Who didn’t make the grade in Merced County’s recent food, restaurant inspections?
In nearly two months of inspections, only one Merced County food business earned a failing grade in a food-safety inspection from the county’s Environmental Health Division.
Thirty-eight restaurants, commissaries, markets and other food businesses across the county were inspected between Feb. 1 and March 12. Thirty-two of them received “good” ratings, including 15 where no violation points were noted. Fourteen scored “satisfactory” grades.
The county gives “good” ratings to businesses with six or fewer violation points, “satisfactory” ratings for seven to 13 violation points, and “unsatisfactory” ratings for 14 or more violation points.
The lone “unsatisfactory” rating was given to Bella Nita’s on 2684 Shaffer Road in Atwater, after a Feb. 7 inspection visit found several violations:
▪ Potentially hazardous foods shall be held at or below 41 degrees/ 45 degrees Fahrenheit or at or above 135 degrees.
▪ Hand-washing soap and single use towels or drying device shall be provided in dispensers adjacent to each hand-washing facility; dispensers shall be maintained in good repair.
▪ All food shall be separated and protected from contamination.
Those problems and others added up to 14 violation points for the market.
A follow-up inspection of Bella Nita’s was conducted on March 3 and the restaurant received a good rating, with only two violation points.
Businesses that received perfect scores with no violation points were:
▪ Chef Rafa At the Wolf Den in Livingston
▪ Look Good Feel Good in Atwater
▪ Dulce Michoacana in Winton
▪ Chipotle Mexican Grill on Campus Parkway in Merced
▪ Merced Rescue Mission
▪ El Pollo Loco in Los Banos
▪ Hilmar Meat Locker
▪ Sweet Roots Kitchen in Merced
▪ Walgreens in Hilmar
▪ Prime Forged Nutrition in Livingston
▪ Pacheco High School in Los Banos
▪ Little Caesars Pizza in Atwater
▪ La Tia Juana in Merced
▪ Superway Market in Planada
The inspections represent a snapshot of conditions found at the time of a visit and may not indicate a pattern of good or bad food safety practices.
In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it’s something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.
But some violations are considered more serious and, in some instances, can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors. Those may include insect or vermin infestations; refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens.
A lack of hot water is one of the most common violations that health inspectors find when they make their routine visits. Hot water at a temperature of at least 120 degrees is considered important by inspectors for safely washing pots, pans, dishes and glasses, and 100 degrees for employees to wash their hands.
Merced County’s Environmental Health Division maintains a database of restaurant and food inspections online for public viewing at its web page, www.countyofmerced.com/597/Environmental-Health; click the “Food Inspections” tab along the left side of the page.
