Slime in the ice machine: Latest Merced County health inspections
One Merced County business evaluated by inspectors from the county Division of Environmental Health received an “unsatisfactory” grade during the latest round of inspections on Feb. 19.
Of the latest businesses to be evaluated, six received a rating of “good” and three 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 from Feb. 19.
Sansei, 705 Merced Mall, Merced
Sansei received an “unsatisfactory” rating (16 points) during an inspection Feb. 19, 2026. Here are the violations as observed by the health inspector:
- Observed the temperature of the hot water measured at a maximum of 114 degrees. Provide hot water at 120 degrees.
- Observed the accumulation of grease on racks and shelves. Improve cleaning.
- Observed wiping towels not stored in sanitizer in between uses. Keep wiping towels in sanitizer.
- Observed the sushi measured at 57 degrees. Observed sushi was stored on top of ice. Keep sushi adequately submerge within the ice to allow for better cooling or keep in a refrigerator. Sushi was voluntarily discarded.
- Observed the steamed/blanched vegetables measured at 101 degrees. Keep vegetables hot above 135 degrees. Steamed/blanched vegetables were voluntarily discarded.
- Observed the accumulation of slime on the deflector plate of the ice machine. Improve cleaning frequency.
- Observed the rear kitchen sink is blocked with boxes and not easily accessible for use. Clear boxes and keep sink easily accessible for hand washing.
- Observed the paper towel dispenser for front kitchen hand washing station is empty. Keep paper towel dispensers stocked.
Businesses that received ‘Good’ ratings
- See’s Candies, Merced Mall Space 640, Merced
- Five Stars Burger, 9510 Stephens St., Delhi
- Hilmar-Stevinson Youth Baseball, 7807 Lander Ave., Hilmar
- Italo American Lodge, 1351 W. 18th St., Merced
- New China Cafe, 1002 W. Main St., Merced
- 7 Eleven Store #2368-39548 B, 9510 Stephens St., Delhi
Businesses that received ‘Satisfactory’ ratings
- Arco ampm, 3101 N. Highway 59, Merced
- Noah’s Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine, 1327 W. 18th St., Merced
- Wetzel’s Pretzels, 721 Merced Mall, 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.
