CLARK KAUFFMAN Iowa Capital Dispatch
State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations this past month, including moldy taco meat, beef marked “Not For Sale,” long-expired milk, and unskilled workers preparing sushi that failed to meet minimum safety standards.
One Des Moines food store was found to be importing fish directly from Thailand, which meant that none of it went through the usual process of being inspected and certified as safe. At the same store, whole chickens from an unknown, unlabeled source were being sold to the public.
The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.
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The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals’ website.
Fujisan Sushi at Sam’s Club, 305 Airport Road, Ames – During a Nov. 16 visits, a state inspector cited the establishment for food that was holding just above the maximum temperature of 41 degrees, including tempura shrimp at 42 degrees and crab at 43 degrees.
Also, the establishment was not following the required Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points protocol for identifying and managing risks related to sushi and raw-food production. The inspector noted there was no current HACCP plan on the premises, and there were issues with the proper calibration of the pH meter and the process used to test the pH level of the rice. Also, the establishment had not filled out the logbook with the dates of pH testing and other safety-related information.
The inspector also noted that the establishment was thawing crab meat in stagnant water rather than in running water.
Hy-Vee Foods, 2540 Euclid Ave., Des Moines – During a Nov. 16 visit, a state inspector noted that the required shellstock identification tags – used to track the source of shellfish in the event of a food-related outbreak of some kind – were not maintained alongside the store’s Cherrystone Clams, Littleneck Clams and Chesapeake Pride Oysters. Also, an inspection of the store’s Hickory House Kitchen indicated there was raw ground beef stored above a whole roast inside one cooler, and packages of raw chicken were stored above whole-muscle meat on a cart.
In addition, “heat-treated potatoes” were measured at 59 degrees on the breakfast area’s food preparation table; sliced ham was holding at 61 degrees; and cooked sausages were measured at 46 degrees. All of those items had to be discarded as their holding temperatures weren’t hot enough to ensure food safety.
The inspector also noted that sliced turkey, sliced roast beef, cooked chicken, sausages, pico de gallo, and other foods were not marked with their preparation or opening dates. In the Hy-Vee Chinese area, packages of raw, unwashed mushrooms were stored directly on uncovered pans of cooked beef and chicken inside a walk-in cooler.
In addition, crab Rangoon was being held at 88 degrees, which was too cool to ensure safety; and egg rolls were held at 128 degrees. The egg rolls were reheated to 165 degrees and the crab Rangoon was discarded. In the Hy-Vee Chinese area, “pooling water and debris” was accumulating on the floor below the wok and the adjacent reach-in cooler. In the Hickory House Kitchen area, water was pooling on the floor near a handwashing sink.
The inspection was in response to three non-illness complaints. One complaint maintained to sanitation in the bottle-redemption area; one concerned sanitation in the Market Grille area; and the third concern alleged adulterated food in the meat, dairy and Hy-Vee Chinese areas. All three complaints were deemed unverifiable.
Seven Stars Family Restaurant, 2309 3rd Ave., Clear Lake – During a Nov. 2 visits, a Cerro Gordo County inspector found two half-gallons of milk in the refrigerator, with one having expired Sept. 26 and the other on Oct. 6. In addition, some food items in the walk-in cooler had no date markings on them, and cooked bacon was left in a pan, uncovered, on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
Hy-Vee Foods, 1025 Quincy Ave., Ottumwa – During a Nov. 1 visit, a state inspector found potatoes, presumably cooked, that were “on the counter for about 4 to 4.5 hours at an internal temperature of about 65 degrees” and had to be discarded. Also, the inside of an ice machine was soiled with a buildup of debris.
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