Inspections of all retail food facilities are done yearly, and in some cases more than once per year. Unannounced inspections are conducted for restaurants, school cafeterias, hospital and nursing home cafeterias, grocery stores, convenience stores, fairgrounds, resorts, food trucks, festivals and any event or facility where food is sold to the public.
Melissa Mathews conducts about 145 retail food facility inspections every year for Montezuma and Dolores counties as the county environmental health specialist. The inspections are completed on-site and include compliance standards set by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. The categories are divided into critical and noncritical health standards specific to retail food facilities.
Critical areas are those that if not in compliance can cause foodborne illnesses. The categories include food sources, personnel, food temperature control, sanitation, water systems and plumbing, handwashing facilities, pest control and poisonous or toxic items. Noncritical areas pose less risk of causing foodborne illnesses. Categories include food labeling and protection, equipment design and construction, testing devices, cleaning of equipment utensils and linens, and physical facilities.
In Colorado, any customer can ask an establishment for its latest inspection report, and the facility is required to provide it, Mathews said.
February’s reports include restaurants, a grocery and a school.
Hunan Kitchen2561 Main St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 22, 1.6 hours
Critical Violations: 2
1. Food Source category: Cross-contamination
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Cross-contamination of raw to ready-to-eat food is not prevented during storage, preparation, display or transport. Observed raw meats (hamburger, pork loin, shrimp being stored randomly above ready-to-eat foods and cooked/cooled noodles. Did not observe any liquids cross-contaminating any of these foods. Problem was corrected on-site.
2. Personnel: Hands washed as needed category.
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Employees observed not hand washing when required (e.g., between glove changes, between tasks, after caring for animals, after sneezing, etc.). Observed employee shelling raw shrimp, pushing up sleeves on shirt, going through door to the storeroom to retrieve more shrimp to prep and no hand washing once returning back to work area. Problem was corrected on-site.
Non-Critical Violations: 3
1. Equipment Design/Construction category: non-food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are constructed of unapproved materials, are in poor repair and not easily cleanable. Shelving in the walk-in refrigerator is rusty – no longer smooth and cleanable.
2. Cleaning of equipment/utensils category: non-food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are not clean. Space between equipment on the hot line has grease and food spills down sides of equipment. Sprayer handle in the dish washing area has lot of debris build-up. Caulking in the dishwashing area is black.
3. Physical Facilities category: Floors, walls, ceilings
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Wall and/or ceiling design is improperly designed or in poor repair. Ceiling in back area where clean pots/pans are being stored is damaged. The ceiling is peeling in several areas. No longer smooth and cleanable.
Ted’s41900 U.S. Highway 160, Mancos
Date: Feb. 23, .9 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters201 Grand Ave., Mancos
Date: Feb. 23, 0.7 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Thai Cortez1430 Main St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 16, 1.3 hours
Critical Violations: 3
1. Food Source category: Consumer advisory
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Facility is serving raw and/or undercooked animals foods without a consumer advisory and/or the consumer advisory does not meet requirements.
2. Personnel category: Hygienic practices
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Single-use gloves are used improperly. Observed food employee washing gloves after handling raw foods being prepared for fryer. Problem was corrected on-site.
3. Food Temperature Control category: Cold hold at 41 degree Fahrenheit or less
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Incorrect /unapproved use of time as public health control for cold holding of potentially hazardous foods. Observed sushi rice at 121 degree F. The container has not been identified with the time of 4 hours once the food was removed from temperature control. Problem corrected on site. Potentially hazardous foods are being held improperly at temperatures greater than 41 degrees during service. Observed edamame at 54 degree F and observed bean sprouts at 51 degree F. Both were sitting at room temperature. Corrected by adding ice as an ingredient to bring temperature to an acceptable level (41 degree F).
Dolores Community Center400 Riverside Avenue, Dolores
Date: Feb. 21, 1 hour
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 1
1. Cleaning of Equipment/Utensils category: Non-food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are not clean. Handles and doors of the refrigerated and freezer units need cleaned. The inside of the units also have food spills.
