Dust, food debris and ‘mold-like slime’: See latest Sacramento County health inspections

Sacramento County health inspectors shut down a local middle school cafeteria due to a broken water heater.

Food-serving facilities including a bakery, a grocery store and a Subway restaurants received yellow placards for health violations such as dust, old food debris and food being held at improper temperatures.

A yellow placard signals two or more major violations, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide. These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection.

A red placard signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends the health permit until violations are corrected. This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.

In contrast, a green placard means a restaurant passed the inspection.

The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.

Health inspectors didn’t shut down any restaurants during last week’s round of inspections.

Here are the Sacramento County food facility inspections for May 16 through Wednesday, as of noon Thursday:

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Sacramento Bee reporter Jacqueline Pinedo at jpinedo@sacbee.com. The Bee will publish weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.

Middle school cafeteria closed due to lack of hot water

McCaffrey Middle School, 997 Park Terrace Drive in Galt, had two violations on May 16.

The middle school cafeteria was shut down due to a lack of hot water, according to the May 16 report.

The water heater was reset three times during the inspection. Inspectors advised the schools to request service on the water heater.

Additionally, inspectors observed dust accumulation on fan guards.

The middle school was reinspected the same day and reopened.

The middle school had not responded to a request for comment as of Friday morning.

Sacramento County market and restaurant cited for health violations

The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of May 16 through May 22, resulting in a conditional pass.

Only the dates of violations are listed. Most restaurants fully pass reinspection within 72 hours. The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.

Subway, 4845 Watt Ave in North Highlands, had nine violations on Wednesday.

Inspectors saw a “nonfunctional hand sink in the back kitchen” of the sandwich shop, according to the report.

An employee’s sweater and other itemswere stored on a shelf above the food preparation counter, and California food handler cards were not available during the inspection.

The sandwich shop had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.

Cali Kabob and Gyro House, 9791 Lincoln Village Drive in Sacramento, had seven violations on May 17.

Chicken was outside of its proper holding temperature during the May 17 inspection.

Inspectors saw an employee washing a pot at a sink and skipping the sanitizing step.

The facility was using a domestic freezer, and inspectors told operators to replace it with a commercial freezer.

The restaurant was reinspected on Tuesday and received a green placard.

Sam’s Market, 1330 O St in Sacramento, had seven violations on May 17.

Deli meats at the grocery store were outside of proper holding temperatures, according to the May 17 report.

Dust buildup was seen on a fan cover in a freezer, according to the report. Inspectors also observed gaps in a back door.

The market was reinspected on Monday and received a green placard.

Golden Bread House, 2851 Walnut Ave in Carmichael, had 10 violations on May 16.

Two kitchen hand sinks at the bakery were out of paper towels during the May 16 inspection.

When inspectors arrived, the facility had no hot water, according to the report, but the owners said they were getting the water heater fixed that day.

The facility only had scented bleach available under the sink.

The bakery was reinspected on May 17 and received a green placard.

Saint Francis High School, 5900 Elvas Ave. in Sacramento, had 13 violations on May 13.

Inspectors saw old food debris on the meat slicer and “mold-like slime” on the inside the ice machine near the kitchen office, according to the May 13 report.

Grilled chicken, melon and edamame were outside of proper holding temperatures, the report said, and the lids of ice cream containers in a walk-in freezer were off.

The school was reinspected on May 16 and received a green placard.

This story was originally published May 24, 2024 at 8:07 AM.