Sacramento grocery store closed due to cockroaches. What else did health inspectors find?
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a specialty grocery after finding live cockroaches.
Three local restaurants and a gas station received yellow placards for safety violations ranging from a grimy ice machine and food debris to employees failing to wash their hands.
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, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.
Health inspectors did not shut down any restaurants last week.
Here are the Sacramento County food facility inspections for April 11 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 inspectors close market due to cockroaches
El Quetzal Market, 5300 Fruitridge Road in Sacramento, had two violations on Tuesday.
Inspectors observed a total of three live adult German cockroaches at the grocery store, including one near a back door by a stand-up refrigerator and another on the ceiling near the registers.
They saw a third cockroach behind a storage rack near a register.
Inspectors also found frozen tamales in the freezer, which the market is prohibited from selling unless it upgrades its permit, according to the report.
Sacramento Count health Inspectors were scheduled to reinspect the market on Friday, store owner Irmina Pablo Pablo said Thursday, adding that she hopes the market will reopen then.
Local restaurants, gas station cited for health violations
The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of April 11 through April 17, 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.
Blue Rice Cafe, 820 Halidon Way in Folsom, had seven violations on Wednesday.
Inspectors observed employees not washing their hands before putting on their gloves, Wednesday’s report said.
When washing dishes, employees were skipping the sanitizing step for utensils, according to the report.
The restaurant had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Pita R Us, 2690 E Bidwell St. in Folsom, had nine violations on April 10.
Inspectors saw employees preparing food without washing their hands.
No towels were available in the kitchen sink during the time of the inspection, the report said, and there was food debris on a slicer.
In addition, there was water accumulation “inside a refrigerator under a grill,” according to the report.
The restaurant was reinspected on Monday, but again received a yellow placard.
Shell, 6490 Mack Road in Sacramento, had 13 violations on April 11.
Inspectors observed employees washing a scoop and tong at a front sink, according to the report.
A restroom was out of toilet paper during the inspection.
Hot water was measured at 117 degrees at a gas station sink. Inspectors advised that hot water should reach 120 degrees.
The gas station was reinspected on April 12 and received a green placard.
Noble Vegetarian, 5049 College Oak Drive in Sacramento, had eight violations on April 10.
Fried diced tofu, thawed carrots with peas and bean sprouts were all outside of proper holding temperatures during the inspection.
Inspectors saw a live cockroach on a wall ramp, “inside a small metal device behind a dish machine,” the report said.
They also observed employee beverages in open cups that were stored on a countertop between plates with vegetables.
An ice machine had black and brown residue buildup, according to the report, and food items were stored in the freezer without lids.
The restaurant was reinspected on Sunday and received a green placard.
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