Mold, leaks and a broken sink: See latest Stanislaus County restaurant inspections
One Stanislaus County restaurant had a leaky roof, while another local eatery had food debris, grease and mold. At a third spot, employees weren’t able to wash their hands properly due to a broken sink.
Those were some of the notable conditions Stanislaus County health inspectors found in late January while investigating 40 food facilities and restaurants.
The Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources has a website where community members can view health inspection reports for local food facilities.
Until recently, however, it was difficult to see the results of those reports.
An investigation conducted by The Modesto Bee found that the county’s website was not updated with recent health inspection reports for all food facilities, and the ones that were updated on the site could not be accessed due to error messages.
As of Tuesday evening, the issue with accessing recent reports had been fixed, said Karl Quinn, the county’s Environmental Health Division manager. The Bee confirmed that site users now can access the details of the reports.
However, you still need to know which restaurants have had inspections recently, and you can look only at reports that have been updated on the site by the county. There’s also no indication online whether a restaurant has passed or failed inspection.
The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in Stanislaus County receive two routine unannounced food safety inspections per year, according to the department. The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.
Of the 40 recent restaurant inspection reports sent to The Bee, two were not updated on the site. As of Wednesday, The Bee had not been sent a list of reports from the previous week.
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Modesto Bee reporter Dominique Williams at dwilliams@modbee.com.
What was found during Stanislaus County inspections?
The following Stanislaus County restaurants had violations the week of Jan. 21-28. Only the dates of violations are listed.
The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.
The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website, secure.stancounty.com/FoodFacilities.
Jack in the Box, 3621 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had six violations during a routine inspection on Jan. 22 — one of them considered “major,” according to Stanislaus County.
Inspectors observed evidence of rain water leakage from the roof and through the ceiling in the three-compartment sink room, above the ice machine and in employee locker room.
The fast-food restaurant had a repeat violation of a nonoperational paper towel dispenser near the hand-washing sink in the kitchen. In addition, inspectors were not provided verification of food handler cards for all employees, according to the report.
7-Eleven, 3621 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had three violations during a routine inspection Jan. 22 — one of them major.
The refrigerator in the customer service area displayed an ambient temperature of 45 to 47 degrees. (Fridges must be kept at 41 degrees or lower under California food-handling rules). The convenience store did not have a food safety certification at the time of inspection and the surface of the three-compartment sink had residue buildup and was cluttered, according to the report.
London Fish & Chips, 3200 Sisk Road in Modesto, had three violations Jan. 23 after the department received a complaint alleging the sink in the men’s restroom lacked a handle, and the reporting party had concerns about employees being able to wash their hands.
Inspectors observed that the hot water handle was broken at the time of the inspection and only cold water was available for hand washing. Several employees’ food handler cards had recently expired, according to the report.
The Pho, 3401 Oakdale Road, No. 515, in Modesto, had five violations Jan. 23 after the department received notification of a confirmed case of foodborne illness. The Pho is one of two restaurants the consumer visited before the onset of symptoms.
Significant amounts of food debris were observed in fridge, freezer and dry storage areas, the inspection report said. Food products were stored on the ground and a hand-washing station within the customer service area was disconnected.
All five of the violations were corrected during a reinspection on Feb. 1, according to the website.
Pizza Blast, 4525 Broadway Ave, Suite A, in Salida, had four violations during a routine inspection Jan. 24.
Inspectors observed dried food debris and grease accumulated on the cooking equipment and mold accumulated on the door jam and rubber seal around the door of a freezer.
A ceiling panel was missing in the dining area and a false wall was added between the restroom door and a refrigerator, blocking access to the back of the refrigerator. The frame of the wall was exposed to the food preparation area and is nonsealed wood.
Next Level Nutrition, 2220 Patterson Road in Riverbank, had one major violation during a routine inspection on Jan. 24.
The sanitizer bucket was not made up upon inspection. “A query of the employee indicated she did not know how or why this was necessary,” the report said. The violation was corrected at the time of inspection.
Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations include:
Most Stanislaus County facilities had clean health inspections
According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had zero to two violations, none of them major, included:
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