Live cockroach ‘crawled out’ of stored knives. What did health inspectors find?
Sacramento County health inspectors closed an Ethiopian restaurant and sandwich shop after they found more than 55 live German cockroaches and 22 dead cockroaches.
Meanwhile, a total of six received yellow placards for health code violations ranging from an employee not washing their hands to old food debris on the meat slicer.
What do these inspections mean?
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations. These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail 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 and about 97% of establishments pass, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
These were the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, Feb. 12, through Wednesday, Feb. 18, as of Thursday, Feb. 19. If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Businesses temporarily closed by health inspectors
Kind Bean Cafe & Ethiopian Cuisine
1547 Fulton Ave. Suite D, Sacramento
Number of violations: 13
Date: Friday, Feb. 13
- Sacramento County health inspectors gave a red placard to the Arden Arcade Ethiopian restaurant after discovering more than 55 live German cockroaches in various stages of life and about 22 dead cockroaches throughout the facility including inside the two-door freezer and on the gasket of the walk-in cooler.
- Health inspectors found an electric drink frother in the hand sink.
- The restaurant’s food safety certification expired.
- The facility had one expired and one missing food handler card.
- Employee food and drinks were on the prep table.
Kind Bean Cafe was reinspected on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and received an additional red placard due to live and dying cockroach activity. The facility was inspected again on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and passed with a green placard.
Cheesesteaks
3571 Truxel Road, Suite B1, Sacramento
Number of violations: 5
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17
- Health inspectors gave a red placard to the Natomas Crossing sandwich eatery after discovering one live adult German cockroach “crawling out” of the knives container and one dead German cockroach egg sack below the water heater.
- The facility’s meat slicer had old food debris on it.
- The facility had old food debris on the floor below the three door freezer and refrigerator, below the dry storage shelves and below the back kitchen microwave.
- A household microwave was in the back kitchen area.
- Personal items were stored above the drying utensils on the drying rack.
Cheesesteaks was reinspected on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and passed with a green placard.
Dark slime buildup and handwashing violations lead to citations
V’s Paradise
1001 Front St., Sacramento
Number of violations: 13
Date: Friday, Feb. 13
- Health inspectors cited the Old Sacramento American restaurant after finding cut tomatoes, hummus, orzo salad and sour cream sauce above proper holding temperature.
- Mornay sauce was improperly cooling in the walk-in cooler.
- The facility’s food manager certificate was unavailable for review.
- Health inspectors found “dark slime buildup” in the server station ice machine.
- A water bottle with an unapproved screw-top lid was stored on the server station.
- The facility’s hot water peaked below temperature requirements.
V’s Paradise was reinspected on Saturday, Feb. 14 and passed with a green placard.
Pasifika Foods
3315 Northgate Blvd., Suite 9, Sacramento
Number of violations: 4
Date: Friday, Feb. 13
- Health inspectors cited the Northgate restaurant after finding turkey, lamb curry, corned beef and yellow lamb curry below proper holding temperatures.
- An unapproved small bowl was used as a scooper in the rice at the rice warmer.
- Onions were stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler.
- The prep sink drain line lacked a one-inch air gap.
Pasifika Foods was reinspected on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and passed with a green placard.
Kiki’s Chicken
7753 Roseville Road, Sacramento
Number of violations: 7
Date: Friday, Feb. 13
- Health inspectors cited the Antelope Hills chicken restaurant after finding no available soap at the handwashing sink in the kitchen.
- Shredded cheese was above proper cold holding temperature.
- An employee drink in an unapproved container was found in the food preparation area.
- The soda machine’s CO2 tank was not properly secured.
- The monitoring thermometer was missing from the reach in refrigerator.
- The wiping towel bucket had no detectable sanitizer.
Kiki’s Chicken was reinspected on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and passed with a green placard.
Taquería My Jalisco
4307 Elkhorn Blvd., Suite A2, Sacramento
Number of violations: 10
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17
- Health inspectors cited the Pepperwood Mexican restaurant after finding taco beef below proper hot holding temperature.
- The facility’s three-compartment sink had no detectable sanitizer.
- An employee didn’t wash their hands properly after coming back from outside the facility.
- The table mounted can opener had old food debris build up on it.
- A container of cilantro was stored on the floor.
Taqueria My Jalisco had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Feb. 19.
Carniceria Sol Latino
3108 Arden Way, Sacramento
Number of violations: 20
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
- Health inspectors cited the Arden Arcade market after discovering no soap at the handwashing sink at the meat department.
- The meat slicer had old food debris on it.
- Employees of the market lacked food safety knowledge in proper ware washing, holding temperatures, test strip usage and proper handwashing.
- The facility’s food safety manager certification was not available at time of inspection.
- An open drink was found on the meat slicer and a plate of food was observed on the prep table.
- An employee was observed not washing his hands in between changing taste and donning new gloves.
- Raw shelled eggs were stored over ready to eat foods inside the retail cooler.
- A spray bottle with unidentified chemical liquid contents was found at the dry storage rack labeled vinegar.
- A bag of raw chicken with a heavy leak was stored at the bottom of the cold-holding compartment inside the chicken display case.
- Several repacked food items, including raw meats, were found being sold in unlabeled sealed containers.
Carniceria Sol Latino had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Feb. 19.
Taqueria Birra Boys
9611 Auto Center Drive, Elk Grove
Number of violations: 16
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
- The Elk Grove restaurant was cited by health inspectors after they found no paper towels available at the handwashing stations in the main kitchen and back area.
- Shredded cheese was above proper cold holding temperature.
- Proof of food manager certification was not available onsite.
- Personal drinks were found on a prep table.
- The facility had open containers of crema, rice, beans and onions.
- Buckets of sugar, rice and chili were stored directly on the floor.
- Bulk containers with sugar and flour were unlabeled.
- The electric fan had dust accumulation and the air bent above the cook’s line had black dirt accumulation.
Taqueria Birra Boys had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Feb. 18.
