Health district closes Tri-Cities restaurant after failed food safety inspection
A mice infestation, workers dipping fingers into food, cockroaches and attempts to obstruct a health inspector were some of the issues that led to a Tri-Cities restaurant being shut down.
The restaurant was ordered closed after nine red violations and one less serious blue violation were found during a routine Benton Franklin Health District inspection June 13.
Red Bento Teriyaki in Pasco was one of four businesses to fail food safety inspections the week of June 12-16 in Benton and Franklin counties in Washington.
The health district inspector said a worker at the Pasco restaurant dipped her fingers into hot sauce and then licked a finger and asked if the inspector wanted to try.
When the inspector pointed out a bug, likely a cockroach, in an uncovered box of mustard powder sitting on the ground, a worker used bare hands to pick it out.
Workers are required to wash hands and put on gloves before handling ready-to-eat food.
The person in charge voluntarily threw out ready-to-eat food contaminated with a bare hand, but at one point a worker refused to throw out contaminated food in the storage area when asked to by the inspector, according to the report.
The restaurant also was serving food despite a pest infestation, the inspection report said.
About six dead mice were found in traps throughout the restaurant and an employee said that just that morning they had caught a baby mouse and thrown it out. Mouse droppings were found throughout the storage area, where some dry food was stored uncovered.
The storage area also had cockroach traps, with both dead cockroaches and others still moving.
An employee asked the inspector why they were looking in the storage area, saying they did not need to look there, according to the inspection report.
It was not clear if that was the person in charge of the restaurant while the inspector was there, but the report said the person in charge was obstructive and said “no need to inspect here” in different locations.
In other issues, the inspector said protocols were not being followed to keep food cold enough or food was left out on a counter for hours with no time marked on them for tracking.
To reopen the restaurant must correct all violations and submit a written risk control plan that must be approved by an inspector.
In addition, a pest control service must submit a report to the health district to be followed by an inspection with satisfactory results.
Health district officials are working with the restaurant to bring it into compliance and allow it to reopen.
More inspection results
The health district performed 21 food safety inspections June 12-16.
Of the 17 establishments passing their inspections, nine received perfect scores.
They included wineries, stores, a coffee shop and a frozen yogurt shop.
in the health 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.
Failed inspections
El Torito MX Market (Deli), 420 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Routine June 13 (65 Red, 0 Blue)
Notes: Inadequate handwashing facilities, improper cooling procedures, room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control, accurate thermometer not provided or used.
Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, 8524 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 15 (70 Red, 5 Blue)
Notes: Inadequate handwashing facilities., improper cooling procedures, improper hot holding (<130°F), improper cold holding (>45°F).
Red Bento Teriyaki, 1320 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine June 13 (120 Red, 5 Blue)
Notes: Lack of active managerial control, bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, food not in good condition, improperly disposing of potentially unsafe food, raw meat improperly stored, improper cooling procedures, room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control, improper cold holding (42-45°F), lack of conformance with approved procedures.
Sweet Squeeze Lemonade, Event, Routine June 11 (35 Red, 0 Blue)
Notes: Improper hand washing, inadequate handwashing facilities.
Passed inspections
Alexandria Nicole Winery, 158422 Sonova Road, Paterson, Routine June 15 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
Antojos, 10 E. Bruneau Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 16 (25 Red, 0 Blue)
Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Winery, 239653 Canoe Ridge Road, Paterson, Routine June 15 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
Columbian Club Of Richland, 2500 Chester Road, Richland, Re-inspection June 13 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
My Garden Over Floweth (Store), 33512 W. Highway 14, Paterson, Routine June 15 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
El Primo (Mobile), Event, Routine June 14 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
El Torito Mx Market, 420 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Routine June 13 (Meat 0 Red, 0 Blue) (Store 0 Red, 0 Blue)
Farm Grounds Coffee, 190704 Highway 221, Paterson, Follow-up June 15 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
Graze — A Place To Eat, 8530 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 15 (20 Red, 0 Blue)
Jochos Tacos, Event, Routine June 14 (15 Red, 0 Blue)
Lara’s Tacos (Mobile), Event, Routine June 14 (15 Red, 0 Blue)
Pizza Hut, 7605 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick, Routine June 16 (10 Red, 5 Blue)
Rocco’s Pizza, 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 15 (10 Red, 0 Blue)
Umapine Creamery, Event, Routine June 13 (5 Red, 0 Blue)
Wendy’s, 2311 W. Court St., Pasco, Routine June 16 (15 Red, 0 Blue)
Yogurt Beach, 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 15 (0 Red, 0 Blue)
