Sacramento supermarket cited for too-warm beef dumplings, unsafe meat. What else?
Sacramento County health inspectors found potentially dangerous food conditions at a local market and restaurant—including beef dumplings left too-warm on a counter — raising serious food safety concerns.
The market and restaurant, located in the South Sacramento area, received a yellow placard on Friday, June 13, after inspectors found 15 food safety violations.
A yellow placard signals two or more major issues, though these are typically corrected during inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail Food Inspection Guide.
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 has passed inspection.
The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, spokesman Ken Casparis told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in closure, he said.
From Thursday, June 11, to Tuesday, June 17, only one local restaurant received a yellow placard, according to Sacramento County.
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.
What the inspection revealed
On Friday, June 13, Barg Afghan Market and Restaurant at 6321 Mack Road received a yellow placard after inspectors documented 15 food safety violations.
The restaurant received a yellow placard after inspectors found a pan of too-warm beef dumplings on a counter by the front register that measured outside the safe temperature range.
“Potentially hazardous foods shall be maintained at or below 41 degrees or at or above 135 degrees,” health inspectors said in the June 13 report.
Inspectors observed an employee washing a wok spatula and kabob skewer but skipping the required sanitizer step.
The restaurant and market also lacked a food manager certification for inspectors to review, and one employee did not have a food handler card.
Raw chicken kabobs were stored on top of raw lamb inside the meat display cooler, violating proper storage guidelines. Additionally, a bag of potatoes was found stored on the floor near the back door.
Several prepackaged nuts and cookies in the market area were missing labels. The business did not have chlorine sanitizer test strips, and an upright refrigerator registered a potentially hazardous ambient temperature.
Inspectors noted traps improperly stored on the faucets of both the prep sink and the three-compartment sink. The restaurant also lacked a probe thermometer.
A mop head was found inside the mop bucket, and personal items—including a water pot and drinks—were stored on the prep sink drainboard. In the restroom, a required hand-washing sign was missing.
Barg Afghan Market and Restaurant was reinspected on Monday, June 16.
