Convenience LLC, 2931 Dartmouth Ave., Bessemer (81). Employee had personal drink in food prep area (5 points); proof of required food safety training not properly provided for all food service employees (5 points); food contamination not prevented during storage (1 point); non-food contact surfaces (shelves) not clean (1 point); soap, towels and hand-drying device not properly provided at handwashing sink (2 points); outside trash bin not properly closed (1 point); premises not maintained free of unnecessary items (1 point); floors and walls not clean (2 points); ventilation hood not clean and lighting not properly provided (1 point).
Applebee's, 2933 John Hawkins Parkway, Hoover (80). Proof of food safety training not properly provided for all food service employees (5 points); food contact surfaces not clean (5 points); smoking allowed (4 points); non-food contact surfaces not clean (1 point); improper storage of clean dishes (1 point); plumbing not in good repair (leaking pipe underneath handsink near dish machine) (1 point); soap not properly provided at handsink and proper waste receptacles not properly provided (2 points); dressing room/area not properly used (1 point).
Costa's BBQ & Steakhouse, 5893 Trussville Crossing Blvd., Trussville (83). Potentially hazardous food did not meet proper temperature requirements during cold holding (5 points); food contact surfaces not clean (5 points); smoking allowed (4 points); approved thawing methods not properly used (1 point); non-food contact surfaces not in good repair (1 point); wiping cloths not properly stored (1 point).
Cottage Inn, 8905 Old Highway 75, Pinson (84). Employee had bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food (5 points); potentially hazardous food did not meet proper temperature requirements during hot holding (5 points); smoking allowed (4 points); non-absorbent material not properly provided to rest outside trash bin on (1 point); inspection score not properly posted for public view (1 point).
Outback Steakhouse, 1944 Hoover Court, Hoover (60). Employee had bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (5 points); potentially hazardous food did not meet proper temperature requirements during hot holding (5 points); potentially hazardous food did not meet proper temperature requirements during cold holding (5 points); food not properly separated to protect against cross contamination (5 points); food contact surfaces not clean (5 points); food contact surfaces (sheet pans) not smooth and easily cleanable (4 points); air gap not properly provided at ice machine drain (4 points); thermometers not properly provided (1 point); non-food contact surfaces not clean (1 point); drying of clean pans not proper (1 point); mop sink not properly accessible (1 point); floors not clean (2 points); ventilation hood filters not clean (1 point).
97 and above
D&D Kwick Stop, 919 East Fairdale Road (97).
Genji Sushi Express, 3100 Cahaba Village Plaza (99).
Green Acres Cafe-Forestdale, 959 Forestdale Blvd. (98).
Highland Park Golf, 3300 South Highland Ave. (99).
Jump Street Station, 1316 Bessemer Road (97).
K-Mart Easter Express, No. 4308, 7845 Crestwood Blvd. (99).
Koko Bubble Tea, 2000 Riverchase Galleria, Hoover (99).
Publix, No. 1082 Deli, 7272 Gadsden Highway, Trussville (100).
Pyramids Deli & Grill, 1207 South 29th St. (97).
Rib-It-Up, 830 North First Ave. (98).
Southern Food Management at Social Security Administration, 1200 North Eighth Ave. (100).
Starbucks Coffee, No. 8396, Munger Building, 1927 South 11th Ave. (100).
Subway, No. 38652, 803 South 20th St. (97).
Subway Sandwiches & Salads, 3382 Morgan Drive, Vestavia (99).
Surin of Thailand, 64 Church St., Mountain Brook (97).
Wal-Mart Supercenter-Bakery, 890 Odum Road, Gardendale (100).
Wal-Mart Supercenter Bakery, 5919 Trussville Crossing Parkway (99).
Wendy's, 213 State Farm Parkway, Homewood (97).
Reinspection Score:Hardee's, No. 1402, 5113 Airport Highway (88).
SHELBY COUNTY
97 and above
Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, 5080 Cahaba Valley Trace (100).
Outback Steakhouse, No. 1260, 5231 U.S. 280 South (98).
Sanpeggio's Pizza, 50 Chelsea Corners (98).
MARYLAND: Restaurant criticized for keeping fish in a urinal
18.may.08
ABC 2 News
http://www.abc2news.com/entertainment/weirdnews/story.aspx?content_id=bc5f0125-6788-4309-94b6-cac62f8ce8f8
Barfblog Post
A Chinese restaurant has, according to this story, been criticized for keeping ornamental fish in a urinal.
The restaurant in Changchun city has around 20 fancy carp in an over 12-foot-long trough in the mens' bathroom.
Experts have reportedly condemned the move saying it's harmful to the fish.
The restaurant says the fish are not in any danger and that the water is running and staff change the water at least twice a day and add oxygen into the water much like a regular fish tank.
The restaurant's owner adds the fish are just an attraction and not used in dishes.
Guests say they're surprised to see the fish swimming in the trough which has a sign saying, "Please urinate here" above it.
BLOG: Chipotle uses social media to combat hepatitis scare
19.may.08
Information Week Blog
Mitch Wagner
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/05/chipotle_uses_s.html
When my neighborhood Chipotle restaurant, where my wife and I had been eating every week for years, was linked to a hepatitis outbreak, the company turned to social networks as a part of a campaign to rehabilitate its reputation. I ended up respecting the fast-food chain for its conscientious business practices and innovative use of social media for marketing and public relations. But, unfortunately, that didn't make me want to return to Chipotle.
Last month, people in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa, Calif., started coming down with Hepatitis-A. The connection: They'd all eaten at one particular branch of Chipotle, a national chain of burrito shops known for big portions and chunky guacamole. Health officials tested all 26 employees of that Chipotle, but found that none of them had hepatitis. Still, my wife and I found this story alarming. We'd been eating take-out from that same Chipotle -- the one linked to the hepatitis cases -- for years.
So we started looking for an alternate source of burritos, and I wrote about it on my blog: Not getting hepatitis is one of the main things I look for in a restaurant.
Now, this is my personal blog. It's a place where I post non-technology-related essays, photos, comments on books, movies, and TV shows, and such. I do post links there to all my major InformationWeek articles and blogs, but it's not affiliated with InformationWeek or its parent company. And it has about a dozen or two dozen regular readers. It's a really, really small blog.
So I was surprised to get this response three days later:
I am a Chipotle employee myself, so if you can excuse that, I thought I'd reply to your blog.
We certainly wish to apologize for any anxiety we have caused you. We want you to know that the safety and well-being of our customers is our highest priority, and we are cooperating completely with your local health department in San Diego. Perhaps media reports haven’t mentioned this, but 100% of our crew and managers at our La Mesa restaurant were tested by the health department and 100% of them are clean. All of them have been cleared by the health department to return to work.
Additionally, this restaurant has been inspected by the health department five times in the last five months, including two inspections in the last week, and received A grades (or excellent) in each inspection, and is open for normal business.
Therefore, we do definitely feel it is safe to eat at Chipotle – the health department has said so publicly (and we hope you still have some faith in them), and we wouldn’t be open for business if they didn’t believe it was safe.
And while the health department has not yet reached a conclusion to the source of the hepatitis A cases, we’ll continue to work with them and help them with whatever they ask of us. We do hope you will consider this information then and give us another chance.
Sincerely,
Joe Stupp
Chipotle
I e-mailed a response back to Joe:
Hi, Joe - thanks for commenting on my personal blog, Mitch Wagner's Blog
By day, I'm a tech journalist who follows social media (among other things) and you've piqued my interest -- how'd you find my blog? Is Chipotle doing a lot of work on social media and blogs with regard to this hepatitis issue?
We ended up having a nice e-mail exchange, which I'll reproduce here, lightly edited. Joe responded:
You're on page two on a Google (NSDQ: GOOG) search for "chipotle san diego hepatitis blog."
We don't typically mess with blogs at all, since it looks like "intervention," and we don't wish to look like the big corporate clown in such cases. But in this particular instance, we were concerned about local perceptions, and we wanted to try to disseminate as much of the information we know that we can to hopefully help folks feel a little safer about visiting our restaurant.
Me: "Are you doing other things to try to use the Internet to get the word out? Using Facebook, Twitter, etc.?"
Joe:
I use Facebook all the time personally, but there's nothing much going on about this on there, other than a small group that isn't growing, and we're letting sleeping dogs lie.
Haven't seen anything on Twitter either.
Other than that, we get probably 200 customer comments a day on our website (not all on this topic of course, but a few on occasion), and I am taking those as they come.
That's pretty much all of it for now. We're not used to this sort of thing (bad media coverage) at all, so this is sort of an experiment as to what works and what doesn't for us.
Me:
So you're basically just googling for comments and responding to them on individual blogs?
Do you find that effective? I mean, a skeptic might say you should focus on the news media -- although Dell (Dell) is adopting a similar strategy, focusing on the blogs, trying to build reputation one customer at a time.
This is what I was referring to with Dell's use of social media to turn around its reputation: "Dell is pioneering Web 2.0 and social networks to transform its business, trying to turn around a reputation for terrible customer service that the Dell has been struggling with for several years. The strategy is controversial -- while Dell touts its successes, a couple of Dell customers I've talked to say customer service is still rotten."
Joe responded:
Yes, but I'm not responding to all or even most of them - some are clearly weird ones that we wouldn't want to touch (anti-immigration-ish, political, etc.). We already do the normal news media stuff with our own PR people, as much as we can or feel it's worthwhile. I am tackling the personal blogs as I see fit, since I run our website and handle most of our individual customer service issues.
Me:
Thanks, Joe. How many posts and blogs would you estimate you respond to? How much time per day do you estimate you're spending on this?
And what's your title?
Good Web site, by the way - I remember being impressed by it when we were looking for a local Chipotle after trying the restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.
Joe:
Well, I've probably only done about a dozen blog responses so far on this particular topic, but I am the only one doing them. As for comments on our website, I couldn't really estimate that. On all topics Chipotle-oriented, I usually answer at least sixty to a hundred new comments a day through our website (not including phone calls and snail mail), followed by all the follow-up e-mails I get from customers who continue to write me for years. But I have a team of four others who help me as well, and they all do about the same.
My title is Manager, Duct Tape and Plungers. Fancy term for head of customer service and website (haha). Glad you like the website. I pick all of our music playing in our restaurants too.
Me:
What would you say is the value of doing this kind of community outreach, and how is it different from dealing with the traditional newspapers, TV news, and news radio stations?
Joe: "Well, it's obviously much more personal, and I know that's cliché, but it's true. People feel that a big company is speaking to them directly (and we are), and hopefully realize that we actually care. Traditional media is great, but with all the massive amounts of media out there, sometimes the messages we or anyone tries to send through traditional channels get lost in the clutter and the noise. Sometimes it's better to go it one person at a time, like we do through our website communication too."
I wished Joe luck and he responded: "Same to you. I'll let you know if we hear anything further on this. My personal suspicion is that they may never figure out what caused this or if it was even us."