Pizza Hut1119 Main Street, Cortez
Date: Feb. 21, .9 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
St. Barnabas of the Valley110 North St. Cortez
Date: Feb. 20, 1 hour
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
P and D Grocery & Mancos Pizza230 Frontage Road, Mancos
Date: Feb. 15
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 3
1. Equipment/Design category: Food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Food contact surfaces are not smooth, easily cleanable, and non-absorbent. Observed the cutting boards on the sandwich prep table and the pizza prep station, both scarred and stained.
2. Equipment/Design category: Non-food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are constructed of unapproved materials, are in poor repair and not easily cleanable. Shelving in the meat walk-in is badly rusted. No longer smooth and cleanable.
3. Cleaning of Equipment/Utensils category: Non-food contact surfaces
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are not clean. Sandwich prep table has build up of debris around gaskets on the inside of the unit. There is build up around the handles. The milk cooler has fuzz on the shelves and there is also debris build up on the shelves and on the floor. The refrigerator in the grab-n-go area for sandwiches and burritos has fuzz build up along the vents on the inside of the unit. Floor in meat walk-in has a lot of food spills underneath the shelves. Food spills on walls behind equipment in the deli, pizza area.
Sonic Drive In436 Broadway Ave., Cortez
Date: Feb. 14, .85 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 3
1. Cleaning of Equipment/Utensils category
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contacts are not clean. Floors in the walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer have a lot of food debris around the edges of the units.
2. Physical Facilities category: Plumbing
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Plumbing is not maintained. Leaking faucet on hand sink in the back part of kitchen and at faucet on the 3-compartment sink.
3. Physical Facilities category: floors, walls, ceilings
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Floors are improperly designed or in poor repair. Grout is missing around tile by the floor drain next to the three-compartment sink area. Floor tiles are missing under fryer area. Owner is already working on the date for the repairs.
Dinner Bell330 U.S. 491, Dove Creek
Date: Feb. 6
Critical Violations: 2
1. Food Source category: Approved source
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Food from an unapproved source is present in the facility. Observed packages of meat marked “not for sale” present in the freezer. Problem was corrected on-site.
2. Sanitation category: manual and mechanical
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Non-food contact surfaces are not clean. Wall behind table top steamers has food splatters. Wall behind hot cook line has buildup of grease. Food debris build-up underneath prep table kitchen. Old food debris by dishwashing area on the shelves storing clean dishes. Legs are also dirty. Floor underneath fryers and grill area very greasy. Sandwich table has food debris buildup on inside of shelves and then on outside around hinges. Gaskets also have buildup. Ventilation hoods are not clean. Lots of grease buildup by filters. Problems were corrected on-site.
Mi Mexico550 Broadway Ave., Cortez
Date: Feb. 13, 1.1 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Cortez Dairy Queen1127 Main St. Cortez
Date: Feb. 12, 1.1 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Taste of India1013 Main St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 9, 1 hour
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Mesa Elementary School cafeteria703 Seventh St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 8, 1.2 hours
Critical Violations: 2
1. Temperature Control category: Rapidly cool foods to 41 degrees F or less.
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Potentially hazardous food products are not rapidly cooled from 135 degrees F to 70 degrees F within two hours and from 70 degrees F to 41 degrees F within an additional four hours. Observed cooked/cooling food (Spanish rice/hot dogs) in walk-in at 47 degrees F. This food had been served the day before. The improperly cooked food was disposed of under a voluntary condemnation agreement. Problem was corrected on-site.
2. Sanitation category: mechanical.
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: Mechanical ware washing machine inadequately sanitizes. No sanitizer is being dispensed from the machine onto the surface of the dishes. They will be able to sanitize dishes, pots/pans in the 2-compartment sink. They will also be using paper trays today. Problem was corrected on-site.
Non-Critical Violations: 1
1. Equipment Design/Construction category: dishwashing facilities
INSPECTOR COMMENTS: The facility uses an unapproved two-compartment sink for manual ware washing. One of the two-compartment sinks was used to wash dishes. A sanitizing step not being used.
Dolores County Senior Services8540 Road 7.2, Dove Creek
Date: Feb. 6, 1 hour
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
Wendy’s221 Main St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 5, 0.8 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
J Fargo’s Grill and Bar1209 Main St., Cortez
Date: Feb. 2, 1.5 hours
Critical Violations: 0
Non-Critical Violations: 0
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