Why did Sacramento County inspectors close 2 restaurants? Cockroaches, mold and more
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down two local restaurants after finding live cockroaches, mold and other issues.
Meanwhile, a Folsom pizzeria received a yellow placard due to safety violations ranging from a blocked hand sink to food at unsafe temperatures.
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide.
A red placard, however, 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 inspection.
The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
Here are the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Jan. 1, as of Thursday, Jan. 2:
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The Bee publishes weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
Sacramento County inspectors close restaurants due to cockroaches
Palace Food Services, 2645 El Camino Ave. in Sacramento, had 17 violations on Friday, Dec. 27.
Health inspectors closed down the eatery, which serves African food, after discovering several serious violations ranging from cockroach activity to mold and unclean surfaces, according to the Dec. 27 report.
Inspectors found 10 dead cockroaches, five live cockroaches and a cockroach egg mass on the property, the report said.
The inspectors discovered a live juvenile cockroach and its fecal matter on a dish in the clean dishes area, and a dead adult cockroach on the wall by the clean silverware.
One dead cockroach was found underneath the fryers on the cook’s line.
A “pink-colored residue” was inside the ice machine and the floor of the walk-in refrigerator was “unclean with old residue and mold,” according to the report.
Inspectors also saw raw chicken thawing in the preparation sink at an unsafe temperature.
Three ceiling lights were out in the kitchen and there was a hole in the wall between the restrooms, the report said.
Additional health code violations ranged from a lack of paper towels near the kitchen’s handwashing sink to a missing food handler card and the use of unapproved kitchen equipment.
The international African restaurant passed a re-inspection on Saturday, Dec. 28, and received a green placard on Saturday, Dec. 28.
As of Thursday afternoon, Palace Food Services had not responded to an email from The Sacramento Bee seeking comment on the closure.
Kusina at Lumpia, 4301 Truxel Road, Suite D4, in Sacramento, had 12 violations on Friday, Dec. 27.
Inspectors shut down the Filipino eatery after observing live German cockroaches in multiple areas.
Three adult cockroaches were discovered near wood beams next to the kitchen and two more were under the kitchen hand sink.
Another three cockroaches were active around the display cooler in the main kitchen, according to the report.
Several more dead cockroaches were on the floors near the cooler, the three-compartment sink and under storage racks.
Inspectors spotted “moldy and unclean” caulk between the prep sink and the countertop, as well as oil and grease build-up on the walls and floor near the kitchen’s deep fryer.
A hand-washing sink did not have any soap, the report said.
Other health violations included an expired health permit, broken counter tiles and uncovered containers of food in several refrigerators.
Kusina at Lumpia recently passed a re-inspection and received a green placard on Monday, Dec. 30.
The Filipino restaurant had not responded to The Bee’s email request for comment as of Thursday afternoon.
Local pizzeria cited for food safety violations
The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Jan. 1, resulting in a conditional pass.
Only the dates of violations are listed. Due to the conditional pass and receipt of yellow placard, a reinspection was or will be conducted within 24 to 72 hours of the inspection. The reports are linked.
For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.
Slice House, 3210 East Bidwell St., in Folsom, had three violations on Monday, Dec. 30
Sacramento County health inspectors cited the counter-service pizza restaurant for health and safety violations.
Inspectors observed “potentially hazardous ingredients” at unsafe temperatures, including meatballs in a steam table, the report said.
The restaurant also failed to log the amount of time uncooked pizzas were left on the speed rack in the kitchen.
Additionally, the hand sink in the food prep area was blocked by equipment, making it inaccessible to employees.
The pizzeria was re-inspected and received a green placard on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