I have to confess something here: I waited nearly three weeks to post this story because I wanted to give it a happy ending. I wanted to say how Joe's great use of social media had convinced me to go back to Chipotle, and tell all my friends and family, and how we're eating there every week now, just like before. After all, we'd been eating at Chipotle for years, and had no ill health effects -- we didn't have any hepatitis symptoms. The food is great, the ingredients are fresh, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the place is always -- always -- scrupulously clean, every time we go. Our friends who eat there say the same thing.
And we did go back -- once. The food was fine. But it was like eating sand -- because all we could think as we were eating was don't think about the hepatitis don't think about the hepatitis don't think about the hepatitis. We haven''t been back again. That's not fair, and it's not Chipotle's fault, and it's not entirely rational, but it's how we feel. I don't know if we'll ever go back. Maybe in a few years.
So I guess the moral of the story is that marketing and customer relationship management isn't all-powerful, even if you sprinkle social media magic fairy dust on it. Sometimes you do everything right, and you still lose a customer. And a company's reputation can be injured irrevocably through just plain bad luck.
But that's just my family's story. How's Chipotle doing since the hepatitis outbreak? Well, when I went in to the affected branch, business looked pretty good, about the same as that time on any Monday night.
Searches for "chipotle" on Google, Google News, and Google Blog Search turned up mostly neutral or positive references to the restaurant, (although the search did turn up this article about a separate outbreak of digestive disease linked to a Chipotle in Ohio). So it doesn't look like there's any kind of rumor campaign against Chipotle as a result of the hepatitis.
The stock price is down significantly from a high of 117.84 on April 22 to a close of 95.42 on Friday, while the NYSE itself was up during the same period. But I can't find any evidence that the stock decline was due to the report of a hepatitis outbreak at a single store (along with a separate outbreak in Ohio). And with the economy as shaky as it is, I think it's more likely that Chipotle's stock price woes are a result of the general malaise, rather than the hepatitis outbreak.
In the end, I don't think the Chipotle chain was hurt by the hepatitis outbreak -- so long as the incident doesn't repeat itself. And I don't think Joe's blog campaign had much impact on the company's reputation either. Still, I think Joe did the right thing here. When people are saying bad things about your company on blogs, you should be out there responding. In the age of social media, it's just basic good business, like washing your hands after you leave the bathroom if you're a food worker (or even if you're not).
And that brings my story to a close -- except for one question. Does anybody know where to find a good, San Francisco-style burrito on San Diego?
OHIO: Restaurant staff tests positive for salmonella in outbreak
17.may.08
The Morning Journal
Heather Chapin-Fowler
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19697980&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6
NORWALK -- Huron County health officials were cited as saying that five employees tested positive for salmonella at the Casa Fiesta restaurant in Norwalk after more than 35 patrons were sickened in an outbreak late last month.
Thirty-six patrons tested positive for salmonella and 28 more reported salmonella symptoms but chose not to be tested, according to the Huron County General Health District.
Two patrons with symptoms tested negative for salmonella, as did 18 Casa Fiesta employees.
Of the 36 patrons with salmonella, at least 29 had a type of salmonella called S. Muenchen, which match the employees' test results, officials noted.
''S. Muenchen is a rare type of salmonella in the United States,'' according to Tim Hollinger, health district commissioner.
''We do not suspect that the salmonella is circulating in the food supply because no other local or statewide restaurants are suspected as a source. When a food supplier is the source of an outbreak, we typically see people who have eaten at various restaurants statewide.'' said Hollinger.
Two containers of leftovers from Casa Fiesta patrons who got salmonella were sent to the Ohio Department of Health for testing and were returned negative for the disease.
The Health District told the Casa Fiesta employees who had salmonella and restaurant management that the workers are prohibited from returning to work until they have received two clean tests taken at least 24 hours apart. The workers have not returned to work, officials said.
OHIO: Restaurant inspection report
19.may.08
Newark Advocate
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/NEWS01/805190318/1002/NEWS01
# Alexandria Service Center, May 2, 261 W. Main St., Alexandria, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Need sanitizer test strips to match quat sanitizer used. 2. No thermometer in Delfield prep cooler as required. 3. Dumpster lid open.
# Albanese Food Concession 1, May 2, 778 Beaver Run Road SE, Hebron, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Pataskala City Soccer, May 3, 10255 McIntosh Road, Pataskala, Standard inspection, no violations.
# JKB at Pataskala LLC, DBA McDonalds, May 5, 67 W. Broad St., Pataskala, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Dishwasher only 103 degrees for wash cycle; minimum temperature required for wash solution is 120 degrees. 2. Dishwater only 119 degrees for rinse cycle, check manufacturer's recommendation for rinse temperature (usually 120 degrees). 3. Temperature indicator panels for both walk-in freezer and walk-in cooler inoperable/incorrect reading. Right-hand ice machine door damaged, foam core exposed. Traulson two-door cooler has torn/damaged door gaskets. Single-door freezer has damaged door gasket. Lower microwave Q-ing station and replace missing top shield inside microwave. Freezer left of back has torn, damaged door gasket. 4. No sanitizer reading for wet wiping cloth solution. 5. Clean can opener and mounting bracket to remove food buildup. Clean floors thoroughly in both walk-in cooler and freezer. Clean dishwasher to remove grease and food buildup. 6. Clean shelving dry storage to remove debris buildup. 7. Cracked, chunks missing dish racks, need discarded. 8. Clean floors thoroughly throughout kitchen and dry storage areas to remove grease and soil buildup.
# Northridge-Alexandria Elementary, May 5, College St., Alexandria, Followup with violations, 1. Rusted racks in Herrel cooler-searching for replacement racks. Wooden shelves in dry storage to be resurfaced over summer to eliminate paint chippings. 2. Floor tile missing -- to be replaced over summer break.
# BAP GAP Concessions 2, May 5, 6357 Summit Road, Pataskala, Standard inspection, no violations.
# BAP GAP Concessions 1, May 5, 6357 Summit Road, Pataskala, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Flying J Farm, May 6, 5329 Van Fossen Road, Johnstown, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Up the Lane Cattle, May 6, 13053 Shipley Road, Johnstown, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Cool Treats, May 6, 1274 Green Valley Drive, Apt. C, Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Heath Corner Market, May 6, 585-A Irving-Wick Drive, Heath, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Texas Roadhouse, May 6, 1200 W. Church St., Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Floor tile is broken/missing in both walk-ins. 2. Lights are burned out in kitchen. 3. Shelves in walk-in are getting food accumulating on them. 4. No handwashing signage at hand sinks. 5. Drain at rinse station at dishwasher is leaking.
# Newark High School, May 6, 314 Granville St., Newark, with violation. 1. Ceiling tier in walk-in is starting to sag.
# Newark High School, Building C, May 6, 314 Granville St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Newark High School, Building E, May 6, 314 Granville St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Newark High School, Building D, May 6, 314 Granville St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Newark High School, Building X, May 6, 314 Granville St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Faire La Cuisine, May 6, 1976 Granville St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Dickey's Barbeque Pit, May 7, 1195 W. Church St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# State Farm, May 7, 1440 Granville Road, Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# State Farm -- First Floor, May 7, 1440 Granville Road, Newark, Standard inspection with violation. 1. Overflow switch on trash can does not work.
# State Farm Cafe, May 7, 1440 Granville Road, Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. No light shield on bulb in coffee machine. 2. Overflow switch on trash can does not work.
# State Farm, Office 4E, May 7, 1440 Granville Road, Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Overflow switch on trash can does not work.
# Tavern in the Arcade, May 7, 25 Arcade Place, Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Floor under/around equipment in kitchen is dirty. 2. (Unreadable) has occurred in reach-in, need cleaned.
# Pioneer Restaurant, May 7, 50 W. Columbus Road, Utica, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Sides of fryer has grease buildup. 2. Light not working in women's restroom. 3. Bleach concentration in dishwasher machine is less than it should be.
# Renetta's Organic Oasis, May 7, 120 S. Main St., Utica, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Ye Olde Mill/Velvet Ice Cream, May 7, 11324 Mount Vernon Road, Utica, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Door seals on McCall cooler and other cooler is torn.
# Tumbleweed Southwest Grill, May 9, 899 Hebron Road, Heath, with violations. 1. Drain plugged up and needs to address issue immediately -- backing up from floor drain.
# La Paloma, May 9, 1112 Hebron Road, Heath, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Wiping cloths lying on counter. 2. Bulk food containers are not labeled. 3. No thermometers in three coolers. 4. No handle on GE freezer. 5. Door seal torn on Beverage Air cooler. 6. Dishwash machine chlorine sanitizer is less than is should be.
# Skyline Chili, May 9, 1122 Hebron Road, Heath, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Wiping cloths lying on counters. 2. French fries in Beverage Air freezer uncovered. 3. No thermometer in cooler by drive-through window. 4. No vacuum (unreadable) on floor sink.
# Stevenson School, May 9, 152 Cynthia Drive, Heath, Standard inspection with violation. 1. Dishwasher machine sanitizer is less than what it needs to be.
# Brown's Concession, May 9, 11 Lancaster Drive, Heath, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Liquid, May 9, 2062 Cherry Valley Road, Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# One Stop Shop Market and Lotto, May 9, 806 W. Main St., Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Excel Academy -- Bingo, May 9, 1355 E. Main St., Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Utensils stored hazardly in drawers. 2. Plastic shelves in kitchen have (unreadable) on them. 3. Air vents in ceiling debris buildup on them. 4. Food items thawing in sink.
# Hillview Elementary School, May 9, 1927 Horns Hill Road, Newark, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Carson Elementary School, May 9, 549 E. Main St., Newark, Standard inspection with violation. 1. Lids on Dumpster are open.
# John Clem Elementary School, May 9, 475 Jefferson Road, Newark, Standard inspection with violation. 1. Pizza should be held at 135 degrees.
# Hillview Elementary School, May 9, 1927 Horns Hill Road, Newark, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Lids on Dumpster are open.
# J.R.'s Chicks and Hogs, May 12, 163 W. Coshocton St., Johnstown, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Olive Garden 1481, May 12, 898 Hebron Road, Heath, Standard inspection, no violations.
# Stacey's Homestyle Buffet, May 12, 833 S. 30th St., Heath, Standard inspection with violations. 1. Cover on ice machine is missing. 2. Hand on meat slicer is missing. 3. Traulson cooler is not working. 4. Interior of ice machine has debris. 5. Lights above desserts have no covers. 6. Cover off light bulb in walk-in cooler for desserts.
OHIO: Restaurant staff tests positive for salmonella in outbreak
17.may.08
The Morning Journal
Heather Chapin-Fowler
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19697980&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6
NORWALK -- Huron County health officials were cited as saying that five employees tested positive for salmonella at the Casa Fiesta restaurant in Norwalk after more than 35 patrons were sickened in an outbreak late last month.
Thirty-six patrons tested positive for salmonella and 28 more reported salmonella symptoms but chose not to be tested, according to the Huron County General Health District.
Two patrons with symptoms tested negative for salmonella, as did 18 Casa Fiesta employees.
Of the 36 patrons with salmonella, at least 29 had a type of salmonella called S. Muenchen, which match the employees' test results, officials noted.
''S. Muenchen is a rare type of salmonella in the United States,'' according to Tim Hollinger, health district commissioner.
