Rats and roaches make headlines, but are Modesto-area restaurants mostly safe?
It’s been nearly two years since The Modesto Bee relaunched weekly health inspection reports, and we’ve gathered enough data to share which violations are most commonly found.
Since late January 2024, The Bee has heard from readers through social media comments and feedback on our form, a number of them expressing concern over the more harrowing of violations, including cockroach and rodent issues.
How common, though, are vermin in local food facilities? What do inspectors find most often, and are these violations serious?
The Bee went through every inspection report sent to the publication between Jan. 21 and Dec. 31, 2024. We hand-tallied each violation.
A total of 2,504 inspection reports were sent by the Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources. Of those reports, 235 were not searchable on the department’s website.
No violations were observed by inspectors at 972 visits. In other words, inspectors find zero issues at food facilities around 43% of the time.
There were 42 instances of food facilities being closed at the time inspectors tried to visit. Inspections are conducted twice per year at each facility and are unannounced, but inspectors visit during the hours that businesses report they are open.
Entry to a food facility was denied to inspectors seven times.
The following numbers may not be pinpoint accurate due to the following reasons: humans (not AI) tallied these violations, inspections from the first three weeks of 2024 and one week in mid-November were not sent to The Bee, and violations are not described using the same language each time.
So, what are the numbers?
Food safety issues were the top violation in 2024
To prevent food from being contaminated or otherwise unsafe to eat, food facilities in the county must keep it at certain temperatures, thaw it correctly, store and label it properly and ensure that it’s being sold within its use-by date.
Facilities didn’t meet these requirements over 660 times in 2024. Food that is contaminated or not held at safe temperatures are two of the most common causes of food-borne illness, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The breakdown:
Only the top numbers of the 660+ violations in this category are listed below.
Refrigerators and cold-holding units must be able to maintain potentially hazardous cold foods at 41 degrees to be eaten safely. Units were warmer than this 121 times.
Potentially hazardous cold foods themselves were at temperatures above 41 degrees a total of 64 times.
Inspectors were unable to check the temperature of refrigerators 22 times due to missing or broken thermometers.
Frozen food items were observed being improperly thawed 25 times. Proper thawing methods are: inside a refrigerator, under cold running water at 70 degrees or less for less than two hours, in a microwave, or during cooking.
Hot-holding units were below the required 135 degrees 12 times, and potentially hazardous hot foods were below that temperature 33 times.
Potentially hazardous foods were left at room temperature 15 times, in some cases overnight.
General contamination or cross-contamination risks were observed by inspectors 26 times.
Food products or containers must be stored at least six inches from the ground to prevent contamination. These items were stored directly on the ground 47 times.
Containers storing food were open or without a lid 33 times.
Chemicals were stored near food or food service items 22 times, and employee personal items were stored near food 15 times.
Ice machines had mold or grime buildup 83 times, and ice scoops were improperly stored 25 times. Scoops must be stored within a clean, food-grade and washable bucket or mounted to the side of the machine to prevent environmental contamination of the ice within.
Without soap, how are food servers washing their hands?
Improper food preparation practices are “another common contributing factor for restaurant outbreaks” of food-borne illness, according to the CDC. These practices include food employees not properly washing their hands between touching potentially hazardous foods such as raw meat and ready-to-eat vegetables, or between tasks like using the bathroom and preparing food.
Stanislaus County food employees were in violation of improper hygiene practices or improper bathroom upkeep nearly 400 times.
The breakdown:
Only the top numbers of the nearly 400 violations in this category are listed below.
Paper towels, toilet paper and soap must be provided in wall-mounted dispensers to avoid “exposure to environmental influences,” according to inspectors.
Dispensers were lacking or nonoperational 85 times in 2024. Paper towels and toilet paper were stored outside of dispensers, exposed to the environment, 28 times.
Soap dispensers were empty at hand-washing stations in food-prep areas or in bathrooms 65 times, and paper towels or toilet paper were not available 74 times.
Hand-washing sinks must be accessible and dispense warm water between 100 and 108 degrees to prevent the spread of germs. Food facilities had no warm hand-washing water 40 times.
Hand-washing sinks were not accessible 24 times and were in disrepair 18 times. Employees were observed not washing their hands properly 16 times.
Lack of permits/certifications linked to food safety issues?
Food handlers in Stanislaus County are required by law to obtain a card certifying that they have been trained in food safety and have passed an assessment. These cards are valid for three years before food employees must go through the training again.
This requirement is based on the belief that certification leads to greater food safety knowledge, according to the CDC.
Employees either didn’t have a food handler card, or it was expired, 146 times.
Food managers, or people in charge at food facilities, must go through a separate, more intensive training. They did not, or their certifications were expired, 164 times.
The California Retail Food Code states that a food facility can not be open for business without a valid permit. To obtain one, Stanislaus County food facilities must show proof of food safety certifications, submit plan reviews, pass inspections and pay a fee.
Despite this requirement, facilities were cited 91 times in 2024 for not having a valid health permit or for it not being posted in a conspicuous place as required by county law.
Unclean conditions also common
Generally, unclean conditions were among the most commonly cited violations for food facilities in Stanislaus County. Collectively, there were around 400 violations under this category.
The breakdown:
Only the top numbers of around 400 violations in this category are listed below.
Violations naming dirt, debris, dust, stains and buildup were cited 158 times. Though not labeled as a major violation, dust poses as a fire risk, according to inspectors.
Food debris accumulation on things such as equipment, utensils, walls and floors was cited 80 times. Touchpoints and areas where food is prepared must be cleaned frequently to prevent contamination from soiled items to food and food service items.
Grime and slime buildup were noted as violations 39 times, and grease accumulation was noted 61 times.
No sanitizer means dishes not being washed properly
To properly clean dishes and food serving items at food facilities, operators must use an approved form of sanitizer and water at the required temperature.
Food facilities were in violation of improper sanitizing practices over 190 times and not having hot enough water 128 times.
The breakdown:
Only the top numbers of the 300+ violations in this category are listed below.
Inspectors must be able to check sanitizer solution levels when conducting inspections, so test strips must be provided. They were not available at food facilities 78 times.
Two commonly used sanitizing agents in Stanislaus County are quaternary ammonium and chlorine.
Mechanical dishwashers must provide 50 parts per million of chlorine sanitizer during the final rinse. Food facilities were cited 39 times for not adhering to this.
When hand-washing dishes, a three-compartment sink must be used, and it must dispense water at 120 degrees minimum to kill bacteria. The first basin is for washing with detergent, the second for rinsing and the third for sanitizing.
Chlorine sanitizer in the three-compartment sink or buckets must be at 100 ppm of chlorine sanitizer or 200 ppm of quaternary ammonium. Sanitizer levels were too low or nonexistent 73 times. Levels were too high 13 times.
Food facilities must keep buckets set up with sanitizing solution and clean rags to use for cleaning tables and equipment. Inspectors observed sanitizer buckets lacking 33 times.
How common are rat and roach issues?
Of the 3,031 violations tallied by The Bee, 55 of them involved vermin like roaches, flies and rodents.
Rodent droppings were observed at Stanislaus County food facilities 12 times in 2024. Only twice was a rodent found (dead or alive).
Dead and live cockroaches were found 20 times. Flying insects and unapproved hanging fly traps were observed 21 times.
Questions about this report or how Stanislaus County health inspections work? Fill out our form below.
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