Old cheese & pepper dogs, no hand-washing, grease film | Oct. 11-17 inspection fails
Editor’s note: The Eagle is updating its out-of-compliance inspection database weekly this year. However, because the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed inspections, there may be no related story some weeks. You can search the database at www.kansas.com/databases.
Health inspectors found cheddar and jalapeno hot dogs that were too old to sell, employees who didn’t scrub up after touching dirty dishes, greasy buildup on a food thermometer and other violations at 12 Sedgwick County businesses deemed out of compliance with state health rules from Oct. 11-17.
A list of the establishments — which includes two dollar stores, a gas station, a grocery store, two restaurants in an upscale shopping area and others — appears below with a summary of the problems Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors noted on their reports. You can read specifics by searching The Eagle’s non-compliant database at www.kansas.com/databases. This list was compiled Oct. 19.
More than 50 businesses surveyed last week passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Violations are common and usually fixed immediately. Businesses fall out of compliance when they have a certain number or type of problem that can lead to foodborne illnesses or ones that can’t be corrected right away, such as plumbing issues and pest infestations. Follow-up inspections typically happen within 10 days.
To complain about conditions at a business, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
Out of compliance inspections:
Dillons Food Store, 9450 E. Harry in Wichita — One violation for having strawberry and buttercream icings that weren’t marked with the opening date
Dollar General Store, 990 E. Ross Ave. in Clearwater — One violation for not having hot water at bathroom sinks
Dollar General Store, 8951 W. Central in Wichita — Three violations for dented produce and soup cans, water not hot enough at bathroom sink, food items displayed on shelves next to cleaners and moth balls
Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant, 445 S. 119th St. W. in Wichita — Five violations for keeping tamales and refried beans at unsafe temperatures and was told to throw them out, ground beef stored at unsafe temperature, hot foods stored so they didn’t chill fast enough in cooler, enchiladas at unsafe temperature, dirty food containers
Homegrown Wichita at Bradley Fair, 1900 N. Rock Rd. in Wichita — Eight violations for employee not washing hands after touching dirty dishes, hollandaise sauce kept at unsafe temperature, foods not hot enough, lettuce and butter stored at too-warm temperatures, menu doesn’t warn of risk of consuming sauce made with raw eggs, dirty glasses and utensils, no soap at sink, chemicals not labeled
Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza, 2132 N. Rock Rd. in Wichita — Ten violations for thawing fish improperly, improper food storage, ice used for drinks not separated from ice earmarked for other uses, was told to throw out chicken and sauces after not keeping them at safe temperatures, meatballs and vegetables trashed over unsafe temperatures, food not labeled with opening date, food thermometer didn’t read the correct temperature, no sanitizer concentration testing strips, dirty vegetable slicer and can opener
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), 611 E. 47th St. S. in Wichita — Three violations for dirty can opener blade and holder, dirty microwave and pans, food thermometer “had buildup of grease and debris on the probe and the unit,” water not hot enough at bathroom sinks
Kwik Shop, 3959 S. Hydraulic in Wichita — Five violations for old cheddar and beef hot dogs, old coffee creamer at dispensing station, old jalapeno hot dogs, missing equipment on soda carbonator, sink that’s supposed to be used for washing hands was full of food and a mop head, no soap at hand-washing sink
Le Desma’s Restaurant, 3351 N. Broadway in Wichita — Nine violations for employee touching lettuce with bare hands, lettuce touching raw meat, improper food storage, food at unsafe temperatures, peppers and rice stored in plastic T-shirt bag and container instead of food-grade containers, dish sanitizer concentration was too weak, employee filled sanitizer bucket at hand-washing sink, chemical bottles not labeled, residential insecticide stored on site
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant, 602 N. Tyler Rd. in Wichita — Twelve violations for employee touching clean dishes without washing hands, thawing fish improperly, improper food storage, told to throw out pork carnitas and chili verde after storing at unsafe temperature, foods including meats and cheeses thrown out over temperatures, rice stored in non-food-grade bags instead of proper containers, walk-in cooler not getting cold enough, dirty pans and microwave, kitchen lacks enough sinks, food preparation sink is directly connected to the sewer
Quizno’s Subs, 550 N. Webb Rd. in Wichita — Three violations for having box of utensils touching chemicals, plumbing issue, meats, cheese and vegetables trashed after they were kept at unsafe temperatures
Spangles, 1240 S. Rock Rd. in Wichita — Nine violations for having container of cut lettuce that wasn’t marked with opening date, food at unsafe temperatures that had to be thrown out, missing written policies about how long food can be kept out of refrigerator, vegetables and dairy foods on preparation line not marked with time they were brought out, lemons stored in non-food-grade bag, broken and peeling food containers, food thermometer was out of calibration, dirty fry seasoning containers and can opener
