Bugs in food and ‘rodent excrement’ on a Broward grocer’s shelves, an inspection says

With a plethora of bugs in breading, rodents relieving themselves and malfunctioning equipment, a Pompano Beach grocery store had to throw out pounds of chicken, bacon, fish, and stop using its food processing area.

Those are just some of the consequences for Kings Mart, 250 NW 31st Ave., after the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Francis Odio stopped by the store Friday for an inspection.

Inspector Odio saw many reasons to hit Kings Mart with an Ag Department inspector’s two most powerful weapons, the Stop Sale Order and Stop Use Order.

Here’s some of what the inspector found:

▪ In the backroom, “three containers of breading found with living insects.” Odio dropped Stop Sales on the breading in the three bulk breading containers.

▪ Odio saw a “black, mold-like substance ... on the interior of the ice machine.” That’s a Stop Use Order on the ice machine.

▪ Also, the inspector saw a “buildup of heavy dust and debris on the floor, wall and fan guards inside the walk-in cooler” in the backroom.

▪ Food scoops should have handles and be stored so the handles, which are gripped by possibly dirty hands or gloved hands, aren’t touching the food. But a “single-use cup” (no handle) was used as the scoop for the grits bin in the storage room. Also, the handle of the scoop sat “in direct contact” in the flour breading container.

▪ “Recently produced rodent excrement on and under the beverage storage shelves.” A massive Stop Use Order crushed the entire backroom.

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▪ In the food processing area as well as the retail area where the groceries are sold, “Numerous flying insects are observed all around the establishment.”

▪ “Accumulation of black mold-like substances on drink slides and dust on shelves inside the walk-in cooler.”

▪ “Build up of heavy dust, debris and droppings on shelves in the dry storage room.”

▪ “Heavy ice and soil build-up inside the chest freezer located next to the storage room.”

▪ “Old food debris encrusted on multiple kitchen utensils stored inside a bucket next to a flat top grill.”

▪ “Accumulation of old food debris on the interior walls and door of the microwave.”

▪ “Tongs in use since 9 a.m. not yet washed, rinsed, and sanitized at 2 p.m.” That’s five hours. They’re supposed to be washed, rinsed and sanitized every four hours.

▪ “Build-up of grease, dust and black substances on floor and wall all around the kitchen and the three-compartment sink.”

▪ The green reach-in cooler, which is supposed to keep foods under 41 degrees, “was found in disrepair with an ambient temperature of 64 degrees. The reach-in prep cooler was just as useless, with an ambient temperature of 66 degrees. The backroom walk-in cooler measured 54 degrees. Stop Use Orders issued all around.

▪ No single food thermometer, advisable for home kitchens and required for commercial kitchens.

▪ When Inspector Odio saw there was “No probe thermometer available for assessing, receiving, and holding foods that are temperature controlled for safety,” a Stop Use Order stopped action in the food processing area.

▪ Odio busted out a probe thermometer and found sliced cheese, liquid egg, shredded cheese, raw fish, raw chicken, pork sausage patties and raw bacon in the food processing area that measured 43 to 54 degrees. Then Odio found in the retail area “multiple food items including packages of popcorn chicken, potatoes, grits, and sausage patties ... with internal temperatures between 84 to 120 degrees.” Also, “hot dog, sliced cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese measured 53 to 57 degrees.” Five dozen James Eggs sat at 53 degrees while two cases of James Eggs in the walk-in cooler measured 56 degrees. Food either needs to be kept in cold storage (the aforementioned 41 degrees or under) or hot holding (over 135 degrees). Stop Sale Orders swept all of those into the garbage.

▪ Inspector Odio saw a “buildup of dead insects found on the retail shelves and inside the reach-in coolers” and “heavy dust, debris, and soil build-up inside all the reach-in coolers at the establishment.”

▪ A spoon serving boiled peanuts at the cash register had been doing its job since 9 a.m. with no washing, rinsing and sanitizing break by 2 p.m. That’s an hour too long.

▪ Outside, there was “an accumulation of trash and debris inside dumpster enclosure.”

▪ Kings Mart sold hemp extract products without proper permission.

Stop Sale Orders: Two cases and five dozen eggs, sliced cheese, liquid egg, shredded cheese, raw fish, raw chicken, pork sausage patties, raw bacon, popcorn chicken, potatoes, grits, sausage patties, a hot dog, sliced cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Stop Use Orders: The backroom area as a space and the backroom ice machine; the walk-in cooler; green reach-in cooler; reach-in prep cooler; and all food processing areas (for lack of food thermometers).