''We do not suspect that the salmonella is circulating in the food supply because no other local or statewide restaurants are suspected as a source. When a food supplier is the source of an outbreak, we typically see people who have eaten at various restaurants statewide.'' said Hollinger.
Two containers of leftovers from Casa Fiesta patrons who got salmonella were sent to the Ohio Department of Health for testing and were returned negative for the disease.
The Health District told the Casa Fiesta employees who had salmonella and restaurant management that the workers are prohibited from returning to work until they have received two clean tests taken at least 24 hours apart. The workers have not returned to work, officials said.
LOUISIANA: WDSU checks JP restaurant inspection records
16.may.08
WDSU.com
Rachel Wulff
http://www.wdsu.com/news/16304705/detail.html
NEW ORLEANS -- There are more than 1400 restaurants in Jefferson Parish and each week health department inspectors make the rounds, to ensure the food is safe.
WDSU pulled inspection reports from the last week of April. In all there were 66 reports, 50 were restaurants 16 were school cafeterias. All had some type of violation, but over half had at least one or two critical violations and several had as many as seven critical violations.
Rodents, roaches and food kept for more than seven days: that's what inspectors found at Piccadilly Restaurant on Jefferson Highway.
Inspectors said "Ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food prepared on premises and held under refrigeration was not disposed of after 7 days."
They also said raw animal food is not separated from ready-to-eat food and stored above ready-to-eat food.
Managers would not let cameras inside, but Piccadilly corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge released this statement: "Piccadilly takes cleanliness and food safety very seriously. Managers receive extensive training in the safe preparation of food and all restaurants are subject to regulation operational reviews. The items noted in a recent health inspection visit were immediately addressed."
Not too far away on Jefferson Highway, WDSU found more critical violations, this time at Jefferson Discount Budget.
Inspection reports indicated "Flies, insects and rodents are present in the establishment and that a hand-washing lavatory is not located for convenient use by all employees in the food-prep areas."
According to the owner, the problems had already been corrected and inspectors never returned to see the fixes had been made.
At Grand Buffet on South Clearview Parkway, inspectors said "employee did not wash hands and raw animal food is not separated from ready-to-eat food and stored above ready-to-eat food."
They also said "food contact surfaces are not clean to sight and touch".
The owner was not there, but she called later saying all violations ha been corrected and actually invited WDSU’s cameras along when inspectors return next week.
"They have to correct all the critical violations on the spot and then if there is some they can't, like a rodent infestation which you can't correct on the spot,” Health Department Regional Director Jo McLean said. “We'll call them in for a conference which will trigger another inspection."
McLean oversees sanitarians in a three-parish region. She said only one restaurant has been shut down in the last five years because of repeat violations: a buffet in Jefferson Parish.
"They were working out of a small kitchen and had a very large buffet and if the temp went off, they had no means to rapidly reheat it,” McLean said. “Instead of reducing their menu, the owner tried to keep offering the best buffet in town and eventually we did close them down."
McLean said shutdowns are a last resort. Her staff tries to teach restaurants before telling them to close their doors.
As for the positive inspections, more than half of the school cafeterias had no violations. And the Chili's on Manhattan Boulevard also had zero violations.
NEW MEXICO: City plans fewer food inspections
17.may.08
Eyewitness News 4
KOB.com
http://kob.com/article/stories/S448040.shtml?cat=516
The City of Albuquerque says they don't have enough staff to enforce restaurant inspection laws. Their solution? Change the law.
Investigations by food inspectors have turned up some unappetizing finds at local eateries.
Rats were found rampaging in a Chinese food restaurant last fall, forcing a three-day shutdown for rodent roundup.
Food inspectors were able to find cockroaches on the steam table amongst the food in that same establishment.
Current city law requires the Duke City's 3,000 restaurants to be inspected three times a year. However, an audit shows the city's six food inspectors have too much on their plates to make the 9,000 required visits.
The city's solution is to require just one inspection per year for most restaurants, while allowing for more investigations into troublesome spots.
City Health Chief John Soladay says a single inspection per year is more than enough to ensure most places are in ordinance. He says food inspectors do a better job when they are not rushed.
He says those restaurants that have a history of health violations or that the city gets complaints about can expect more visits from health inspectors.
LOUISIANA: WDSU checks JP restaurant inspection records
16.may.08
WDSU.com
Rachel Wulff
http://www.wdsu.com/news/16304705/detail.html
NEW ORLEANS -- There are more than 1400 restaurants in Jefferson Parish and each week health department inspectors make the rounds, to ensure the food is safe.
WDSU pulled inspection reports from the last week of April. In all there were 66 reports, 50 were restaurants 16 were school cafeterias. All had some type of violation, but over half had at least one or two critical violations and several had as many as seven critical violations.
Rodents, roaches and food kept for more than seven days: that's what inspectors found at Piccadilly Restaurant on Jefferson Highway.
Inspectors said "Ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food prepared on premises and held under refrigeration was not disposed of after 7 days."
They also said raw animal food is not separated from ready-to-eat food and stored above ready-to-eat food.
Managers would not let cameras inside, but Piccadilly corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge released this statement: "Piccadilly takes cleanliness and food safety very seriously. Managers receive extensive training in the safe preparation of food and all restaurants are subject to regulation operational reviews. The items noted in a recent health inspection visit were immediately addressed."
Not too far away on Jefferson Highway, WDSU found more critical violations, this time at Jefferson Discount Budget.
Inspection reports indicated "Flies, insects and rodents are present in the establishment and that a hand-washing lavatory is not located for convenient use by all employees in the food-prep areas."
According to the owner, the problems had already been corrected and inspectors never returned to see the fixes had been made.
At Grand Buffet on South Clearview Parkway, inspectors said "employee did not wash hands and raw animal food is not separated from ready-to-eat food and stored above ready-to-eat food."
They also said "food contact surfaces are not clean to sight and touch".
The owner was not there, but she called later saying all violations ha been corrected and actually invited WDSU’s cameras along when inspectors return next week.
"They have to correct all the critical violations on the spot and then if there is some they can't, like a rodent infestation which you can't correct on the spot,” Health Department Regional Director Jo McLean said. “We'll call them in for a conference which will trigger another inspection."
McLean oversees sanitarians in a three-parish region. She said only one restaurant has been shut down in the last five years because of repeat violations: a buffet in Jefferson Parish.
"They were working out of a small kitchen and had a very large buffet and if the temp went off, they had no means to rapidly reheat it,” McLean said. “Instead of reducing their menu, the owner tried to keep offering the best buffet in town and eventually we did close them down."
McLean said shutdowns are a last resort. Her staff tries to teach restaurants before telling them to close their doors.
As for the positive inspections, more than half of the school cafeterias had no violations. And the Chili's on Manhattan Boulevard also had zero violations.
OHIO: Restaurant staff tests positive for salmonella in outbreak
17.may.08
The Morning Journal
Heather Chapin-Fowler
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19697980&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6
NORWALK -- Huron County health officials were cited as saying that five employees tested positive for salmonella at the Casa Fiesta restaurant in Norwalk after more than 35 patrons were sickened in an outbreak late last month.
Thirty-six patrons tested positive for salmonella and 28 more reported salmonella symptoms but chose not to be tested, according to the Huron County General Health District.
Two patrons with symptoms tested negative for salmonella, as did 18 Casa Fiesta employees.
Of the 36 patrons with salmonella, at least 29 had a type of salmonella called S. Muenchen, which match the employees' test results, officials noted.
''S. Muenchen is a rare type of salmonella in the United States,'' according to Tim Hollinger, health district commissioner.
''We do not suspect that the salmonella is circulating in the food supply because no other local or statewide restaurants are suspected as a source. When a food supplier is the source of an outbreak, we typically see people who have eaten at various restaurants statewide.'' said Hollinger.
Two containers of leftovers from Casa Fiesta patrons who got salmonella were sent to the Ohio Department of Health for testing and were returned negative for the disease.
The Health District told the Casa Fiesta employees who had salmonella and restaurant management that the workers are prohibited from returning to work until they have received two clean tests taken at least 24 hours apart. The workers have not returned to work, officials said.
MARYLAND: Food Inspections
15.may.08
The Capital
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/05_15-50/FOR
Au Bon Pain, BWI Concourse A, Baltimore, food must be held at proper temperature.
Boston Market #2729, 1070 Route 3 North, Gambrills, food must be held at proper temperature.
BWI Chevron/Subway. 500 Progress Drive, Linthicum, food must be held at proper temperature.
Carlson's Donuts, 7846 Telegraph Road, Severn, food must be protected from contamination, spoilage and adulteration.
Chesapeake Bay Roasting Co., BWI Pier D, Baltimore, food must be held at proper temperature.
Cluck U Chicken, 1690 B Annapolis Road, Odenton, food must be held at proper temperature.
Fortune House, 801 Compass Way Suite 6, Annapolis, food must be held at proper temperature.
Friendly's, 112 Mitchell's Chance Road, Edgewater, food workers must practice effective handwashing; must be free of illness.
Luckies Stores, Inc., 8450 Elvaton Road, Millersville, food must be held at proper temperature.
Villa Pizza #3096, BWI Concourse A Terminal A5A, Baltimore, food must be held at proper temperature.
Bill Bateman's Bistro, Main Pier Upper Level, Baltimore, food must be held at proper temperature.
Bob Evans #214, 2402 Brandermill Boulevard, Gambrills, food must be held at proper temperature.
Cynthia's Restaurant, 552 I Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, food must be held at proper temperature.
Davidsonville Country Market, 801 W Central Ave., Davidsonville, food must be held at proper temperature.
Sly Horse Tavern, 1678 Village Green, Crofton, food workers must practice effective handwashing; must be free of illness and food must be held at proper temperature.
Woodfire Grill LLC, 580 P Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, food must be held at proper temperature.
PENNSYLVANIA: City to post restaurant inspections online
16.may.08
WGAL.com
http://www.wgal.com/news/16277783/detail.html
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed said restaurant and food inspection reports for the city will soon be posted on the Internet.
Reed said the city will work with the Garrison System to get the information on the web.
“The Garrison System is a cutting-edge program that allows for the efficient and transparent publication of food service inspection reports,” said Reed in a news release. “It is our expectation that through its use, the quality of the food product that leaves the City’s many restaurants will continue to remain of the highest caliber. It gives the consumer direct information about inspection results.”
Reed said the Garrison System not only publicizes all food inspection reports, but it also has the capacity to generate an alert to all affected businesses within the City of Harrisburg should a food-related outbreak or other emergency circumstance arise, greatly minimizing the adverse impacts of a potential incident.
Reed said the City currently has 448 eating establishments listed in the Garrison System for inspection. He said that since the program’s implementation in the City last month, restaurant owners have praised the system for its ability to bolster business.
You can find inspection reports at this Web site. You can either type in the name of the restaurant in the search field, or search by zip codes.
Since the online program has just begun, it will take some time before every establishment’s inspection appears. They will be added to the database as each annual inspection occurs. Inspections occur throughout the year or in response to a complaint.
