Food safety: Moldy cheese, bugs, dirty shake blender, no hot water at Wichita businesses
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.
A chain burger joint, two Mexican restaurants, a steakhouse, a diner and other establishments are the latest Sedgwick County businesses to fail their Kansas Department of Agriculture food and lodging safety inspections. Violations that led to them falling out of compliance with state expectations include moldy provolone, a dirty milkshake blender and microwave, and a broken insect trap hanging over a preparation area, increasing the risk of bug fragments falling into food, according to a check of inspection reports.
Two restaurants had to shutdown because they had no hot water in their buildings, the reports show.
A few of the Wichita-area businesses inspected March 28 to April 10 were surveyed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but most had health inspections on-site. The Eagle has a list of the non-compliant businesses below along with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. You can read specifics about the violations by searching The Eagle’s non-compliant database at www.kansas.com/databases. This list was compiled April 12.
Inspection failures don’t necessarily mean business closures. Most violations are corrected on-site as an inspection happens, and follow-up visits usually occur within 10 days to ensure safe food-handling practices are observed. Businesses fall out of compliance when they have a certain number or type of problem that can lead to foodborne illnesses, or problems that can’t be corrected right away, such as plumbing issues and pest infestations.
More than 100 businesses surveyed over the past two weeks passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
To complain about conditions at a business, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
Recent out-of-compliance inspections:
Country Kitchen, 915 E. 53rd St. N. in Wichita — Eleven violations for employee not washing hands or changing gloves after handling raw meat, moldy provolone cheese, chicken and other foods kept at unsafe temperatures, meats and cheeses at unsafe temperatures, produce and meat not marked with preparation dates, sauces not labeled with correct preparation or opening dates, old feta cheese and marinara, no ambient air thermometers inside coolers, dirty milkshake blender, sanitizer wasn’t strong enough in dishwasher, no soap at hand-washing sink in server alley
Dillons, 200 W. Greenway in Derby — Six violations for improper food storage, sausage and brats stored at unsafe temperatures, water not hot enough at women’s bathroom sink, hose hanging in standing water at produce sink, bleach and cleaner stored by drinking cups in clearance cart
La Hacienda Tacos & Tequila, 5905 W. Kellogg Dr., in Wichita — Fifteen violations for thawing fish and other seafood improperly, dented can of whole tomatillos, improper food storage, tamales and chili rellenos were not marked with their preparation dates, old sauces and salsas, dirty equipment, “buildup of food debris” in microwave, plumbing issue at mop sink, hand-washing sink was blocked by a plastic table, insect trap was missing parts increasing risk of bugs falling into food, no hand-drying supplies at kitchen sink, “approximately 10 small flying insects” in storage and food preparation areas
Little Caesars Pizza, 3570 N. Woodlawn in Wichita — Five violations for storing foods at unsafe temperatures, dirty equipment and floors, no hot water at any sinks in the restaurant, restaurant did not shutdown and tell the Kansas Department of Agriculture about the problems. The restaurant voluntarily closed until the water is fixed
Saltgrass Steak House, 2624 N. Greenwich Rd. in Wichita — Six violations for not labeling whipping cream with the opening date, problems cooling foods stored in reduced-oxygen packaging, dairy food and produce kept at unsafe temperatures, dirty equipment, water not running hot enough at hand-washing sinks in office and men’s bathroom, degreaser in an unlabeled bottle
Tacos Chepe, 5640 N. Seneca in Wichita — One violation for not having hot water anywhere in the building. The restaurant was allowed to finish service the day of the inspection but can’t operate again until it’s fixed
Walmart Supercenter, 5475 N. Meridian in Wichita — Two violations for water in bathrooms not running hot enough, sanitizer stored above energy drink shots
Wendy’s, 3601 E. Harry in Wichita — Three violations for having cheeses and fresh produce at unsafe temperatures, unlabeled bottled of yellow liquid, food license was not posted in restaurant
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 1:26 PM.
