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‘Overall sanitation’ of Stanislaus County pizza spot was ‘poor,’ inspectors say

Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways

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  • Pizza chain restaurant in Ceres cited for poor sanitation.
  • Grocery store received 11 violations after outdoor cooking complaint.
  • Modesto restaurant had 7 violations during second reinspection.

In our Reality Check stories, Modesto Bee journalists deliver fast facts about the issues that matter to local residents to hold officials and institutions accountable. Read more. Story idea? Tips@modbee.com.

Stanislaus County health inspectors said the “overall sanitation” of a popular chain pizza restaurant was “poor” when they made a routine check in early August.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county receive two unannounced routine food safety inspections per year, according to the Department of Environmental Resources. The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.

Food trucks that operate under a Stanislaus County Health Department permit also are inspected by the county, though those are scheduled and done at the department’s office.

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Of the 98 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Thursday, three were not updated on the site as of Friday morning.

Poor sanitation at Ceres pizza chain restaurant, among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Aug. 4-17. Only the dates of violations are listed.

The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.

The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website.

La Mexicana Del Valle, 217 E St. in Waterford, had three violations Aug. 4 — one of them major. The meat walk-in refrigerator had an ambient temperature of 45 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). The floor area of the fridge had bloodstain buildup. The food manager safety certification was lacking.

One violation remained during a reinspection Aug. 18.

Indian Sweets Food & Spices, 2600 Mitchell Road, Suite D, in Ceres, had 11 violations during an Aug. 4 inspection, which was the result of a complaint. Seven of the violations were major. The complaint alleged the facility was preparing food and cooking outside, behind the facility. There was some cooking equipment observed in this outdoor area — a health violation — but no active cooking was observed during the inspection. A three-compartment sink was observed outside and was not fully enclosed. Employees stated this sink is used to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and equipment. Large bags of onions were also being stored out back.

A pot of cooked food was stored on the floor of the storage area, cooling. Multiple containers of food were stored on the floor of the walk-in refrigerator. Multiple containers of food in this fridge were uncovered. Multiple pieces of cooking equipment were not completely underneath the hood ventilation. There was evidence of discoloration on the ceiling above the equipment. The hand-washing sink in the kitchen was shut off upon inspection, so warm water was not available for hand washing. There was no soap dispenser at this sink and the paper towel dispenser was empty.

Three violations remained during a reinspection Aug. 12.

Little Caesar’s Pizza, 2909 Whitmore Ave. in Ceres, had three violations Aug. 4. Inspectors said “overall sanitation of the facility (was) poor.” The floor, wall and ceiling surfaces were soiled. There were two boxes of pizza sauce directly on the floor. There was a hole in the ceiling above a food preparation table, potentially allowing the entrance of vermin.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection Aug. 11.

Viva Market, 1500 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had six violations Aug. 6 — one of them major. The open refrigeration unit holding various cheeses and dairy products had an ambient temperature of 52 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). The internal temperature of packages of cheese was 48 degrees. A liter bottle of Coke was stored in the ice machine. The ice scoop was also stored inside the ice machine. The hot water handle at the hand-washing sink was not operational. Food handler cards and the food safety certification were lacking.

Five violations remained during a reinspection Aug. 14 and one violation remained during a second reinspection Aug. 18.

Sunshine Donut, 2681 Geer Road in Turlock, had two violations Aug. 7 — one of them major. Cooked ham and cheese croissants were maintained at room temperature. There were no paper towels in the dispenser in the bathroom.

Shah Groceries, 2353 W. Main St. in Turlock, had six violations Aug. 13 — one of them major. A sanitizing bucket was not set up for food-prep surfaces and equipment. Trash was overflowing from the can onto floor in the bathroom. A Raid fly strip was hanging in ware-washing room. Knives were soiled on the magnetic knife holder. Cloth towels were “very worn” and had holes. A refrigerator with mayonnaise and milk was at 47.5 degrees.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection Aug. 20.

Luigi’s Pizza, 1905 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had five violations Aug. 13 — three of them major. The hot water at the two-compartment sink was noted at 106 degrees (must be a minimum of 120 degrees). Sanitizer solution and test strips were lacking. Paper towel dispensers were empty. Employees were utilizing cloth towels to dry their hands (single-use towels must be used). Food handler cards and the food safety certification were lacking.

Tandoori Flame, 907 10th St. in Modesto, had seven violations during a second reinspection Aug. 15. Inspectors initially conducted a routine inspection July 16 and observed 14 health violations. During the first reinspection Aug. 1, five violations remained. Of those five, two violations remained during this second reinspection and five new violations were observed.

Staff was observed using an unlabeled bottle with an unknown liquid to spray and wipe down tables. This chemical was later found to be Glamoroso cleaner with label instructions specifically listing “for use on floors only.” Numerous contact points were soiled with food debris accumulation.

A chest freezer was being used to store open packages of food product. A refrigeration unit was also being used to store open containers of potentially hazardous food product. Another refrigerator had soiled shelves and was storing uncovered foods such as cut onions and cilantro.

Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:

Minor violations

According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one or two violations, none of them major, are:

No violations

These food facilities had no violations, according to the county:

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Dominique Williams
The Modesto Bee
209-253-9007
Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.
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