19 violations and live flies: The best and worst Peoria food inspections for June

The Peoria City/County Health Department conducts food inspections for a wide range of establishments in the area − from restaurants to long-term care facilities and schools. Inspections look for issues that could contribute to the spread of foodborne illness, as well as general cleanliness and maintenance of the establishment.

The Journal Star examined routine inspections in June for restaurants, mobile establishments and bars/taverns in Peoria County. From these categories, over 75 routine inspections were completed.

The establishments listed below received either no violations or enough violations to warrant a warning from the health department.

Note: According to the Peoria City/County Health Department, "inspections only provide a snapshot of a food establishment's practices, as they are based on what is seen at the time of the inspection."

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Terminology used by the health department

• Core violation: These violations relate to "general sanitation, operational controls, sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), facilities or structures, equipment design, or general maintenance," according to the health department.

• Priority foundation violation: These violations could lead to priority violations if they are not corrected.

• Priority violation: These violations are considered the most high-risk by the health department, as they have the potential to directly contribute to foodborne illness.

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Establishments with no violations during routine June inspections

More: The best and worst of food inspections in the Peoria area for April

Establishments that received warning comments during routine June inspections

JJ Fish and Chicken at 2123 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria, received three priority, five priority foundation and 11 core violations. These included:

• Employee was observed washing "hands for less than 20 seconds without soap," which did not follow proper handwashing guidelines for food service employees.

• Several food containers did not have use-by dates listed. According to the health department, "Food prepared and held in a food establishment for more than 24 hours must be clearly marked to indicate the date or day by which the food must be consumed on the premises, sold, or discarded when held at a temperature of 41°F or less for a maximum of 7 days."

• A sanitizer bucket did not have an adequate chlorine concentration.

• The health department found two "handwashing sinks to be leaking and in need of repair."

Palarte Frida LLC, which operates at 4303 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, as Yeni's Palarte Mexican Ice Cream, received one priority, three priority foundation and two core violations.

In the comments section, it was noted that "The (person in charge) stated that the tamales, cookies, cakes were prepared in a home kitchen and not in the licensed establishment. It was discussed with the PIC that the food items that appear to be cooked in a home kitchen cannot be sold, discarded or removed from the premises."

Along with this, various items − such as juices − were not properly labeled, and the person in charge was not a Certified Food Protection Manager.

Sharkey's Fish and Chicken at 3108 N Sterling Ave., Peoria, received four priority, five priority foundation and nine core violations. These included:

• Employee did not wash hands after handling money. According to the health department, employees "must practice good hygiene by properly washing hands when changing tasks."

• Live house and fruit flies found through "the entire establishment."

• Liquid handsoap, as well as disposable paper towels, were not present at all handwashing sinks.

• The health department found grease dripping from a ventilation system, noted that the floors were in "a state of disrepair" around one of the sinks and found "soil residue present on shelves on cooler throughout the establishment."

27 violations and moldy chicken: The best and worst Peoria food inspections for May

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria health department restaurant inspections for June 2023