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Stanislaus County health inspectors find lawn care equipment in gas station kitchen

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 found major violations at a gas station and other food facilities, including lawn care equipment in the bathroom and a dead cockroach.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county get 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 84 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Tuesday, one was not updated on the site as of Tuesday afternoon.

Dead cockroach among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Dec. 29–Jan. 11. 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. To learn more about what the violations mean, click the link below.

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Hughson Asian Kitchen, 6902 Hughson Ave. in Hughson, had five violations on Dec. 29 — one of them major. A refrigerator had an ambient temperature range of 33 to 47 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). Cooked rice was stored in a container kept at room temperature. The interior surface of the ice machine had grime buildup. Raw meat was stored above boxes of produce in the walk-in refrigerator. A handwashing sink in the kitchen was leaking wastewater.

La Cascada Mexican Restaurant & Grill, 2704 Mitchell Road in Ceres, had three violations. Food contact surfaces throughout the kitchen were soiled. Black growth was observed on the walls and ceiling of the walk-in refrigerator. Containers of food were uncovered in the walk-in refrigerator.

Fiesta Smoke and Grocery, 1029 Herndon Road in Modesto, had three violations on Jan. 5 — one of them major. Hot water was lacking throughout the facility. Multiple holes were observed in the walls of the bathroom and the bathroom door was lacking a self-closing device.

One violation remained during a reinspection on Jan. 12.

.7-Eleven, 3621 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had three violations on Jan. 6. The mop bucket had standing wastewater. The backroom floor sink was heavily stained. The food safety certification was expired.

Jack in the Box, 3621 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had three violations on Jan. 6. The refrigerator door had built up food accumulation. Hood filters and the floor area below deep fryers had grease accumulation.

La Espiga de Oro, 4960 Curtis St. in Salida, had three violations on Jan. 7. Multiple food storage containers lacked labels. A few bulk food items were in open bags not in food storage containers with lids. The handwashing sink in the food preparation area was not easily accessible. A coffee maker was longer than the space available on the counter it sat on, so it hung over the edge.

La Hacienda, 4520 Broadway Ave., Suite D, in Salida, had four violations on Jan. 7. Grime had accumulated on the nozzles of the soda fountain and on the metal chute within the ice machine bin. The hot water temperature at the three-compartment sink was at 118 degrees (must be 120 degrees minimum). A current food handler card was not available for one employee.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection on Jan. 9.

Salida Club, 4907 Elm St. in Salida, had three violations on Jan. 7. A dead cockroach was observed on the floor where the ice machine and janitor’s sink are kept. This room has an exterior door that lacked a door sweep, so there was a large gap. The ice maker lacked a front panel. Debris and grime had accumulated in the ice maker. Mold had accumulated on the wooden shelf within the walk-in cooler.

On Jan. 15, inspectors were driving past the facility when an employee was observed pouring liquid waste from a mop bucket into the street gutter. Mop bucket waste must be disposed of in an approved janitor’s sink or as otherwise approved, not disposed of where wastewater flows to a storm drain.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection on Jan. 20.

Arco ampm, 2015 W. Main St. in Turlock, had six violations on Jan. 9 — two of them major. An employee was observed switching tasks without washing their hands. The employee handling the reheating/food preparation in the kitchen told the inspector they do not wash their hands at the handwashing station in the kitchen. Lawn care equipment was observed in the kitchen next to the ice machine. The ice machine had black buildup along the interior wall, ceiling and chute. Ice buildup was observed on a pipe for the fan condenser unit in the walk-in freezer. There was no soap in the dispenser at the handwashing station in the kitchen.

House of Liquor, 4742 Broadway Ave. in Salida, had six violations on Jan. 9. Dark grime/mold had accumulated on the interior ceiling surface of the ice machine. Grime had accumulated on and in the nozzles/dispensers for both “Slush Puppies” machines and on the nozzles of both soda machines. A small amount of dried syrup had accumulated in the ice chute of the soda machine. There was a large buildup of soda syrup on the floor. Grime had accumulated on the top of a container holding prepackaged food. Bottles of alcohol and water were stored directly on the floor.

All violations were noted as corrected on Jan. 15.

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

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:

Facility closed upon inspection

The following food facilities were not open at the time inspectors attempted an unannounced visit (this may happen when posted business hours are no longer accurate or a facility has not notified the department it is no longer in business):

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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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