Failed food safety inspections and violations at Tri-Cities restaurants, schools and bakery

Annette Cary
·2 min read

The Benton Franklin Health District gave failing grades to two businesses in food safety inspections May 8-12 in the Tri-Cities, Wash., area.

The district’s food safety team gave passing grades on five inspections, three of them with perfect scores. Two school cafeterias that passed had practices needing improvement.

In the district’s routine inspections, businesses or organizations that receive 35 points for the more serious red violations are required to have additional inspections and must meet a tougher standard on those.

For followup inspections, they must have fewer than 25 red points and a limited number of repeat problems to pass.

Red violations are those most likely to cause food-borne illnesses, such as improper temperature control of food, lack of handwashing or bare-hand contact with foods.

Blue violations are low risk factors related to the cleanliness and physical condition of an establishment.

No notice is given before the inspections.

Inspection results are posted online so residents can look up the status and the details of any violations of individual restaurants.

Go to bit.ly/BFHDinspections. Click on the business name and then on the date of the inspection on the right half of the next page. Look for the “Violations” tab.

Call 509-460-4205 with questions or concerns.

Failed inspections

Birrieria El Sazon, 3115 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine May 8 (55 Red, 10 Blue)

Notes: Food worker cards not 100%, improper hot holding (<130°F), room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control.

Los Pinos, 1504 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Routine May 11 (65 Red, 8 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control, improper cooling procedures., room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control, improper chemical use.

Passed inspections

Amistad Elementary School, 930 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick, Routine May 12 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Kennewick High School, 500 S. Dayton St., Kennewick, Routine May 12 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Phoenix High School, 1315 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick, Routine May 12 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

St. Joseph’s School, 516 S. Garfield St., Kennewick, Routine May 12 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Viera’s Bakery & Espresso (Bakery), 430 W. Lewis St. Pasco, Follow-up May 12 (0 Red, 0 Blue)