‘Black and orange substance’ found in ice machines of Stanislaus County restaurants
Stanislaus County health inspectors observed black, orange and other colored substances on the equipment of multiple food facilities in early January.
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.
Eighty-four restaurant inspection reports were sent to The Modesto Bee on Monday.
Black and orange substance among major violations
Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Jan. 12-18. 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.
House of Potsticker, 3318 McHenry Ave. in Modesto, had four violations on Jan. 12 — two of them major. A bag of carrots and a food container were on the floor of the walk-in cooler. Several bulk food containers were on the floor in the kitchen storage area. There were gaps in the wall/flooring interface in the men’s and women’s bathrooms. Strips of coving were held in place with duct tape. A significant amount of food staining and grime accumulation was observed on equipment contact points and the exterior surfaces of refrigeration units. Sanitizer buckets were not set up.
The Pho, 3440 McHenry Ave., Suite D2, in Modesto, had four violations on Jan. 12. An employee was seen washing hands in a three-compartment sink despite a dedicated handwashing sink being available. Several bags of sugar and salt were on the floor in the kitchen. Ice scoops were stored in the ice machine. An updated 2026 Stanislaus County health permit was unavailable.
Super Mac Food & Gas, 150 N. Riverside Drive in Modesto, had five violations on Jan. 13. The bathroom toilet bowl and base had stain buildup and the floor area had grime/stain accumulation. The soap dispenser in the bathroom was empty, a repeat violation. Syrup boxes were leaking and the wall area adjacent to box rack had syrup buildup. The ice scoop was stored on plastic bags. One violation remained during a reinspection on Jan. 20.
Quik Serve Market, 22025 Highway 33 in Crows Landing, had five violations on Jan. 13. The chute in the ice machine was soiled with a white and black substance. The ice shield was soiled with a black and orange substance. Some of the ceiling panels in the storage area were lacking. The food safety certificate was not available and the 2026 permit to operate was not posted.
Saveland Market, 1500 Dallas St. in Modesto, had three violations on Jan. 16 — one of them major. The hot dogs, ham and other deli meats had an internal food temperature of 42 degrees (must be 41 degrees). The ice scoop was stored on top of the ice machine and was “exposed to the environment.” The 2026 permit to operate was not posted.
Richy’s Mini Mart, 605 Butte Ave. in Modesto, had three violations on Jan. 16 — one of them major. Yogurt and whipped cream in the walk-in refrigerator had a temperature of 42 degrees. Employee food was stored next to packaged food in a display refrigerator. The shield in the ice machine was soiled with a black and orange substance.
Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections were:
- Burger King, 1955 N St., Newman
- Pho Island (all violations corrected by Jan. 20)
- Starbucks, 2005 N St., Newman
Minor violations
According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one or two violations, none of them major, are:
- Baskin Robbins, 901 N. Carpenter Road, Suite 4, Modesto
- Bill’s Sport & Bait Shop
- Casa Elegancia
- Diamond Billiards
- Dollar Tree, 3225 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto
- Dutch Bros, 1010 E. Whitmore Ave., Ceres
- Family Dollar, 1916 Crows Landing Road, Modesto
- Fiesta Smoke and Grocery
- Fisherman Bend Store
- Fit Nutrition Empire
- Morses Market
- Olsen Service Station
- Salida Club
- Save Mart, 3401 Oakdale Road, Modesto
- Stanislaus County Department of Aging and Veterans Services
- Taco Bell, 2050 W. Main St., Turlock
- Target, 3900 Sisk Road, Modesto
- Village Donuts
No violations
These food facilities had no violations, according to the county:
- Ace Sushi at Save Mart, 3401 Oakdale Road, Modesto
- Algo Rico
- Arco ampm, 1147 N St., Newman
- Bet Nahrain
- Carnegie Arts Center
- Chevron, 3300 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- Cinnabon
- Circle K, 1600 W. Main St., Turlock
- Empire Union Elementary School
- Faya and Flame Catering
- Gold Dust Pizza Express
- Halal Market and Food
- House of Liquor
- Indian Grocery and Chaat
- Jamba Juice, 3401 Dale Road, Suite 471, Modesto
- KFC, 3400 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- La Espiga de Oro
- McDonald’s, 200 W. Main St., Turlock
- Pizza Twist
- Rock N Roll
- Samaritan Village
- SMA at Teel
- Starbucks, 3401 Oakdale Road, Suite 200, Modesto
- Turlock Gospel Mission
- Wienerschnitzel, 3342 McHenry Ave., Modesto
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