TEXAS: Restaurant reports
15.may.08
The Courier
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19692930&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=638427&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 May 14 through May 21
Restaurants with no demerits:
Hickory Hollow - 18535 FM 1488, Magnolia
Canon Gate at Lake Windcrest - 10941 Clubhouse Circle, Magnolia
Kitty’s Home Style Cafe - 18904 FM 1488, Magnolia
Kemah Seafood - 203 Magnolia Blvd, Magnolia
Casa Ole - 2010 Westview, Conroe
Copperfield - 9420 College Park Dr. Suite 160, The Woodlands
Flower World - 806 North Loop 336, Conroe
Chili’s Grill and Bar - 2241 Stoneside Road, Conroe
Denny’s Restuarant - 2243 Stoneside Road, Conroe
CISD The Woodlands Senioe High - 6101 Research Forest Dr, The Woodlands
Fit Meals of Steel - 116 Shenandoah Drive, The Woodlands
Sunmart #144 - 28677 I-45 Norht, Shenandoah
Burger King #13244 - 3020 College Park Drive, Conroe
Kroger # 338 - Grocery - 34555 Eastex Freeway, Porter
Kroger # 338 - Meat Market - 34555 Eastex Freeway, Porter
Pineshadow Retreat - 23450 Pine Shadow Lane, Porter
Wal-Mart Super Center #297 Bakery - 23561 U.S. 59, Porter
Wal-Mart Super Center #297 Sea Food - 23561 U.S. 59, Porter
Wal-Mart Super Center # 297 Grocery - 23561 U.S. 59, Porter
Resturants with the most demerits:
BJ’s Beer Joint - 111 Weakly Way, Pinehurst - 3 demerits - demerits were given fro failure to post consummer advisories
Prairie Rose Club - 32015 Texas 249 Suite 108, Pinehurst - 3 demerits - demerits for unsanitized food co ntact surfaces.
MISD Alpha Academy - 9191 Cloyd St., Magnolia - 3 demerits -demerits were issued for improper warewashing machines.
Yankee Doodle Donuts - 327 Magnolia Blvd, Magnolia - 3 demerits - demerits were issued for improper warewashing machines.
Chevron Service Center/Churches - 32344 Texas 249, Pinehurst - 4 demerits - demerits were issued for improper labeling of products
Mike’s Grocery and Feed Store #21 - 32001 Texas 249, Pinehurst - 8 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for improper labeling of products, 4 demerits were given for improper sound condition.
Short Stop Deli - 24076 Loop 494, Porter - 8 demerits - 5 demerits were given for improper cold hold temperatures, 3 demerits were given for inadequate handwashing facilities.
McDonald’s-Wal Mart Supercenter - 23651 U.S. 59, Porter - 8 demerits - 5 demerits were given for improper cold hold temperatures, 3 demerits were given for improperly stocked warewashing machines.
El Bosque Mexican Restaurant - 1418 North Loop 336, Conroe - 10 demerits- 4 demerits were given for cross contamination of products, 3 demerits were given for inadequate handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were given for unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Chick-Fil-A - 1321 West Davis, Conroe - 13 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for inadequate water supply, 3 demerits were given for improper handwashing facilities, 6 demerits were issued for unapproved disposal systems.
McDonalds 18630 FM 1488, Magnolia - 21 demerits - 7 demerts were given for inadequate handwashing facilities , 4 demerits were given for improper hygienic practices, 4 demerits were given for cross contamination of raw products, 3 demerits were given for unapproved disposal systems, 3 demerits were given for failure to post consumer advisories.
MARYLAND: EDITORIAL: Baltimore's dumb idea about food inspections
16.may.08
Health Inspections.com
http://healthinspections.com/articles.cfm?YXJ0aWNsZUlEPTEyNA==
It's hard to imagine this idea was even dreamed-up by adults.
The health department in Baltimore wants clean restaurants to display a "clean crab" to show that they have done well on inspections.
Yet, like so many cities, Baltimore won't display a letter-grade, or a copy of the actual inspection for customers to read. Baltimore's inspection results aren't even available online.
Baltimore's assistant environmental health director defended the crab idea by saying the "public should know" how restaurants are doing when it comes to sanitation.
Well, that's true. So, again, why not make inspections available online and post them in restaurants? Nearby Howard county, Maryland displays inspections online, and it's been a great success for consumers.
But, putting a clean crab by the front door of restaurants that ask for one doesn't help the public at all. If the department really cared about a well-informed public, they would make the inspection reports more readily available.
All of this points out the bizarre attitude that many in public health have about public information.
Recently, we ran a story about the states that lead the nation in food poisoning cases caused by restaurants.
We had a firestorm of criticism from health department officials in Minnesota who were upset because their state was on the list. They weren't concerned about the problem. They were outraged that we reported the federal numbers.
Minnesota is a state where inspections aren't posted online. So, if consumers want to see a restaurant inspection report, they have to drive to the health department and endure a number of hassles in order to get a copy.
Then, there's Orange county California. A grand jury has ordered the county to start posting letter-grades in restaurants to better inform the public.
Too bad the grand jury's order doesn't cover Baltimore, Minnesota, and other states where health departments seem committed to keeping customers in the dark about restaurant sanitation.
If you want to find out what's happening in some Baltimore restaurants, click here for a report on ABC2 in Baltimore.
NEW ZEALAND: Thousands in Hep A scare
17.may.08
New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10510693&ref=rss
A Korean waitress at Queenstown's Copthorne Hotel may have exposed thousands of guests to hepatitis A.
Public Health South medical officer of health Dr Marion Poore was notified yesterday that the waitress was found to have hepatitis A after being admitted to Queenstown's Lakes District Hospital.
She started work at the Copthorne on April 11. An average of 300 guests a day eat breakfast at the hotel, meaning about 6900 people may have been exposed to the virus between April 11 and May 4, when the waitress stopped working.
Dr Poore urged anyone who dined there to "be alert" to the symptoms of hepatitis A, including nausea and vomiting, jaundice, dark urine, pale faeces, feeling unwell, lacking energy, not feeling like eating, stomach upset and pains, fever, and general aches and pains.
OHIO: Restaurant inspection stickers expanding to suburbs
15.may.08
nbc4i.com
Tom Brockman
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-05-15-0029.html
WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- If you're like Ray Houley, you want to know as much about the restaurant you’re eating at as you can. He says, “I would like to know if it's a health environment or not.”
For Worthington residents like him, that just got a little bit easier.
Thursday, the Worthington Inn became the first of many restaurants in the city to get an inspection sticker. It's part of a partnership between the City of Worthington and Columbus Public Health. It’s the same system health officials currently use for Columbus restaurants.
Columbus Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Teresa Long says, “People are interested in is this a safe place, is this a clean place, is this a healthy place for me to eat.”
The stickers vary from green, meaning they passed inspection, to red, meaning the restaurant has been closed due to health risk.
Restaurants in Worthington and Columbus aren't the only places you may soon see inspection stickers. Officials with the Franklin County Board of Health tell nbc4 they're exploring putting these signs in restaurants all over the county.
Residents nbc4 spoke with agree with the idea. “I'm not looking for anything I don't want,” says New Albany resident, Marie Zury. Bill LeRoy of Dublin says, “I don't think it's a bad idea. I think a lot of people will pay attention to it."
Franklin County Health officials say before they post inspection stickers in the restaurants they check, they need permission from the more than 40 cities, townships and villages in their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, they say in the next six months, they plan to launch an online database detailing those restaurant inspections.
Increase in hepatitis A cases in Latvia, in 2008, including an ongoing outbreak associated with a restaurant in Riga – preliminary report
15.may.08
Eurosurveillance, Volume 13, Issue 20
J Perevoscikovs ()1, I Lucenko1, S Magone1, A Brila1
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=18871
The Latvian Public Health Agency (PHA) is currently investigating an outbreak of at least 44 hepatitis A cases (as of 8 May) associated with a restaurant X in Riga, Latvia.
Seven of the infected people were employees of the restaurant; 37 were customers, mostly employees from the nearby office buildings who had lunch at this restaurant.
Hepatitis A is a disease under mandatory notification in Latvia. Upon receiving notification reports from clinicians, all cases of hepatitis A are investigated by epidemiologists from the PHA local branch. The investigation of the present outbreak was launched on 21 April when the routine interviews with hepatitis cases revealed that two were staff members and four were customers of the same restaurant in Riga. The investigation is still ongoing and the analysis of the information collected (including travel history, date and frequency of visit to the restaurant and food consumed) has not yet been completed. This paper gives only preliminary results and aims at drawing attention to the recent increase of hepatitis A cases in Latvia in general, and the ongoing outbreak in particular.
Outbreak description
A probable case was defined as a person with a clinical picture compatible with hepatitis (discrete onset of symptoms and jaundice or elevated serum aminotransferase levels) who had visited the restaurant X in March or April 2008. A confirmed case was defined as a probable case with serum IgM antibodies against hepatitis A virus (IgM anti-HAV) positive. The case definitions used were based on the European Union case definitions [1].
Serum samples have been taken from all patients. As of 8 May, 43 confirmed cases and one probable case had been detected.
The preliminary epidemiological curve for these cases is shown in Figure 1.
The index case is believed to be an employee of the restaurant, whose onset of symptoms: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, was on 22 March, followed by jaundice and dark urine on 2 April. On 4 April the patient was hospitalised. No other risk factors (e.g. travel) or links with other cases have been identified.
The remaining 43 cases reported onset of symptoms in April: one as early as 3 April, the rest between 10 and 27 April. All reported having visited the restaurant within the incubation period for hepatitis A. More detailed results will be available once all the data has been analysed.
The age and sex distribution of the cases is shown in Figure 2. More than two-thirds of the cases were aged between 18 and 29 years. The male to female ratio was 36 to 8, which could be explained by the fact that the restaurant has a TV screen showing sport channels and the majority of its customers are men.
Forty cases were hospitalised.
Besides the 44 cases included in the outbreak investigation, the PHA has, to date, received unofficial information about two probable cases of hepatitis A in foreign visitors to this restaurant, one from Estonia and one from Lithuania. In response to an early warning message issued by Latvia, Germany reported one confirmed case in a patient who had been to Riga at the beginning of March, ate at the restaurant X, and subsequently developed jaundice between 7 and 14 April [communication from Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany].
In addition, two secondary cases have been indirectly connected to the outbreak: they are family members of the possible index case.
Control measures
The epidemiological investigation is still ongoing. The Latvian Food and Veterinary Services were informed and the restaurant has been closed since 22 April for disinfection and other control measures including medical examination of the staff. It was advised that serum samples be taken from the restaurant employees. Environmental samples were also collected: two water samples were tested for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and two for bacteria, and ten surface samples were tested for bacteria only. All were negative.
The public was informed of the outbreak via various mass media, and those who were experiencing symptoms of disease and had attended this restaurant within the past month, were advised to see their general practitioner (GP) and to contact the epidemiologist on duty at the PHA. Increased hygiene among those exposed and medical observation of close contacts of the cases by their GPs were also recommended.
Hepatitis A situation in Latvia
An overall increase in hepatitis A cases has been observed in Latvia (especially in Riga and in the Riga region) since November 2007. Between 1 January and 8 May 2008, 124 confirmed and 75 probable cases of hepatitis A have been notified (Figure 3). This includes the 44 cases directly associated with the outbreak described in this paper as well as the two secondary cases identified among family contacts of the possible index case. For comparison, during the previous five years, an average of 26 cases was registered in the first four months of the year, with only four cases reported in 2007.
