Recent Eatery Inspections Reveal Mice In Traps, Parasites, Mold

PHOENIX, AZ — Recent Phoenix inspections performed by the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department reveal many health-code violations at restaurants, supermarkets and even a school cafeteria. The violations range from the mundane to the not-so-expected, including dead mice in traps, mice droppings, moldy food, lack of letter of parasite destruction, lack of cleanliness and more. These are some of the most recent Phoenix health code citations:

Pitic Restaurant, 1580 E. Pima Street, makes tortas, burritos and Mexican seafood dishes and was cited by the health department for not possessing “a letter of parasite destruction.” The notice further explains, “All food service establishments offering raw/undercooked fish must maintain a letter of parasite destruction from the supplier of the fish,” or some other proof or record that “an approved method of parasite destruction” has been applied to the seafood. The notice applies to the restaurant’s shrimp ceviche, which is not cooked but is marinated in lime juice.

The restaurant was also cited for cooling methods, as the inspector observed a tableside container of cooling beef broth that had reached 96 degrees, whereas the law requires all cooling foods to be put in a refrigerator once their temperature has gotten down to 135 degrees. Some tile repairs were also mandated for the restaurant.

La Mexicana Super Carniceria at 5045 W. Thomas Road, a Mexican supermarket selling meats and other foods, was cited for having moldy strawberries within customer reach in a refrigerator. The store was also cited for food labeling practices: The health report indicates that that some packages of candies, chips and drinks showed only Spanish labels, so the market is required to add English labeling.

FEZ, 105 W. Portland St., is a bar and restaurant serving Mediterranean food and burgers. The eatery was cited during a recent health inspection after the inspector observed an employee washing dirty dishes, then immediately handling clean dishes without washing hands. This was observed twice. The inspector also noticed a server applying parsley onto an entree without using gloves, a violation of the County’s no bare hand contact policy.

A Chicken Tinga dish was also spotted in a container placed inside a larger container of water for cooling. The chicken dish had cooled down to 100 degrees, but maintainance above 135 degrees is required by the health code. The restaurant also received a second citation for a mop sink leakage issue, and a first for a dusty kitchen ceiling and vents.

Westwind Intermediate School, 3802 N. 91st Ave., educating 6th to 8th graders, was cited when the inspector saw dead mice remaining in two kitchen mousetraps. Rodent droppings were also observed beside ovens and in a dry storage room. The inspector also made note of a “large spider web full of flies and [a] giant long legs spider” in the cafeteria.

Many of these eating establishments worked to resolve some of these issues while the inspector was onsite, or at least informed the inspector that they had or were in process of taking action. Others still need to step up and take required action before their next inspections.