25 Livingston County restaurants hit with health department violations in October.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — Each month, the Livingston County Health Department inspects restaurants, schools, and other facilities for unsafe food practices.

Good food safety practices are critical to preventing foodborne illness and promoting public health. The Daily publishes reports on "priority" violations — ones that could "directly lead to contamination of food or increase the risk of transmitting a foodborne illness,” as well as corrective measures taken. All reports are available at swordsolutions.com/inspections.

A total of 25 dining establishments inspected in October had priority violations. Follow-up inspections are also provided if they occurred in October.

Eight priority violations were found at:

Golden House, 1241 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell

Employee used the prep sink to fill a mop bucket while food was being thawed in the adjacent sink. Cooked rice and noodles were cooling in colanders on the dirty dish table. The food was removed. No chlorine sanitizer was detected in a dish machine. There was no soap at a hand sink. Soap was provided. Hand towels were not available at a hand sink. Towels were provided. Cooked rice, cooked noodles, and cooked chicken/vegetable mixtures were cooling in tall bowls/colanders. This method will not ensure proper rapid cooling. The food was transferred to shallow pans. Ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler were not labeled. They were labeled. Three badly dented cans were found on a food storage rack. They were removed to return to the vendor. Daytime staff are not properly trained in food safety. The owner has spent more time on site and has conducted additional staff training.

Five priority violations were found at:

Leo's Coney Island, 4380 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell

A warming unit was holding soups at 110 degrees. The unit was adjusted to the proper temperature. Employees did not change gloves when contaminated. Employees touched raw meat/eggs, then touched ready-to-eat food and food contact surfaces with the same gloves. The person in charge was not ensuring compliance with the Food Code. A pan of cooked chicken was cooling in a tall, covered pan. It was 80 degrees on top and 120-plus degrees in the center. It was transferred to a shallow pan for rapid cooling. Proper food handling was observed during a follow-up inspection.

Four priority violations were found at:

Bluefin Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi, 4313 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell

Food-contact surfaces were not cleaned at the proper frequency, including sushi rollers and an ice machine that contained visible mold growth. The ice maker was cleaned. Plastic wrapping on the bamboo sushi roller was replaced once a day instead of every four hours. An employee touched raw meats, then touched single-serving sauce containers, which are later packaged inside takeout food containers. They also touched raw meats, then scooped ready-to-eat rice with a bowl and touched other ready-to-eat food containers and dispensing utensils. A refillable spray bottle containing degreaser was not labeled.

Three priority violations were found at:

Fusion Buffet, 4108 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell

Dumplings and meats did not have date marking labels. They were labeled. A hand sink contained bottles of cleaning products and was blocked. The items were moved. No sanitizer test strips were available. Test strips were purchased.

Rise and Grind, 5300 M-36 in Hamburg Township

No sanitizing step was performed. The violation was corrected. There were no sanitizer test strips. Some were provided. There was no paper towel at a hand sink. Some was provided.

Two priority violations were found at:

American Legion Club #141, 3265 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell

A final sanitizing step was not performed. Sanitizer was inadvertently added to the wash sink with soap at the bar. A stem thermometer was not available for checking food temperatures. A thermometer was later provided.

Cornerstone School, 9455 Hilton Road in Brighton

Several cans were dented along the seams. They were set aside to be returned to the vendor. Several items in a walk-in cooler did not have dates, including diced tomatoes, salad, chili and cooked ground beef. They were dated.

Dairy Queen Hartland, 10500 Highland Road, Hartland Township

A shut-off valve at a mop sink was downstream of an atmospheric vacuum breaker, which may cause it to fail. There was no soap at a hand sink. Soap was provided.

Dragon Court, 7570 M-36 in Hamburg Township

There was a stool in front of the hand sink. It was moved. Several tubs of egg rolls and fried chicken did not have dates. They were marked with dates.

Gus's Carry Out, 210 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell

A large volume of sliced turkey was 45-47 degrees on the outer edges. This practice does not maintain proper temperatures. It was wrapped and placed under refrigeration. Sanitizer test strips were not available. Test strips were provided.

Jackie's Custard, 415 Mill Pond in Brighton

There was no stem thermometer available. There was no sanitizer test kit. Photos of a thermometer and test kit were emailed to the health department.

Subway, 9290 Lee Road, Suite 110 in Brighton

Foods in coolers were holding above 41 degrees, including sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced deli meats, and tuna salad. Foods in a prep cooler were holding above 41 degrees. The cooler was very full and a lack of airflow was noticed during the inspection. Containers of food were relocated to a walk-in cooler.

The Pound Bar and Grill, 139 W. Main St. in Brighton

There were no paper towels at a hand sink. They were replaced. A few cans were dented along the seams. They were set aside to be returned to the vendor.

One priority violation was found at:

Captain Joe's Grill, 9901 N. Main St. in Whitmore Lake

A hot box/warmer was used to reheat food. Sauces were holding at 68-75 degrees. The hot box was only set to hold food at 135-140 degrees, so the sauces never would have reached the required 165 degrees within two hours. The sauces were put on the stove to quickly reheat.

Ciao Amici's, 217 W. Main St. in Brighton

Marinara sauce was transferred to plastic containers from shallow pans when it was at 50 degrees. It was unlikely it would cool to 41 degrees in the plastic container. It was transferred back into shallow pans.

Dunkin' Donuts Brighton, 9984 Grand River Ave. in Brighton

There was no sanitizer test kit. A photo of a test kit was emailed to the health department.

Jets Pizza, 8705 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton

Sliced ham, cooked chicken, pepperoni, diced tomatoes, cooked hamburger and cooked Italian sausage were in a prep cooler holding between 49-55 degrees.

Joe's Java at Woodland, 7575 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton

Containers of grab-and-go breakfast scramble in the gift shop were date marked greater than seven days. They were correctly marked.

Leo's Coney Island, 8280 Movie Drive in Brighton

A spray nozzle in a mop sink was downstream of the AVB on a hose.

Marco's Pizza, 885 S. Old US-23 in Brighton

A cooler had been accidentally switched off. Food was holding at 49 degrees. It was switched back on.

Navigator School, 2150 E. M-36 in Hamburg Township

Apples and pears on the self-service salad bar were unwrapped and not protected from contamination. It was corrected and the person in charge provided tongs.

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Red Olive Restaurant, 10594 Highland Road, Hartland Township

An employee cracked an egg with food handling gloves on and then grabbed ready-to-eat foods without changing gloves.

Smoothie King Hartland, 10440 Highland Road in Hartland Township

There was no soap at a hand sink. Soap was provided.

Soup and Scoop, 10630 Rushton Road, South Lyon

A display cooler was holding food at 46 degrees. The food was moved to other coolers. The cooler was turned off until it can be repaired or replaced.

Wingate by Wyndham, 8285 Movie Drive in Brighton

A soap dispenser at a hand sink was not working and there was no soap. It was corrected during the inspection.

— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. 

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Health violations at 25 Livingston County restaurants in October