Raw chicken on top of ice cream? Here are latest Sacramento County restaurant inspections

Sacramento County health officials spotted raw chicken placed directly on top of ice cream at one local Thai restaurant during a recent inspection.

At other Sacramento area eateries, inspectors discovered grime on a meat slicer, mold in a cooler and containers of beef broth being stored on the floor of a walk-in freezer.

Six eateries in the Sacramento area received yellow placards, but no restaurants were shut down due to safety concerns this week.

A yellow placard signals two or more major violations, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide. These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection.

A red placard signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends the health permit until violations are corrected. This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.

In contrast, a green placard means a restaurant passed the inspection.

The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, Ken Casparis, a spokesman, previously told The Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.

Last week, health inspectors shut down two kitchens. Saigon Oi LLC and Hilton Garden Inn Sacramento both reopened on Jan. 5.

Here are the food facility inspections for Jan. 4 through Wednesday, as of noon Thursday:

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Sacramento Bee reporter Jacqueline Pinedo at jpinedo@sacbee.com. The Bee will publish weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.

Sacramento County restaurants get yellow placard violations

The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of Jan. 4 through Jan. 10, resulting in a conditional pass.

Only the dates of violations are listed. Most restaurants fully pass reinspection within 72 hours. The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.

Old Spaghetti Factory, 7727 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove, had 11 violation on Wednesday. Food handler cards were incomplete, inspectors said. A personal drink was found on the back food preparation line table with a straw that was almost in contact with sheet pans, and the bar soda gun’s inner rim and holster had residue, according to the report. The cook’s line hand sink was clogged during the inspection and the water was draining slowly, according to the report.

Circle 6 Food Store, 1810 Ethan Way in Sacramento, had eight violations on Wednesday. Hand-washing stations did not have proper hand soap and paper towels, according to the report. Inspectors found a total of 30 blocks of cheese being stored at incorrect holding temperatures, while soaps were stored above cans of chicken broth on a shelf in a rear food storage area. Dust accumulation was also observed on fan guards in a glass refrigerator, according to the report.

New Lai Wah, 5912 Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Wednesday. Inspectors found rice from the previous day on the counter of the restaurant and not at its proper holding temperature. Old meat debris was found on a meat slicer, according to the inspection report, as well as multiple containers placed directly “on top of uncovered food items in a walk-in cooler.” Various locations were not clean during the inspections such as a refrigerator door handle with food grime, and heavy dust and mold accumulation on a walk-in cooler fan guard.

The Coconut on T, 1108 T St. in Sacramento, had ten violations on Wednesday. Three buckets of curry, cooked chicken and garlic in oil were not at the proper holding temperatures, according to the report, and a bowl was being used as a scoop in a prep cooler. Inspectors saw raw chicken placed directly on top of ice cream in a freezer.

Pho Bac Hoa Viet, 3110 Bradshaw Road in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Wednesday. Raw shell eggs, chicken broth and plates of raw bean sprouts were found in improper holding temperatures at the restaurant, according to the inspection report. “Containers of beef broth were stored on the floor inside the walk-in freezer,” according to the report. Additionally, the report said, “Two reach-in refrigerators were missing thermometers.”

Necktar Juice, 1050 20th St. in Sacramento, had five violations on Tuesday. Health inspectors discovered the juice bar was washing dishes with no sanitizer, according to the inspection report. A container with no handle was used as a scooper in a bulk food container, according to the report.

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