Among the 124 confirmed cases, 39 occurred in injecting drug users (IDUs), including 35 in Riga.
Of the cases reported in 2008, 56 were female, and 143 were male (Figure 4). This gender distribution was probably influenced by the relatively large proportion of IDUs (mostly male) among the cases, as well as the outbreak which affected mainly men.
The age of the cases ranged from four to 71 years, with a median age of 28.6 years (Figure 4).
The majority, 153 cases, occurred in inhabitants of Riga, 22 in the population of the wider Riga region, and the remaining 24 cases were distributed among three other cities and eight districts in Latvia which reported between one and five cases each.
Conclusion
The recent increase in hepatitis A cases in Latvia can be related to several outbreaks (a school in Riga, restaurant X in Riga), spread of infection among IDUs, and the increase of sporadic cases without any clear link. The modes of transmission involved might vary, including person-to-person transmission, contaminated food, possibly also contaminated water and sexual transmission.
In the outbreak described in this paper, the source or the mode of transmission has not yet been determined, and the investigations are still underway.
Also, it is possible that more cases connected to this outbreak will be reported, despite the fact that the restaurant has been closed for control measures since 22 April. Taking into account the incubation period for hepatitis A (average 28–30 days, range 15–50 days), new cases connected to the restaurant could be expected until the end of May. There may also be further cases reported in foreigners because the restaurant is situated in an area frequented by tourists. An early warning message was therefore issued to alert other countries to the possibility of imported cases of hepatitis A associated with travel to Latvia.
References
1. Commission Decision of 19 March 2002 laying down case definitions for reporting communicable diseases to the Community network under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2002/253/EC). Available from:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/pri/en/oj/dat/2002/l_086/l_08620020403en00440062.pdf
1. Sabiedr_bas vesel_bas a_ent_ra (State Agency Public Health Agency), Riga, Latvia
RHODE ISLAND: Dirty dining revisited
14.may.08
WPRI
http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8319643
You saw it all when Target 12 exposed dirty dining, moldy food, even cockroaches. Now we're back, showing you how things are changing.
In November, all Rhode Island restaurant inspection reports went online, for all the world to see. All the dirty little secrets that diners didn't know, revealed. Now, six months later we're taking a look to see whether restaurants have cleaned up their act. Rodent droppings in the kitchen, and roaches in the dining area.
Susan Hogan asks, "Did the roaches ever get out into this area?"
Owner responds: "No more no more."
Susan Hogan: "But were they ever out? They were out here?"
Owner: "Before we find some.."
Target 12 exposed some real "hell's kitchens" in Rhode Island.
Susan says:"Were you serving food even though you knew the refrigerators were broken?"
We've shown you some of the nastiest violations revealed inside these health inspection reports. Violations you now can easily see for yourself.The Target 12 Investigators first told you about this website by the Rhode Island Department of Health where you can type in your favorite restaurant and see the results of its latest health inspection.
The response, was unbelievable. One point-three million people have visited the site and you've probably seen things that you wished you hadn't. Some restaurants probably wished you hadn't either, but it's this public viewing that has served up some big changes.
Ernie Julian, RI Health Dept. Director of Food Protection:"Establishments are fixing things faster because they don't want a bad report on the internet any longer than it has to be." "The incentive to serve up safe food and have a clean restaurant is huge now, no restaurant wants to air their dirty laundry."
Dale Venturini, Pres. RI Hospitality and Tourism Association:"We've been training a long time on food manager certification, however, we realized we need to step it up a notch."
Members of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association were skeptical about the website at first, but soon realized it could actually work in their favor. - New food safety plans have been put into effect.
- Stepped up training for all employees
- Safety check lists to go over
Dale Venturini, Pres. RI Hospitality and Tourism Association:"What we realize, the industry has to police itself. We will police ourselves and offer all products and education available, so that people can be at their best."
The Health Department has also launched a program to increase the number of inspections and to reward restaurants that put food safety first. Restaurants can voluntarily hire a certified third party inspector to inspect their facility twice a year. Those restaurants that raise the bar on food safety will be recognized with a certificate for all to see.
So far, only 4 restaurants are currently signed on but it's expected as word gets out more will follow.
Ernie Julian, RI Health Dept. Director of Food Protection: "It's a form of advertising, acknowledgment and insurance because obviously they don't want to make people sick and this is a way to make sure that doesn't happen."
GEORGIA: Restaurant inspection scores released
14.may.08
The Northeast Georgian
http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/05/13/news/business/01business.txt
Following is the food service inspection for April 25 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.
* Sharkey's, 1406 N. Washington St., Clarkesville. Inspection time: 10:45 a.m. Purpose of inspection: routine. Score: 88; current grade: B; previous score: 93.
Out of compliance with the following: Food-contact surfaces: cleaned and sanitized; properly labeled, original container, required records, shelf stock tags, segregated distressed food; In-use utensils: property stored; Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean; Insects, rodents and animals not present.
OHIO: Man files first lawsuit in Casa Fiesta salmonella outbreak
13.may.08
LawyersandSettlements.com
Ginger Gillenwater
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/features/casa-fiesta-salmonella-outbreak.html?ref=rss
Norwalk, OH -- After eating at Casa Fiesta on April 25, 2008, a man became very ill with Salmonella poisoning. The man, Kody Dewitt, has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for medical bills and hardships that equal over $25,000. The lawsuit has been filed in Huron County Common Pleas Court and follows an Ohio Department of Health investigation into 25 other confirmed Salmonella cases that have been traced back to Casa Fiesta.
According to the lawsuit, soon after eating at Casa Fiesta, Dewitt fell violently ill. This illness required him to be hospitalized, which resulted in lost wages, bodily injury, and damage that he says is permanent. This permanent damage is said to limit his earning capability indefinitely. Local news agencies have reported that others who were infected by the tainted food plan on filing lawsuits as well.
Although all of the Salmonella cases involved have been traced back to the restaurant, health officials are not sure what the source of contamination was. The food samples that were tested in a laboratory came back negative. The health department has said that all 26 of the individuals had eaten something different at the restaurant. Unfortunately, Salmonella can exist on anything from ice to vegetables. Test results that were conducted on the staff are scheduled to come back on May 16.
TEXAS: Restaurant reports
12.may.08
Houston Community Newspapers Online
The Courier
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19680817&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=638427&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 30 through May 7.
Restaurants with no demerits:
Jimmy John’s Shenandoah - 1508 Research Forest Dr., The Woodlands
Sushi Xpress (inside Krogers)- 8000 Research Forest Dr., The Woodlands
Kroger #732-Starbucks - 8000 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Kroger #732 - Grocery/Produce - 8000 Research Forset, The Woodlands
Walgreens Drug Store #4493- 8000 Research Forest Ste 100, The Woodlands
Raising Canes Chicken Fingers - 1501 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Coffee Expressions - 8021 Research Forest Dr., The Woodlands
Kroger #732 - Bakery/Tortillas - 8000 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Dosey Doe Inc. - 25911 Interstate-45 North, The Woodlands
Donut Place - 6311 FM1488 Ste F, Magnolia
MISD Magnolia High School - 14250 FM 1488, Magnolia
MISD Willie E. Williams Elementary - 18101 FM1488, Magnolia
Kroger #732 - Meat Market - 8000 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Kroger # 732 - Seafood - 8000 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Starbucks Coffee - 6634 FM 1488, Magnolia
Sundale Donuts - 6874 FM 1488, Magnolia
MISD Bear Branch Junior High - 8040 Kenlake, Magnolia
SISD Skating Center - FM2090, Splendora
Kingwood Country Side Store - 1800 North Pak Dr., Kingwood
Outback Steakhouse - 808 I-45 North, Conroe
Stowaway Marina - 13988 Calvary Rd., Willis
Bentwater Ship Store - 200 Bentwater harbor Dr., Mongomery
Forest Lane Food Mart - 17730 FM 1097 West, Montgomery
Restaurants with the most demerits:
Shipley Do Nuts - 1317 N. Park, Kingwood - 3 demerits - demerits were issued for unapproved sewage systems
Casa Rico’s -1620 Research Forest, The Woodlands - 4 demerits - demerits were issued for water supply being in ill-repair.
Eden Cafe - 33418 Egypt Lane, Magnolia - 4 demerits - demerits were issued for improper labeling of products.
Subway - 20875 Fm1485, New Caney - 5 demerits - demerits were issued for improper cooling of prepared food.
CISD Coulson Tough K-6 School, 11660 Crane Brook Dr., The Woodlands - 7 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized ice machine, 4 demerits were given for cross contamination or products.
Bentwater Country Club, 800 Bentwater Dr., Montgomery - 6 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for improper labeling of toxic items, 3 demerits were issued for mold in the ice machine.
MISD Magnolia High School Cafeteria - 14250 FM 1488, Magnolia - 9 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for insect contamination, 3 demerits were given fro unapproved sewage systems, 3 demerits were given for failure to post consumer advisories.
McDonald’s (Wal-Mart #3390)- 10001 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands - 14 demerits - 4 demerits were given for proper handwashing techniques amongst employees, 4 demerits were given for insufficient water supply, 3 demerits were given for inadequate handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were given for unapproved sewage systems.
OHIO: Restaurant inspection report
12.may.08
Newark Advocate
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS01/805120305/1002/NEWS01
# Dollar General No. 10711, April 30, 425 E. Coshocton St., Johnstown, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Dumpster lids found open at time of inspection.
# Heath Nursing Care Center, May 1, 717 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, no violations.
# Heath Nursing Care Center -- snack bar, May 1, 717 S. 30th St., Heath, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Door cracked on ice machine.
# Lee's Kitchen, May 1, 771 S. 30th St., Heath, follow-up, no violations.
# Korn Fused, May 1, 2071 Kent Lane, Utica, standard inspection, no violations.
# North Newark Concession Stand, May 2, 999 Sharon Valley Road, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Levin Park, May 2, 1266 Sharon Valley Road, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# T.J. Evans -- Trout Derby, May 3, T.J. Evans Park, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Native American Indian Center, May 3, Newark Earthworks, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Mound City, May 4, 200 S. Second St., Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# North Newark Concession Stand, May 4, 999 Sharon Valley Road, Newark, standard inspection, no violations.
# Subway, May 5, 1315 N. 21st St., Newark, standard inspection, with violations. 1. No hand washing sign at hand sink. 2. No shields on lights in storage room. 3. Floor under/around equipment is dirty.
# Meijer No. 49 Gas Station, May 5, 1155 N. 21st St., Newark, standard inspection, with violation. 1. Lids on Dumpster are open.
# Twilight Coffee, May 5, 39 S. Park Place, Newark, 30-day inspection, with violations. 1. Food items are not date-marked. 2. Employees' hair is not restrained.
# Little Blessings Academy, May 5, 129 Moull St., Newark, standard inspection, with violation. 1. No thermometer in the reach-in.
