Wichita inspections: ‘Whitish slime’ & mold in ice bin, bed bug feces, expired Tylenol
Six restaurants, three gas stations, a movie theater, a grocery store and a hotel failed their Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections last week. Violations that led to them falling out of compliance include “black and pink buildup” and “a piece of whitish slime” in an ice bin, a bed “soiled with black spotting,” a dirty meat slicer that hadn’t been used in three months and food that’s too old to serve or sell, a check of Sedgwick County inspection reports from May 16-22 shows.
Several businesses also were caught storing food in conditions that were too warm or too cool to be safe; harmful bacteria can grow rapidly when temperatures aren’t in the right ranges.
A list of the 12 local non-compliant businesses, compiled May 26, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More information, including specific violation descriptions and survey dates, is posted in The Eagle’s searchable, non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspection database at www.kansas.com/databases.
At least 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.
Failing an inspection doesn’t necessarily mean a business has to close; that’s rare. Most violations are minor and are immediately corrected on site. Businesses fall out of compliance with state food-handling rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that may increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness, or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, like plumbing issues and pest infestations.
When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.
To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
Recent out-of-compliance inspections:
Caesar’s Table, 125 N. Market in Wichita — Five violations for having frozen foods at unsafe temperatures due to a broken expansion valve in a cooler, flour-oil mixture was too warm to use safely, cooked pan of flour and oil and breakfast casserole mix was not marked with preparation dates, old bag of lettuce, hot water didn’t work at sinks in men’s and women’s bathrooms
Chipotle Mexican Grill, 7130 W. Maple Ste. 100 in Wichita — One violation for water not staying hot at men’s restroom sink; the water pressure was also low
Chuyitos Birrieria Mexican Grill, 1415 W. Pawnee in Wichita — Four violations for gallon of milk not being marked with opening date, meat kept at unsafe temperature, no equipment to test strength of sanitizer in dishwashing machines, no designated hand-washing sinks in the restaurant
Corner Market, 230 S. Baltimore Ave. in Derby — Twelve violations for food on roller grill not being hot enough, incorrect dates on hot dogs and sausage, muffins and doughnuts not labeled with product name or allergen information, no equipment for testing strength of sanitizer, “black and pink buildup” inside ice bin and “a piece of whitish slime hanging from the edge of the baffle just over the ice,” corroded valves on soda fountain, plumbing issue, no soap at hand-washing sink, “heavy black grease and syrup residue on the floor under the soda bag-in-box rack” which “may attract pests”
Derby Plaza Theaters, 1300 N. Nelson Dr. in Derby — Three violations for not marking hot dog packages with opening dates, “interior ceiling of the ice bin is soiled with black and pink apparent mildew,” no hot water anywhere in the building
Dillons, 1625 N. Rock Rd. in Derby — Seven violations for food in Chinese kitchen kept at unsafe temperatures, seafood in display cooler was too warm, produce marked with wrong opening or preparation dates, prosciutto piccolo loaf and mozzarella not refrigerated, dirty meat grinder, plumbing issues, no hand-drying supplies at meat room sink
Emperor’s Japanese Grill, 3130 N. Rock Rd. in Wichita — Two violations for cooked chicken and crab rangoon at unsafe temperatures, old garlic and lo mein sauces
Hawthorn Suites & Hotel by Wyndham Wichita East, 411 S. Webb Rd. in Wichita — Thirteen violations for not sanitizing dishes in rooms, unlabeled chemical bottles in laundry area, no carbon monoxide detector in laundry area, no emergency management plan, missing fire extinguisher, no smoke detector in housekeeping room, no records of how often smoke detectors are tested, no smoke detector for hearing-impaired guests, dirty cabinets and bathrooms, bed in one room is “soiled with black spotting,” bed bug feces on bed in one room, no pet advisory posted
Kwik Shop, 7107 W. 37th St. N. in Wichita — Eight violations for gravy and cheeses being kept at unsafe temperatures, sandwiches and salads stored at unsafe temperatures, pizza sauce and baked beans not labeled with opening or preparation dates, discard time wasn’t written on pizza and sandwich containers, chipped and broken food storage container, no equipment for testing strength of sanitizer, dirty containers, current food license wasn’t posted
Mexico Viejo Bar & Grill Mexican Restaurant, 6960 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Twelve violations for not labeling milk and shrimp with opening or preparation dates, chicken and pork at unsafe temperatures, queso and steak at unsafe temperatures, food thermometer wasn’t accurate, no equipment on site to check concentration of sanitizer, dirty meat slicer that hadn’t been used in three months, dirty containers and pans, no sanitizer in bar dishwasher, hot water turned off at bar sink, unlabeled chemical bottles, no soap in women’s bathroom
Papa John’s Pizza, 625 N. Rock Rd. in Derby — Three violations for storing meats and produce at unsafe temperatures, no hand-drying supplies at sink, pizza sauce not marked with discard time
Snacks, 6209 N. Broadway in Park City — Five violations for selling ice cream that’s not labeled for retail sale, sandwiches stored at unsafe temperatures, no thermometer inside cooler, no equipment to test strength of sanitizer, expired Tylenol PM and Nyquil for sale
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 10:17 AM.
