A (Not-So) Fresh Market, a Downstairs, a Smoothie King among Miami-Dade’s Gross Grocers

Old food at a Fresh Market, an old store in Miami Springs and an old Gross Grocers list participant highlight this list of Miami-Dade grocers that didn’t pass inspection.

THIS IS NOT FILLER, PEOPLE. PLEASE, READ IT: Unlike Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspections of restaurants, failing doesn’t mean a store gets closed until it passes. But parts of the store can be put under a Stop Use order until the problem gets properly addressed. Obviously, if a place gets enough Stop Use orders, it might not have enough parts it can use to make opening worthwhile.

What follows comes from Florida Department of Agriculture inspection of supermarkets and food distributors in Miami-Dade and Broward. If you want a place inspected or want to report a problem, don’t email us. Go to the Department of Agriculture website and file a complaint.

We don’t decide who gets inspected or how strictly they get inspected. We report without passion or prejudice, but with a cart full of humor.

3 Checkers and dead flies in tequila among 13 South Florida places failing inspection

In alphabetical order...

Downstairs, 5655 NW 36th St., Miami Springs: In the back room, the inspector “observed a black fly sitting on a cut tomato on top of a preparation table cold unit.”

The kitchen deli slicer had “old food residue on the meat trip and slicer blade.”

They should’ve washed it, but the dishwasher’s sanitizer registered at 0 — that’s zee-roh — parts per million.

Also, while a food employee only rinsed his fingertips, dried his hands and called it washing his hands, fact is, there was no hot water at the hand sink next to the grill or the one next to the backroom prep sink.

A tray of spaghetti and a tray of picadillo sat on the backroom shelf was made July 5. This inspection was July 13. That’s eight days, even under the new math, a violation of the seven-day rule.

And, by not obeying safe food storage rules — above 135 degrees for hot holding, under 41 degrees for cold holding — Downstairs threw out enough food to feed Miami Springs (or make it barf with botulism).

A large tray of garbanzo beans (84 degrees); tomatoes in sandwich preparation; a large container of shredded lettuce; chicken empanadas; ham croquettes; Colombian beef empanadas; spinach empanadas; paparellena; yucarellena; ham and cheese cachitos; sliced Swiss cheese; sliced ham; sliced roast pork; sliced turkey; a block of havarti cheese; canned corn; Parmesan cheese; a container of white rice; brown sauce with raw tomatoes; and chimichurri sauce.

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The Fresh Market, 8760 SW 136th St., Kendall: When the inspector dropped by on Friday, some of the food wasn’t, you know...fresh.

In the deli, a package of Lebanon bologna had been open 28 days and a package of Spanish serrano ham had been open 14 days. There were open packages of pork roll and beef bologna “found without date mark and date mark could not be determined.”

No wonder there were “live flies flying around the luncheon meat station and slicers” in the deli area.

Deli and meat area “food employees observed not washing their hands after entering and exiting the various processing areas, adjusting their masks and then handling food items for customers.”

In the bakery, an “insect control device was installed on the wall above the bread slicer, near the oven.”

Apparently, several foods were put into an open air cold unit before they were properly cooled, meaning they were potential bacteria boats. So, managers had to toss two sandwiches and a turkey apple wrap, as well as cut watermelon spears and chunks; mixed fruit salad; cut honeydew and cantaloupe mix.

In the deli display unit, the gourmet cole slaw and the loaded potato salad were too warm. Not being kept warm enough over among the hot food were roasted potatoes, baked spinach, baked chicken breast halves, roast ham and chicken bites.

The Fresh Garbage.

Holiday Bakery, 5931 W. 16th Ave., Hialeah: Throughout the processing area, there were “multiple flies, too numerous to count.”

No paper towels at the handwashing sink in the food processing area. No paper towels OR soap at the food service area handwashing sink next to a sandwich station.

The processing area’s meat slicer featured, “old, encrusted food particles throughout,” akin to the bakery floor mixer’s “food encrusted throughout the worm chambers.”

“Observed ice maker with mold-like substance throughout the chute compartment.”

In addition to a filthy processing area, the inspector saw a plastic container with sliced deli meats and cheese that measured at room temperature, 70 to 78 degrees.

Basura, baby.

La Plaza Lopez, 2775 E. 10th Ave., Hialeah: The meat department band saw had “old dry soil residue.”

If you used the backroom restroom, you had no way to dry your hands after washing them. Same at the processing area’s handwashing sink next to the three-compartment sink.

Speaking of the three-compartment sink, used for washing, rinsing and sanitizing, there was a boneless pork loin thawing at room temperature, preparing to do a 2-year-old’s tantrum on a number of stomachs. Same with the dozen eggs left on a prep table for more than four hours.

Smoothie King, 15366 NW 79th Ct., Miami Lakes: This Smoothie King closed in February 2020 after the inspectors found a “mold-like substance and growth of mushroom organism.”

As most sequels go that aren’t Marvel or Mission: Impossible, this inspection wasn’t as spectacular.

“Observed a live roach crawling throughout the wooded shelving area, located under the register, where customers orders are being placed.”

In the back, the inspector saw “multiple dead roaches on the floor and throughout the walls.”

No paper towels at the handwashing sink next to a prep table. Flap.

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