# Creno's Pizza, May 5, 221 N. Cedar St., Newark, standard inspection, with violations. 1. Ceiling around air vent in dough room has dust build-up on it. 2. Mixer has food particles accumulation on it. 3. A few items in two-door reach-in are not date-marked.
CALIFORNIA: Grand jury wants letter grades for restaurant health
09.may.08
OC Register
Doug Irving
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-food-grand-2037554-restaurants-jury
Barfblog Post
Orange County could better protect people from food poisoning and other dining dangers by requiring restaurants to post letter grades based on their health inspections, according to a grand jury report released Thursday.
The county’s Board of Supervisors has been contemplating such a grading system since the Orange County Register published an investigation of food safety earlier this year. Board Chairman John M.W. Moorlach said he expects a report by next week laying out options for the board to consider.
Almost every other county in Southern California has already adopted “A-B-C” restaurant grades, according to the grand jury report. Los Angeles County created its grading system ten years ago and saw hospitalizations caused by bad food fall by nearly 30 percent in the first 3 years, the grand jury noted.
Orange County conducts “exceptionally thorough” restaurant inspections, the grand jury found. But it does not make the results widely available to the public.
Instead, the county requires restaurants and other eateries to post placards that say they are either in “substantial compliance” with food-safety standards, or awaiting a re-inspection. The grand jury wrote that the dining public is “almost universally unaware” that those placards even exist.
The Register’s investigation found that the county’s food safety system provides little guidance to customers on how clean a restaurant is. It concluded that even restaurants with major health violations could operate largely free from public scrutiny.
There were more than 20,000 major food-safety violations in 2007 in Orange County restaurants, supermarkets and other food venues, the Register found. Those ranged from a lack of hot water to vermin infestations.
There were also more than 163,000 minor violations.
The county’s Health Care Agency is drafting a report for the Board of Supervisors on several restaurant-rating systems, including letter grades and color-coded placards, spokesman Howard Sutter said. He declined to go into detail or estimate how much such a switch would cost, but he pointed out that county computers are “not set up currently to assign a score or a grade.”
In its report, though, the grand jury wrote that the county should be able to implement a letter-grade system similar to the one in Los Angeles for a “nominal cost.” Members of the grand jury also reported hearing support for letter grades from several restaurant owners over the course of their investigation.
Their report mentions only one restaurant manager who disagreed. He explained “that his restaurant was frequently in violation of health code standards and the system would not be good for him,” the grand jury wrote.
But Andrew Casana, a consultant for the California Restaurant Association, said letter grades too often give a misleading snapshot of a restaurant. A restaurant with a ‘B’ grade, he added, might have had several minor violations that added up but never put food safety at risk.
KANSAS: Casa Alvarez cited for food code violations
09.may.08
Dodge City Daily Globe
Eric Swanson
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/localnews/x1867418831/Casa-Alvarez-cited-for-food-code-violations
The state has fined local restaurant Casa Alvarez $800 for several food code violations that were discovered earlier this year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Thursday.
A KDHE agent conducted a routine inspection of the restaurant, 1701 W. Wyatt Earp, on Feb. 5 and noted 11 food code violations, including:
• The restaurant license holder failed to demonstrate knowledge of the food code, way to prevent foodborne illnesses or how to apply hazardous analysis critical control point principles.
• An employee failed to wash their hands when switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food.
• An employee's bare hands came into contact with ready-to-eat food.
• The restaurant failed to store potentially hazardous foods at a cold enough temperature.
• Failure to clean equipment and utensil surfaces to the sight and touch.
• Failure to sanitize utensils and equipment before use and after cleaning.
A KDHE agent inspected the restaurant again on Feb. 25 and documented two repeat violations: Employees failed to wash their hands when switching between working with raw food and ready-to-eat food, and the restaurant failed to store potentially hazardous food at sufficiently cold temperatures.
The $800 fine applies only to the violations discovered during the Feb. 25 inspection, according to the order.
KDHE spokesman Mike Heideman said the food code is designed to protect people from foodborne illnesses, and KDHE enforces the code by looking for repeated violations.
Casa Alvarez manager Edgar Alvarez, whose parents own the restaurant, said the family have corrected the problems and paid the fine.
"That was a long time ago," he said. "Everything's good now."
UTAH: Women sue Wendy's for E. coli poisoning in 2006
07.may.08
examiner.com
Associated Press
http://www.examiner.com/a1380241~Women_sue_Wendy_s_for_E__coli_poisoning_in_2006.html?cid=rss-Utah_Headlines
SALT LAKE CITY -- Two Utah residents who say they ate tainted food at a Wendy's restaurant are suing the fast-food chain.
Lawsuits against Ohio-based Wendy's International were filed this week in federal court in Salt Lake City.
They were filed by Lesiel Calvert and her husband, who live in Weber County, and Megan Richards and her husband, who live in Cache County.
Attorney William Marler says the women were in the hospital for weeks because of E. coli infections linked to bad lettuce from a Wendy's in North Ogden, Utah. The lawsuits seek an unspecified amount of money.
Dozens of people attending an education conference became ill after eating food from a Wendy's in June 2006.
Wendy's could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. The company apologized in 2006 and said it was an isolated incident in North Ogden
OHIO: Norwalk restaurant sued over illness
08.may.08
Sandusky Register
Cory Frolik
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/05/08/front/752645.txt
A Willard man who claims he fell violently ill after eating at Casa Fiesta in late April is suing the Norwalk restaurant.
In a lawsuit filed in Huron County Common Pleas Court this week, Kody Dewitt, of the 600 block of South Myrtle Ave., is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for the hospital bills and hardships he claims resulted from eating at the Mexican restaurant, court documents show.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of an Ohio Department of Health investigation into 26 confirmed cases of salmonella food poisoning. The investigation found that all of the patients ate at Casa Fiesta, 196 Milan Avenue, said Tim Hollinger, Huron County health commissioner.
The restaurant voluntarily closed its doors last Thursday to have all of its food samples tested for the bacteria. The restaurant also underwent an extensive cleaning and threw away all of its supply, health officials said.
"We went back when they were done and re-inspected and they've done everything we asked," Hollinger said.
Laboratory tests on the food samples came back negative Wednesday, health department officials said. None of the food samples tested were the source of the bacteria.
Even though all 26 cases involved people who ate at the restaurant, health officials cannot say for sure where the bacteria originated.
ALBERTA: CHR to show how restaurants measure up on inspections
07.may.08
CochraneTimes.com
Reagen Sulewski
http://www.cochranetimes.com/News/398939.html
How clean is your favourite restaurant? Other than going into the kitchen and having a peek yourself, it’s not been easy to find out.
Starting on July 1 however, the Calgary Health Region will be reporting the last five inspections of all restaurants in the region, which includes establishments in Cochrane.
The initiative is an expansion of the CHR’s current program, which lists executive orders for restaurants that have failed inspections, and comes as a directive from the provincial Minister of Health and Wellness, Ron Liepert.
"It gives full disclosure," said Leanne Dohy, spokesperson for the CHR. "The public will have full access to all the info."
Common areas for restaurants to fail their inspections in are in food storage, letting food get too warm or too cold, or cross-contamination with poor hygiene in preparation areas.
Current inspection routines are determined by a formula based on the types of food prepared and the clientele served. Restaurants that could serve immuno-compromised or elderly patrons are inspected more frequently.
Currently, this could be between once every six months and once every two years, although this is also changing with new provincial criteria, to once every four months for high-risk establishments and once a year if the risk is low.
NOVA SCOTIA: Restaurant inspections going online
06.may.08
The Chronicle Herald
Amy Smith
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1054142.html
Diners in Nova Scotia should be able to access restaurant inspections online by early summer, Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor says.
Luc Erjavec with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association said the group has been working with the province on this idea for two years.
"You will be able to get the full inspection reports online any time you so choose," he said.
Mr. Erjavec said putting the reports on the website gives Nova Scotians the full picture, unlike in New Brunswick where restaurants are assigned a colour that shows how they ranked in an inspection.
New Brunswick started posting the restaurant ratings in 2007.
Mr. Erjavec said Nova Scotians should be assured they have one of the best food safety systems in the country.
"We have millions and millions of meals being served every day with next to no incidents of any sort," he said. "I can’t remember the last time we had a major food-borne illness scare in a restaurant. We want to make sure the restaurants are healthy and safe 24-7 and not really the incident of an inspection report."
Mr. Taylor’s news about the website plans came on the same day Liberal MLA Dave Wilson tabled legislation that would make it mandatory for government to post the most recent food inspections for all restaurants.
Mr. Wilson said he’d still like to see the bill become law. He said Nova Scotians now have to shell out $25 to get the inspections through the Freedom of Information Act.
NOVA SCOTIA: Fine dining? Check online
08.may.08
Chronicle Herald
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Editorial/1054621.html
Now that’s progress.
Eighteen months ago, Nova Scotia’s Tory government resisted calls to follow the lead of well over 100 other jurisdictions across North America and post food safety inspection reports of restaurants online.
At the time, government officials suggested the province couldn’t afford that type of "Cadillac" system, that doing so would be bad for business and that consumers should trust government’s assurances our food safety record was top notch. The public debate on the issue followed a series in this newspaper on restaurant food safety in Nova Scotia.
A year and a half later, we give full marks to the same government for this week promising it will begin posting the full reports of restaurant inspections online by early this summer. At that point, Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor said Monday, "Nova Scotians can obviously draw their own conclusions as to what the results are."
Which is, of course, precisely the point of such a system. Make the information public and allow consumers to make their own informed decisions on which eating establishments they wish to visit.
The plan will see full inspection reports for each restaurant, eventually going back up to three years, posted on the Internet. That’s clearly a superior system to that in New Brunswick, which last year went with an online colour-coded restaurant grading system that’s been panned by both consumers and the industry. In contrast, Luc Erjavec, with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said his group has worked with the Tories in Nova Scotia for two years to come up with a system that works. The cost of setting it up was $500,000.
Based on what’s promised, we think they’ve done a good job.
That said, Liberal MLA David Wilson’s legislation making it mandatory to post restaurant inspection reports online, which was tabled Monday, is still an excellent idea, if only as insurance against any possible future backsliding.
We also agree with NDP MLA Dave Wilson that such reports should be put up within restaurants themselves, so that people looking for a place to eat on the spur of the moment have access to the same information as those who plan in advance and check the Internet.
Positive inspection reports don’t guarantee trouble-free dining, of course, but they do provide people with useful data. Kudos to Mr. Taylor and the Tory government for backing a sensible innovation.
VIRGINIA: Staunton restaurant inspections
08.may.08
Central Shenandoah Valley News-Leader
http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS01/805080302/1002
Weddings and Things, Inc. (The American Cafe), Staunton
Facility type: Full-service restaurant
Inspection type: Routine
Inspection date: April 21
Critical violations: 0
Noncritical violations: 0
# No violations were found during the inspection
Comments: No violations were found during the inspection
Belle Grae Inn, Staunton
Facility type: Full-service restaurant
Inspection type: Routine
Inspection date: April 24
Critical violations: Unknown
Noncritical violations: Unknown
# Potentially hazardous foods were out of temperature in the true three-door reach-in refrigerator in the main kitchen. Individual servings of custards were at 48 degrees. Pimento cheese spread from a commercial source, in the original container was at 48 degrees.
