Kensington a Hotbed for Dirty Markets

Click here for a full page view of the map.

Kensington residents may want to think twice the next time they go grocery shopping in the neighborhood.

Nine grocery stores and bodegas between Church and Ditmas Aves. have three or more critical deficiencies, according to inspections by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.

For Windsor Terrace - Kensington Patch, data was collected on 149 markets in the area, ranging from major chain supermarkets to pharmacies and bodegas.

RELATED: 5 Things You Should Know About Market Inspections

Critical deficiencies are defined as those that pose "an immediate threat to the public health and welfare," according to the department, while general deficiencies are those which are expected to be corrected before the next inspection.

Nine of the ten businesses with three or more critical deficiencies are located south of Church Ave. in the neighborhood of Kensington. But the outlet with largest number, Milles Deli, is in Windsor Terrace on Prospect Ave. between Reeve Pl. and Greenwood Ave.

The violations across the neighborhood aren't for the faint of heart ... or stomach. At Madina-R on Ditmas Ave. between E. 4th and E. 5th Streets, inspectors found bologna and salami that was decomposed and putrid. At Mehr & Sons on Cortelyou Rd. at the corner of McDonald Ave., the market was slapped with a violation for having cat food and noodle containers on hand that were gnawed by rodents. Inspectors found 49 pounds of rice, flour and beans infested with beetles at Moon Mini Market on Church Ave. at the corner of E. 7th St., while at Bangla Bazaar Super Market on Church Ave. between Dahill Rd. and Story St.it was nearly 57 packages of moth-infested almonds helped earn owners a failing grade.

RELATED: Mike's Deli Slapped With Multiple Health Citations

The full text of the reports, accessible through the above map, are not shy about disturbing details. The inspection of the now closed A Star Deli & Grocery on Cortelyou Rd. at McDonald Ave. noted "Two live cockroaches are present inside the cabinet under the warewash sink in deli area."

However Bangla Bazaar owner Shafiquol Alam said that the number of violations has more to do with the location and how the inspection was performed. He said he never had this many violations at his old location, but they've risen since he moved in two and a half years ago.

RELATED: Inspectors Flag Roach Motels Among Brooklyn Grocers

"It's a lot of money and groceries do not make a lot of money," he said.

He blames the rodent droppings on the vacant storefront next door and that he's corrected the problem.

"They have a lot of garbage there. The mouse come in from there," he said.

RELATED: Pols Push to Shutter Vermin-Infested Food Marts

He currently owes $16,800 in fines, which he's paying on an installment plan of $50 a month. He says the fines are making it difficult for a small store owner like him to make ends meet,

"If I close they don't get anything," he said.