LANSING — When county health inspectors visit local restaurants, they document problems that need addressing to meet standards set by Michigan food codes and law.
The most serious problems are considered priority violations, which present potential health hazards and should be corrected immediately. Priority foundation violations do not present immediate health hazards but should be corrected in a timely manner. Follow-up inspections and reports may consequently happen.
In most cases, the violations are corrected, and this information isn’t an indication that violations at any establishment are still an ongoing issue.
Here are the most serious violations in Ingham County for eating establishments in the first half of January:
Eight priority violations and five priority foundation violations were found at:
Sushi Ya, 529 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
Handwashing was not seen during a follow-up inspection, leading to at least three violations. “Cross contamination by employee touching raw meat with gloves then working with ready to eat food.” Temperature issues for cold potentially hazardous foods required to be 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below: House made sauces and batter for chicken, shrimp, and vegetables were over the requirement. Chlorine was not being used according to manufacturers’ directions. Utensils and dishes in manual warewashing operation were not being sanitized after washing. Chemicals were being stored with food and over clean dishes. There was a crate of pesticide chemicals present by the dish machine area. Pest control sprays and traps were in the food prep areas. Other violations pertained to the person in charge, rice in a damaged container, lack of date marking for sauces and chlorine test kit and sink accessibility.
Seven priority violations and six priority foundation violations were found at:
Kimchi Box, 527 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
Violations included an employee was observed working with gloves while placing raw chicken into fryer and then not washing hands after removing gloves and handling cooked chicken. Food was obtained from an unapproved source. A tomato and package of hotdogs were laying directly on raw bacon and next to hard shell eggs. Improper date marking. Wrong sanitizer concentration. “Many cooking utensils (tongs) observed hanging on side of bucket used interchangeably with different raw meats.” Tongs used to handle different types of raw meats are also used to handle cooked meats. No designated person in charge. No test kit for chlorine concentration. Food and utensils were in the handwashing sink intended only for handwashing. Soap was missing from a handwashing sink.
Four priority violations were found at:
Omi Sushi, 210 M.A.C. Ave., East Lansing
“Potential for cross contamination in fridge near cook line, chicken was observed behind and on the same shelf as other meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu and some noodles.” Items in fridge registered 54 degrees. Test strips weren’t being used to measure sanitizer concentrations. Not enough backflow prevention.
Three priority violations and three priority foundation violations were found at:
Bestsellers Books and Coffee Co., 360 S. Jefferson St., Mason
Temperature Issues: “In front prep cooler in Vault Deli side, sliced lunch meats were being stacked too high in containers, and observed top portions of meat at 43-44F using inspector’s calibrated thermometer.” Mozzarella cheese, sliced pepperoni, and hummus had expired date markings on the Vault Deli side. Not enough backflow prevention. Improper and lacking date marking. A quat test kit remained in its packaging, indicating it was not being used. Bottles of Spectracide “Bug Stop” insect killer and a bottle labeled as an ant pesticide but without original packaging were near the front hand sink on the Vault Deli side.
Three priority violations and a priority foundation violation were found at:
Stockbridge Bowl, 900 S. Clinton St., Stockbridge
Temperature issues: Cut tomatoes in a small prep cooler registered 42 to 44 degrees. Cutting boards and utensils used at grill were not being cleaned, at a minimum, every four hours. Chlorine in wiping cloth bucket registered 200+ parts per million (ppm), not 50-100 ppm, and chlorine being used was not approved for food contact surfaces. A test kit was not being used to accurately determine the chlorine concentrations in wiping cloth buckets.
Two priority violations and three priority foundation violations were found at:
Risen Breakfast & Bakery, 402 S. Jefferson St., Mason
Under refrigeration, ground sausage, eggs, and dairy products had temperatures of 42 to 44 degrees; ham and cheese were at 46 to 48 degrees. A hot water faucet handle on a hand sink was broken. No thermometer, quat test kit or date markings for cut tomatoes and cooked mushrooms.
Two priority violations and a priority foundation violation were found at:
Subway, 620 N. Cedar St., Lansing
Not enough backflow prevention. A strip containing dichlorvos hung over the 3 compartment floor drain. An ice scoop had a large crack down the middle of the utensil.
Two priority violations were found at:
Soup Spoon Cafe, 1419 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
“In use utensils (not under refrigeration) not being washed and rinsed every four hours. They are only sanitizing them.” Not enough backflow prevention.
Subway, 5025 S. Cedar St., Lansing
Under refrigeration, tomatoes and various meats registered 45 degrees and cut tomatoes, cut lettuce, and sauces were being cold held at 42 to 43 degrees. The slicer was being cleaned with just water, and a quat sanitizer dispenser at a sink was not dispensing sanitizer
A priority violation and four priority foundation violations were found at:
Fresh Fish, 3140 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lansing
Not enough backflow prevention. The handwashing sink on the service line did not have 100 degree water. The handwashing sink in the service area was observed with no soap. A handwashing sink was observed with no paper towels. Two spray bottles on the service line were unlabeled.
Siraj Cuisine, 1701 S. Waverly Road, Lansing
Temperature issues: Chopped chicken in hot well registered 133 degrees, not 135 degrees or over. No thermometer or chlorine test strips. The ice machine’s shield had an accumulation of soil. The handwashing sink on the cook-line had an accumulation of foodresidue in it.
A priority violation and two priority foundation violations were found at:
Crossroads Grill and Bar, 154 S. Main St., Leslie
Coleslaw, housemade BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, and queso were past their date marks. No datemarking for lunch meat and cut tomatoes. A test kit for quat was not available.