Level: Critical (corrected during inspection)
Details: The individual servings of custard were voluntarily discarded by the establishment management. The container of pimento cheese spread and potentially hazardous foods which had been out of temperature for less than four hours total time, were immediately moved to the walk-in refrigerator which was holding all foods at the required temperature of 41 degrees or lower at all times. No potentially hazardous foods may be stored in the true three-door reach-in refrigerator until it has been carefully checked out/adjusted/serviced and is again capable of holding all potentially hazardous foods at 41 degrees or lower at all times.
# There was a wooden knife rack in the kitchen
Level: Noncritical (corrected during inspection)
Details: We do not allow wooden knife racks in food establishments. Wooden knife racks are not cleanable at the bacterial level down in the slots. Smooth easily cleanable steel knife racks/storage containers or magnetic strip knife racks are acceptable. Only clean knives may be placed in knife racks. The wooden knife rack was immediately removed from the kitchen.
Comments: Handwashing and dishwashing were being carried out correctly.
Deno's, no. 8/Subway, Staunton
Facility type: Convenience store food service
Inspection type: Critical procedures
Inspection date: April 25
Critical violations: 2
Noncritical violations: 0
# Meatballs were 132 degrees and were at an improper hot-holding temperature.
Level: Critical (corrected during inspection)
Details: Rapidly reheat the food to 165 degrees and maintain at 135 degrees or above through the hot-holding period. The person in charge rapidly reheated the meatballs to 168 degrees.
# The food contact surfaces of the tomato slicer and some of the black plastic pans were lightly soiled.
Level: Critical (corrected during inspection repeat)
Details: Clean and sanitize these surfaces for food contact. Items were re-washed, rinsed, sanitized and air dried.
Comments: These good conditions and practices were observed: The hand sink was accessible and stocked; employees were washing their hands, using hair restraints, and using barriers for handling ready-to-eat foods; sanitizer solution concentration was acceptable; the meat scale was cleaned and sanitized between uses and cold-holding temperatures were acceptable.
— www.healthspace.ca/ Clients/VDH/CShenandoah/
CShenandoah_Website.nsf
VIRGINIA: New restaurant rules focus on food borne illness
07.may.08
WSLS News
Jay Warren
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/new_restaurant_rules_focus_on_food_borne_illness/10610/
In the kitchen at the Famous Anthony’s on Route 460 cooks prepare thousands of meals a week. The same goes for the kitchen at the Roanoke Plaza Hotel where Chief Chef Jay Cooper gave away his secret ingredient.
For him, the top of that list is cleanliness.
“That’s the critical thing in a kitchen.”
The health department couldn’t say it any better and they’re making sure all restaurants across the commonwealth get on board.
“We want to focus on the risk factors, those things that are going to cause food borne illness,” said inspector Cindy McDow. “It’s important to have sanitation. It’s important to have a good facility, but those things aren’t going to cause food borne illness. It’s some of the other things like the temperatures and where they’re getting their food that’s really, really important and we haven’t really been looking at that I don’t think close enough.”
So, the health department has changed its focus from basic sanitation to food preparation and handling. That includes requiring refrigerators to cool things to 41 degrees instead of the warmer, old standard of 45-degrees.
KENTUCKY: Inspections reported
07.may.08
Commonwealth Journal
http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/local/local_story_128080420.html
• 85-100 — pass inspection.
• 70-84 — must be re-inspected within 30 days.
• Under 70 — a suspension of permit notice is sent to owner; if owner doesn’t reply in 10 days, the permit is revoked and the restaurant is closed.
The following establishments were inspected by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department:
BURNSIDE ELEMENTARY
435 East Lakeshore Drive
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
SOUTHWESTERN HIGH
1765 WTLO Road
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
OAK HILL ELEMENTARY
1755 WTLO Road
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
NANCY ELEMENTARY
240 Hwy. 196, Nancy
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
SUBWAY
604 Ogden St.
Rating Score: 92
VIOLATIONS: Employee drinks in food preparation area (corrected); no hand towels at employees’ hand sink; floor unclean in hard-to-reach areas (under dry storage shelving).
PULASKI CENTRAL
500 Chandler St.
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
NEW CHINA
2835 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 93
VIOLATIONS: Product out of original container is not labeled; food in walk-in cooler is uncovered; raw food is stored above ready-to-eat food in walk-in cooler; employee drinks in food preparation area (corrected); storage shelves are not smooth and easily cleanable; countertop is cracked – in poor repair; wiping cloths not stored in bleach water solution; hand sink is draining on floor (corrected); floor in hard-to-reach area unclean; lights in kitchen are in poor repair, some are not working, not covered with light shields; storage area in back is very dark, needs lighting.
BAXTER’S COFFEE & ICE CREAM
427 Ogden St.
Rating Score: 97
VIOLATIONS: Shelving in food preparation unclean; outside of food storage containers soiled; refrigerator door handles soiled-unclean; single-service items spilled out on floor; window opened without screen (corrected); dry storage area and food preparation area cluttered.
SHOPVILLE ELEMENTARY
819 Mark Shopville Road
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
PORTER HOPKINS SCHOOL
May Street
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
MEECE MIDDLE
Barnett Street
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
MEMORIAL EDUCATION CENTER
222 Langdon St.
Rating Score: 98
VIOLATIONS: Dishwasher is not operational – closed for repairs; dishes to be washed, rinsed and sanitized until dishwasher is repaired.
SOMERSET HIGH
College Street
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
DAIRY QUEEN DOWNTOWN
205 North Main St.
Rating Score: 100
No violations at time of inspection.
NEW CHINA
2835 South U.S. 27
Rating Score: 100
FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION: All violations corrected (continue to work on lighting in kitchen).
CALIFORNIA: Hepatitis A lawsuit filed against La Mesa Chipotle Mexican Grill
06.may.08
Marler Blog
http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/05/articles/legal-cases/hepatitis-a-lawsuit-filed-against-la-mesa-chipotle-mexican-grill/
A lawsuit was filed today against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., in San Diego County Superior Court for the recent hepatitis A outbreak linked to a La Mesa Chipotle restaurant. Terry Wesley, the plaintiff, became infected with hepatitis A after eating in March and April at the Chipotle Grill on Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa, California. Mr. Wesley is represented by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm dedicated to representing victims of food borne illness, and Keeney, Waite, & Stevens, a San Diego area firm. The lawsuit states Mr. Wesley developed symptoms of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection on April 24, 2008 and required medical attention on April 25 and May 2, when his blood tested positive for hepatitis A. He remains ill and has not been able to return to work.
In late April 2008, San Diego County health officials announced that a number of HAV infections had been traced to the restaurant, located at 8005 Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa. Officials advised customers who had eaten at the restaurant between March 1 and April 22 that they might be at risk for infection. As of May 1, twenty people who ate at the La Mesa restaurant have tested positive for HAV infection. Four of those victims have contacted Marler Clark for assistance with their cases.
Hepatitis A is a food borne virus that can be passed by infected food handlers to consumers. The virus attacks the liver, and symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, dark urine, fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, loss of appetite, and later on, jaundice. In extreme cases, liver failure can result. The virus has a long incubation period, and symptoms may not appear for fifteen to fifty days. San Diego health officials continue to urge anyone who ate at the Chipotle Grill during the infection window (5/1/08-4/22/08) to get tested for Hepatitis A.
Two E. coli lawsuits filed against Wendy's in UTAH
06.may.08
Marleg Blog
http://www.marlerblog.com/2008/05/articles/legal-cases/two-e-coli-lawsuits-filed-against-wendys-in-utah/index.html
After months of attempting to resolve these cases without litigation, after five days of mediation with no resolution, we filed suit against Wendy’s (perhaps now Arby’s) in Salt Lake City Federal Court on behalf of two victims who suffered severe hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). We did settle with Wendy’s insurance companies several other claims of stool-culture positive victims.
As you might recall, in early August 2006, public health officials in Weber County, Utah, became aware of several people who attended a teachers’ conference luncheon that had contracted E. coli O121:H19. On August 2, 2006, the Weber-Morgan Health Department (WMHD) issued a News Release indicating that three people had contracted E. coli O121:H19, and that two of the individuals had developed HUS. WMHD stated that the evidence indicated that all three people contracted E. coli from the same source sometime during June 27-30 at a restaurant in the Ogden, Utah area. By August 7, WMHD officials had revised the number of outbreak victims to four, including three who had developed HUS. A final report was issued. Three of the HUS patients with E. coli O121:H19 were laboratory confirmed by stool culture. DNA subtyping by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that one of the individuals that was not associated with the conference, but who had consumed cheeseburgers from Wendy’s during the outbreak period, was an identical genetic match to one of the previous confirmed E. coli cases associated with Wendy’s.
State reports not online yet, Other cities: Public must fill out a request and wait for a reply
04.may.08
Anchorage Daily News
Kyle Hopkins
http://www.adn.com/front/story/395542.html
People who live in Anchorage and want to see how safe, or how scary, their local diners are can find out online 24 hours a day.
But what if you live outside the city? In places like Wasilla or Fairbanks or Juneau?
It's not so easy.
The state inspects all Alaska restaurants outside Anchorage. Currently, those reports are only on paper, but the state the says they'll start appearing online before long.
For now, checking up on your local restaurants takes time and maybe a little luck.
Here's what happened when the Daily News recently asked for inspection reports in three cities:
• Fairbanks: It took a call to the local food safety office, where an employee e-mailed a public records request form. We signed the paperwork and faxed back. Within an hour, someone e-mailed us a copy of the report.
• Wasilla: Same drill as Fairbanks -- call and ask for the restaurant inspection, receive a public records request form by e-mail, fill it out and fax it back. Took 40 minutes.
• Juneau: No luck. When we called the local state offices, an employee said the person who could help us had just left for Anchorage. She wouldn't be back for the rest of the week.
"It's not perfect. The current system isn't and we're shooting to improve it," said Division of Environmental Health Director Kristin Ryan.
The state had once planned to put inspection reports on the Internet as early as 2006.
That didn't happen.
One reason for the delay? The state adopted new food-safety regulations, said Ron Klein, food safety and sanitation program manager.
Dirting dining part 2: Downtown BALTIMORE
02.may.08
ABC News
Joce Sterman and John Anglim
http://www.abc2news.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=1df55114-4338-4ecd-92eb-e0187dedce5b
Uninvited guests dropping in for dinner, making themselves at home on your dinner plate and among the food that'll be served on it. That's what we found, scouring through the restaurant inspection reports for this round of Dirty Dining.
We're going neighborhood by neighborhood, looking at places with the biggest number of violations and the consistent patterns we've seen in reports dating back to 2006. This time, we're heading into the heart of Baltimore for a little local flavor.
Our first stop is a favorite among regulars, the Midtown Yacht Club on Centre Street. But based on the reports we've seen, it looks like some of those regulars may scurry in on four feet instead of two.
Since 2006, they've been cited for mice issues in six different inspections. How do we know? We looked all the restaurant reports for both critical and sanitation violations. There are 8 possible critical items, dealing mostly with the food itself and whether it's cooked, cooled and stored properly.
