Merced cookie shop fails health inspection for improperly storing butter
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Crumbl Cookies in Merced failed inspection with 16 violation points logged.
- Inspectors found butter and cream cheese frosting stored above safe temperatures.
- Dutch Bros in Atwater passed with zero violations during the same inspection period.
In recent inspections conducted from June 11 through June 19, one Merced County food business earned a failing grade in a food-safety inspection from the county’s Environmental Health Division.
Six food businesses across the county were inspected during that time period with four of those establishments receiving a “good” rating.
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.
Crumbl Cookies in Merced received an “unsatisfactory” rating for the following violations:
▪ 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.
▪ Potentially hazardous foods shall be held at or below 41-45 degrees or at or above 135 degrees.
▪ When time only, rather than time and temperature is used as a public health control, records and documentation must be maintained.
Those problems and others added up to 16 violation points for the popular cookie shop.
The inspector observed the facility had 10 boxes of butter that were being stored at room temperature. Butter is a potentially hazardous food and shall be stored below 41F, according to the inspector’s notes.
All butter and frosting made with the butter was destroyed.
The inspector also observed that frosting made with cream cheese and butter were left out at room temp and measured 47.6F. The company has directive to not leave frosting out of temp for more than two hours and then refrigerate. The food was moved to the refrigerator.
Dutch Bros in Atwater received perfect scores with no violations.
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.
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.
