A Presidente with mice and a Winn-Dixie among South Florida grocers failing inspections

Stores from three of the most prominent supermarket chains in Miami-Dade and Broward failed state inspection, as listed in the post-pandemic return of Gross Grocers.

That’s not the consistency you expect from chains with the staff and profit margin to be better.

Now the rules: 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 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 humor on BOGO.

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Mango’s Supermarket, 5588 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill: In the meat department, inspector James Zheng saw “frozen pork cut with a band saw after contact with multiple black flying insects.”

The frozen pork got tossed, but when the band saw got washed, Inspector Zheng noted it “was washed with hot water and not sanitized before being used to service a customer.”

He also saw “numerous black, flying insects” in the meat department, retail area and back room.

Speaking of the back room, the ice machine had “brown, mold-like growth on the surface next to the ice chute.”

Back in the meat department, the tenderizer on the prep table had “old, yellow, food residue.” It was last used Tuesday. This inspection was on Friday.

The person in charge couldn’t prove where the store got the peanut brittle on sale at the front register. Tossed, just like the milk that was under temperature.

Presidente Supermarket, 18350 NW Seventh Ave., Miami Gardens: In the back room area, Inspector Simeon Carrero saw “old, dry mice excreta.”

He found “soil buildup” on the doors and walls of every store area, as well as the large grinder in the meat department.

In the produce area, he saw, “spoiled oranges and lemons mixed with wholesome products.”

In the seafood and deli department, there was “no handwashing at the handwash sink.”

Pots of beans in the walk-in cooler weren’t cool enough and eggs in the hot unit weren’t warm enough. Beans and eggs, basura.

Price Choice Food Supermarket, 109 N. State Rd. 7, Lauderhill: Inspector Zheng said the ice machine in the meat department had “brown, mold-like growth near ice chute.”

Management couldn’t tell Zheng when the chicken breast or the deli ham in the display cooler were opened. So, they got tossed. Also trashed were cheesecake, flan, mixed vegetables and mixed fruit snacks packaged at the store without proper labeling.

Frosted cakes in the cafe with cooked egg whites in the frosting, whole milk, reduced fat milk, almond milk, chocolate milk, heavy cream and half and half in the open reach-in cooler all got tossed for not being safely cooled.

From the steam table, hot dogs, fried, Serrano ham, mashed plantains, boiled bananas and boiled yucca got tossed.

Winn-Dixie, 8710 SW 72nd St., Kendall: There were all kinds of problems with the walk-in cooler, starting with the way it was about as cool as your 53-year-old Dad three drinks into the weekend.

With a 45-degree ambient temperature and needing to cool things to 41 or below, that created a few problems. All temperature dependent food got moved from the cooler until it could be repaired.

Also in the walk-in cooler sat a large meat grinder. Temperature wasn’t a problem. Cleanliness was because it was last used the day before and “found with old meat residue on the grinder blade and inside the chamber.”

All this food got tossed for not being cooled safely: In the deli, packages of commercially processed macaroni and cheese in the deli; cut watermelon, cut cantaloupe, mixed melon chunks in the produce section; and cheesecake in the bakery display cooler.

Two years of beans — black beans, black-eyed peas, all kinds — recalled in 22 states