Inspection reports show how Merced-area food businesses, schools fared
All eight food businesses visited by Merced County health inspectors in the past week received “good” marks for cleanliness and food-safety compliance.
The eight businesses across the county were inspected between May 2 and May 5.
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.
Mr. Taco, a restaurant located on Pacheco Boulevard in Los Banos received a “good” rating with zero violations on May 2. The second inspection came after the location received an “unsatisfactory” rating during an inspection on March 20 after receiving 15 violation points.
The violations included:
▪ Potentially hazardous foods shall be held at or below 41-45 degrees Fahrenheit or at or above 135 degrees.
▪ All food employees shall have adequate knowledge of and be trained in food safety as it relates to their assigned duties. The person in charge shall have adequate knowledge of, and shall educate employees of the food facility regarding major food allergens.
▪ Failure to keep food pure and free from contamination, adulteration and spoilage. Any food is adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it impure or injurious to health.
Businesses that received perfect scores with no violation were:
▪ Campus Park School, Livingston.
▪ Livingston Elementary School Warehouse
▪ Shelby School, Livingston
▪ Walnut Child Development, Livingston.
▪ Katalinas Distribution, Merced.
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.