Taste Coffee Company, 3056 Okemos Road, Okemos
Not enough backflow prevention. No toweling available at a coffee area hand sink for hand drying. Spray bottles of cleaners were not labeled with contents.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 6527 S. Cedar St., Lansing
Fruit and vegetable wash, considered a toxic material, was being stored over food in a dry storage area. Soap was not available at a food employee’s handwashing sink. Bottles of sanitizer were not labeled with their contents.
A priority violation and a priority foundation violation were found at:
Buddies Pub & Grill, 3048 E. Lake Lansing Road, East Lansing
Temperature issues: Cut tomatoes, sour cream and lunch meat under refrigeration registered 44 and 45 degrees. No test kit available for dish machine.
Dunkin’, 110 W. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
Temperature issues: Egg bites in drawer under sandwich ovens were currently being held at 44 degrees. Handwashing sink intended only for handwashing had signs of visible food debris.
Old Bag of Nails Pub, 210 Cascade Blvd., Lansing
Temperature issues: Under refrigeration, ranch registered 50 degrees and sliced tomato registered 45 degrees. Accessibility: A hand sink was blocked by a stool and a box of supplies.
Red Cedar Lodge, 210 Dori Lane, Lansing
Chicken (that was previously cooked to the correct temperature) registered 126 degrees, not 135 degrees or over, in the hot holding unit. Deli sliced ham and turkey in prep cooler was being cold held at 60 degrees, not 41 degrees or below. Food bits and a red sanitizer bucket were in a handwashing sink intended only for handwashing.
A priority violation was found at:
All Star Cafe & Catering, 100 N. Pine St., Lansing
Temperature issues: In-house made salads were on the self-service line registering 49.2 degrees.
Big Apple Bagels, 248 E. Saginaw St., East Lansing
Temperature issues: Items in a prep cooler were registering 44 to 50 degrees.
Cancun Mexican Grill, 2398 Jolly Road, Okemos
Temperature issues: Open bottle of pineapple juice (label states to refrigerate once opened) in the keg cooler with a verified temperature of 51 degrees.
Everett High School, 3900 Stabler St., Lansing
Temperature issue: The cooler on the serving line holding cut vegetables and baggedlettuce at 45 degrees. The person in charge said that they had been placed in the cooler about an hour and a half prior to the inspection.
Gumps BBQ, 1105 River St., Lansing
Temperature issues: Milk, pooled eggs, and various sauces were being cold held at 43 to 44 degrees in the prep cooler.
Flapjack, 3000 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing
Cooked sausage links were in the hot holding unit at 115 degrees, not 135 degrees and over.
Jersey Giant Subs, 2546 E. Jolly Road, Lansing
Macaroni and cheese in a crockpot was being hot held at 105 degrees, not 135 degrees and over.
Jimmy John’s, 3450 Okemos Road, Okemos
A hand sink was reportedly leaking water at the drain line and was blocked by tape todiscourage use due to the plumbing leaking issue. The person in charge reported that the issue was reported and that they were expecting a plumber to repair it as soon as available.
McDonald’s, 1024 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
The sanitizer concentration for chlorine in the dish machine was less than 25 ppm. Test strips were advised.
MOMO Tea, 4790 S. Hagadorn Road, East Lansing
Quat sanitizer concentration was too strong in the sanitizer basin of three compartment sink.
Niko’s Taverna, 151 S. Putnam St., Williamston
Flies were in bottles of Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels at the bar.
North School, 333 E. Miller Road, Lansing
Temperature issues: “The refrigerator on the serving line was observed holding parfaits and ham and cheese sandwiches at 44F. The PIC stated that the food is moved to the refrigerator an hour prior to lunch (9:30AM) and then discarded at the end of the lunch period (12:00PM). The PIC stated the refrigerator is only used during the lunch period, because it typically freezes foods that are stored in it long term.”
The People’s Kitchen, 2722 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
Temperature issues: Cream in walk-in cooler were registering 46 to 48 degrees.
Two priority foundation violations were found at:
Takitos AF, 325 Riverfront Dr., Lansing
No test kit was available for monitoring sanitizer concentration. A handwashing sink intended only for handwashing had dirty dishes on the ground in front of it and food debris and dirty dishes in the sink.
A priority foundation violation was found at:
Edru Skate, 1891 N. Cedar St., Holt
A test kit for chlorine was not available.
Gardner International Magnet School, 333 Dahlia Dr., Lansing
Debris buildup on the blades of two can openers.
Grand Traverse Pie Company, 3536 Meridian Crossing Drive, Okemos
No toweling was available at a handsink for hand drying
Hill Center, 5815 Wise Road, Lansing
Cans of baked beans, pears, pineapple, peaches, and tomatoes had large dents on the sides and on the seals.
Nip n Sip Drive in, 2803 N. East St., Lansing
The handwashing sink intended only for handwashing was being used to rinse cups,scoops, and spoons used to make shakes.
PreK at Pleasantview, 4501 Pleasant Grove Road, Lansing
A can of apple sauce, two cans of pears, and a can of marinara had dented seals.
SPUDS Family Restaurant, 611 S. Waverly Road, Lansing
Missing from the consumer advisory was the following: “Ask your server about foods served undercooked or raw.”
Toarmina’s Pizza, 2011 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
Improper date marking for sauces.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ingham County restaurant inspections: Flies in Jack Daniel’s whiskey
Reporting by Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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