Critical items must be corrected immediately, but those kinds of violations weren't the problem for the Midtown Yacht Club. Instead, sanitation items - specifically, mice problems have been their biggest pest. In 2007 alone, this place was shut down three times for mouse infestations. When we went in to ask why, the owner told us we’d have to speak to the health department.
But the department's reports do all the talking we need. According to the report from March of 2007, the inspector found mouse droppings inside the walk-in refrigerator, under the stored pasta and around the red and white onions.
The Midtown Yacht Club closed that day and was shut down again just four months later for the same thing. Despite an inspector's repeated warnings to rodent-proof the restaurant, the Yacht Club's sails were lowered a third time because of mice this past November.
The manager later faxed us reports from an inspection and reinspection that had been done since we pulled their file. Although the restaurant was originally cited for some sanitation violations, those items were corrected during reinspection. And the manager also told us the Yacht Club has since hired not one, but two professional cleaning people to cover the facility throughout the day.
Speaking of those creepy critters, check out how fast they can damage a restaurant's report record. Five Seasons, located along the 800 block of Guilford Avenue had nothing but minor cleaning issues cited in reports for 2006 and the first part of 2007.
But in July that year an inspector found mice had moved in, leaving droppings all over the dining plates, the fryer, even the grill. It was bad news for the owner, who refused to sign the report and was later told to treat health department employees with respect.
The owner did not return our calls for comment. Kristo's on the 200 block of West Saratoga Street has gotten in some hot water for not respecting basic hygiene rules. This restaurant has been closed twice since 2006. One closure was done in part because of improper hand washing.
According to the report, there was no soap for workers to use. And it seems the shortage continued, as hand washing issues popped up in three other inspections. We caught it ourselves during a visit to the shop. We watched a food handler handle food and money without ever cleaning with soap and water.
The owner of Kristo’s did not return our calls for comment.
TEXAS: May 2-Leger's restaurant report card
02.may.08
KFDM.com
Bill Leger
http://www.kfdm.com/articles/restaurant_25865___article.html/scores_latest.html
Here are the latest restaurant inspection scores from the Orange County Health Department. To file a complaint about an Orange County restaurant contact the Orange County Health Department Code and Compliance Departmenet at 409-745-1463.
WAFFLE HOUSE 4212 27TH ST. ORANGE/GRADE=69 FOLLOW-UP GRADE=92
We begin with Waffle House on 27th street in Orange. Inspector Lee found cheese slices and ham cubes at unsafe temperatures, there were gnats around the dishwasher, and they weren't properly santizing inside the restaurant. Waffle House in Orange gets a failing grade of 69.. However the restaurant was allowed to remain open and during a follow-up inspection four days later improved to a 92.
TUFFY'S HWY 12 MAURICEVILLE/GRADE=81
Next is Tuffy's in Mauriceville. Inspector English found employees improperly handling raw and ready to eat foods which could contaminate the food and make you sick, she also found flies on the rolls and there was grease build up on the fryers and floors. Tuffy's in Mauriceville gets an 81.
NOVROZK'S 715 TEXAS AVENUE BRIDGE CITY/GRADE=88
And finally we stop by Novrozky's in Bridge City. Inspector English found the egg batter mix at an unsafe temperature, employees were handling food after handling a microphone. There was also grease build up around the grill and fryers. Novrozkys in Bridge City gets an 88.
NOVROZKYS RESTAURANT
ORANGE
GRADE=89
*CHICKEN FAJITAS AT AN UNSAFE TEMPERATURE.
TEQUILA'S
BRIDGE CITY
GRADE=91
THE DONUT PALACE
BRIDGE CITY
GRADE=92
BURGER TOWN
ORANGEFIELD
GRADE=92
HAPPY DONUTS
BRIDGE CITY
GRADE=95
Blue Ribbon awards for perfect scores from the Orange County Health Department:
SANDI'S KITCHEN
420 STERLING
VIDOR
GRADE=100
THE TACO STAND
7046 WADE ROAD
ORANGE
GRADE=100
STAR & CRESCENT MOON café
914 W. DIVISION
ORANGE
GRADE=100
CHUCK'S EATS
802 W. CHERRY
ORANGE
GRADE=100
BAM! Celebrity chefs rack up health code problems at restaurants
02.may.08
Health Inspections.com
http://healthinspections.com/articles.cfm?YXJ0aWNsZUlEPTExOQ==
Barfblog Post
Can you say, "Bam?" It's the famous catch-phrase for Chef Emeril Lagasse.
But at his posh Miami restaurant, Lagasse may want to start yelling, "Clean up."
On a recent health inspection, Emeril's at South Beach was hit with 13 critical violations that could make customers sick.
The restaurant was cited for violations such as foods at dangerous temperatures, hygiene violations, and foods not stored properly.
The television program Inside Edition found that restaurants connected with many famous TV chefs have significant health violations.
Inside Edition even video taped mice running freely at BLT Fish in Manhattan, operated by Laurent Tourondel who has appeared on the Iron Chef television program.
Here's how restaurants connected with some other names you know have performed on health inspections.
Anthony Bourdain: The restaurant Les Halles in Coral Gables, Florida was shut down by inspectors 3 times since 2006 for dangerous violations. In the last inspection, the inspector noted 30 fresh rodent droppings on a baking rack. Bourdain is the 'chef-at-large' for the restaurant.
Mario Batali: His "Spotted Pig" restaurant in New York was found to have mice and insects. On two prior inspections, there were a high number of critical violations that required inspectors to come back for follow-ups.
Wolfgang Puck: At his Spago Café in Vegas, nasty employee lockers were found to have roaches. There were also violations for a dirty food slicer, foods at the wrong temperature, and employees not washing properly because of a lack of soap.
Worst Record
Celebrity Chef Todd English has the worst record of the TV cooks. His three Boston restaurants have consistently failed inspections. One of them, known as Kingfish Hall, has failed five inspections since January of 2007.
Cleanest Place
Paula Dean's restaurant "Lady and Son" in Georgia had consistently high scores on health inspections.
The Inside Edition story on celebrity chefs who don't quite make the grade is available at:
http://healthinspections.com/video.cfm?bWVkaWFJRD0zOA==
CALIFORNIA: Another hepatitis A case reported
02.may.08
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Jose Jimenez
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2008/05/another_hepatitis_a_case_repor.html
County health officials reported today another person who contracted hepatitis A from possibly eating at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in La Mesa.
The new case brings to 19, eight women and 11 men, the total number of patients sickened by the outbreak, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
Officials continue to advise people who dined at the restaurant, 8005 Fletcher Parkway, between March 1 and April 22 to see a doctor if they experience symptoms of the viral infection.
The current infection has not been found in any of Chipotle's 26 employees who have been tested for the virus.
TEXAS: Restaurant reports
01.may.08
The Courier
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19653561&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=638427&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 24 through May 1.
Restaurants with no demerits:
Golden Corral Family Restaurant - 2101 West Davis St., Conroe
CISD Woodlands College Park High School- 3701 College Park Dr., The Woodlands.
CISD Woodlands College Park High School Cafeteria- 3701 College Park Dr., The Woodlands
CISD Woodlands College Park High School Baseball Concession Stand - 3701 College Park Dr., The Woodlands
CISD Woodlands College Park High School Football Concession Stand- 3701 College Park Dr., The Woodlands
Little Caesars - 2211 Rayford Rd., Spring
Walgreens #7775- 560 Rayford Rd., The Woodlands
The Conservatory - 6203 Alden Bridge, The Woodlands
Starbucks Coffee - 3000 Research Forest Dr., The Woodlands
Climbing Tree Day Care- 6363 Research Forest, The Woodlands
Faith Kids - 2403 Rayford Rd., Spring
Exxon Mobile #60475 - 6606 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands
Subway - 6777 Woodlands Parway, STE 318, The Woodlands
India Gourmet Spices 25701 I-45 North STE 14, The Woodlands
Rico’s Mexican Resaturant - 8000 Research Forest Blvd, The Woodlands
Pappa’s BBQ- 27752 I-45 North, Conroe
Zipps #5 - 10940 FM 1488, Magnolia
Casey’s Pub and Grill - 9201 FM 1488, Magnolia
Ninfa’s Express - 1201 Lake Woodlands, The Woodlands
Roman Delight Pizza- 1201 Lake Woodlands, The Woodlands
The Cheesecake Factory - 1201 Lake Woodlands Dr. STE 302, The Woodlands
Chick-fil-A of The Woodlands - 1201 Lake Woodlands, The Woodlands
Children’s Faith Academy - 15479 Pin Oak Ridge Dr., Conroe
Wok Inn- 18423 FM 1488, Magnolia
Resaurants with the most demerits:
Panera Bread - 1302 Davis, Conroe - 3 demerits- demerits were issued for an unapproved sewage system.
Magnolia Food Mart - 28275 Nichols Sawmill, Magnolia- 3 demerits - demerits were issued for inaccessible handwashing facilities.
Quizno’s Sub - 6875 FM 1488, Magnolia - 3 demerits- demerits were issued for improper sewage system
Sonic Drive In of Magnolia- 130 Smith Rd., Magnolia - 3 demerits - demerits were issued for improperly stocked handwashing facilities.
Sonic Drive In- 1201 Lake Woodlands Dr., The Woodlands - 3 demerits- demerits were issued for inadequate handwashing facilities
La Palma Taqueria - 309 Avenue G - 4 demerits - demerits were issued for not having approved HACCP systems.
Pinguillolo Sno Colors- 25598 I-45 North, Spring - 6 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for insect contamination, 3 demerits were issued for unapproved sewage systems.
Casa Elena - 26856 I-45 North, Spring - 6 demerits - demerits were issued for unsanitized food contact surfaces.
La Mesa Mexican Bistros - 17011 Lake Robinson Dr., The Woodlands - 9 demerits - 3 demerits were issued for inproper handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were issued for improper utinsels, 3 demerits were issued for an unposted food establishment permit
Panda Express - 33010 FM 2978, Magnolia - 10 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for improper hot water supply, 3 demerits were issued for unsanitized warewashing systems, 3 demerits were issued for failure to post disclaimers.
Chi Japanese Cuisine - 27100 I-45 North , Oak Ridge - 11 demerits - 5 demerits were issued for improper food temperatures, 3 demerits were given for inadequate product maintenance equipment, 3 demerits were given for inaccurate thermometers.
Mi Luna - 6777 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands - 11 demerits - 4 demerits were given for unhygienic practices, 4 demerits were given for outdated food labels, 3 demerits were given for not providing thermometers.
Sam’s Boat - 26710 I-45 North, The Woodlands - 14 demerits - 4 demerits were issued for cross contamination, 4 dermerits were given for inproper water supply, 3 demertis were given for inadequate handwashing facilities, 3 demerits were given for not proving theremometers.
Mom’s Secret Chef - 5135 FM 1488, Magnolia - 15 demerits - 4 demerits were given for outdated food labels, 4 demerits were given for cross contamination, 4 demerits were given for no public water sources, 3 demerits were fiven for unapproved sewage systems.