Merced restaurant inspections: One spot needs an expanded permit
One Merced County business evaluated by inspectors from the county Division of Environmental Health received an “unsatisfactory” grade during the latest round of inspections March 26-31.
Of the latest businesses to be evaluated, five received a rating of “good” and one received a rating of “satisfactory.”
What the ratings mean
Businesses that accumulate zero to six violation points during an inspection receive a “good” rating. A rating of “satisfactory” is given to businesses that accumulate seven to 13 points. Businesses that accumulate 14 points or greater receive an “unsatisfactory” rating.
Violations recorded by inspectors can range in severity from minor to major. Major violations are “very likely to get people sick” and must be corrected immediately or the business, or parts of the business, must close until the issue is corrected, according to the Division of Environmental Health. If a business fails an inspection, a reinspection is required at a later date.
The Division of Environmental Health said a minor violation is one “likely to get people sick but does not require the location to close.”
Details from ‘Unsatisfactory’ report
Here is a look at the “unsatisfactory” report from March 30:
California Del Sur-Commissary, 150 W. G St., Suite B, Los Banos
- Observed more than 1 inch of ice buildup on the chest freezers used to store ice cream for sale. De-ice the freezers to prevent cross contact of ice from freezer walls (unsanitized) contacting prepackaged food. Ice also caused damage to the unit.
- Observed large amount of “personal food items” scattered throughout facility. Provide designated labeled storage for all food and utensils. Do not store cooking equipment. Reheat only.
- Observed facility had open food from an unknown source, which was “for personal use.” When inspector arrived, facility moved all open food away and into a freezer. On facility’s Instagram, it was observed that the facility was advertising sale of open food to the public. It does not have a permit for open food prep. Do not give away or sell open or prepped food to the public (family included) from the facility.
- Observed scoops (used), tongs, measuring cup, ice crush machines, pots, blenders and countertop oven (unused) stored at the facility. Remove all equipment that can be used for food prep . All equipment used for food prep is required to be washed, rinsed and sanitized in a three-compartment sink with proper sanitizer in room with smooth, durable and easily cleanable floor walls and ceilings with a 3/8-inch cove. This facility does not have a three-compartment sink. Reach out to county Division of Environmental Health for guidance on expanding permit.
Businesses that received ‘Good’ ratings
- Merced Navigation Center, 1411 B St., Merced
- Panda Express, 2108 Pacheco Blvd., Los Banos
- Walmart, 3055 Loughborough Drive, Merced
- Main Jail Facility - Sheriff’s Department, 700 W. 22nd St., Merced
- Pacheco High School, 200 N. Ward Road, Los Banos
Businesses that received ‘Satisfactory’ ratings
- Guadalajara Meat Market, 836 T St., Merced
Next steps for Merced businesses
According to the Division of Environmental Health, some problems found by inspectors can be fixed at the time of the inspection. In other instances, violations an inspector deems more serious may result in the closure of the business at the time of the inspection.
The inspections represent a snapshot of the conditions that were observed by health inspectors at the time of their visit and may not indicate a pattern of either good or bad safety practices.
The Merced County Division of Environmental Health maintains a database of restaurant and food inspections, which can be found online at the Merced County Environmental Health website.
