LANSING — When county health inspectors visit local restaurants, they document problems that need to be resolved to meet standards set by Michigan food codes and laws.
The most serious problems are considered priority violations, which present potential health risks and must be corrected immediately. Violations of priority fundamentals do not present immediate health risks, but must be corrected in a timely manner. Consequently, inspections and follow-up reports can take place.
In most cases, violations are corrected and this information is not an indication that violations at any establishment are still an ongoing problem.
Here are the most serious violations in Ingham County for restaurants in the first two weeks of July.
Three priority violations and three priority fundamental violations were found in:
Lucky Steakhouse3554 Okemos Road, Okemos
The chemical sanitizing concentration of chlorine in a dishwasher was less than 10 ppm (parts per million), when the requirement is 50-100 ppm. A strip of pesticide not approved for food establishments was under an ice chest in the bar. The level of chlorine solution for sanitizing in a three-compartment kitchen was too strong, 200 ppm instead of 50-100 ppm. The ice machine bin was “visibly dirty with mold in contact with the ice on the side walls” and a “can opener was encrusted with food debris and dirt.” A hand sink was being used to store chemicals and bar mats, making it impossible to properly wash hands. There were no paper towels available at the bar sink to dry your hands.
Two priority violations were found in:
Michigan State University Golf CourseHenry Center, East Lansing
Condiments in coolers near hot dogs kept at 47 degrees F on top and 49 degrees F on the bottom, several degrees above or below the standard 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Dishwasher disinfectant was not being used according to manufacturer’s instructions
One priority violation and three priority fundamental violations were found in:
Zaytoon1979 N. Aurelius Road, Holt
An employee stated that the cutting board at a prep station used with potentially hazardous foods was not cleaned after 4 hours. It was found that the person responsible did not perform the following functions: training employees, making disinfectant buckets, cleaning floors, walls, equipment and correctly defrosting raw meat. A hand sink was being used to wash dirty dishes and was not available for proper hand washing. The chemical spray bottles were not labeled with the contents.
One priority violation and two priority fundamental violations were found in:
JJ’s Dog House625 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
The kitchen prep refrigerator was between 45 and 49 degrees F, warmer than the standard 41 degrees F or below, and the upright refrigerator in the dining area was at 79 degrees F. “Correction: Discard the Vienna dogs in the refrigerator upright and see why the kitchen refrigerator isn’t working.” The hot water had to be reconnected and the kitchen sink was not accessible.
A priority violation and a priority ground violation were found in:
El Burrito Mexicano2176 Cedar St., Holt
The salsa in the front cooler registered 48 degrees Fahrenheit, above the standard 41 degrees F or below. Hard-shell eggs were on the counter and there was no time stamp indicating when the eggs were removed from the cold holding device. “Correction: Create a time plan as a public health control and keep documentation in place.”
Ellie’s Country Kitchen130 E. Grand River Ave., Williamston
An inspector had issues with sausage on a plate on a counter registering below 135 degrees F. The sausage was 80.3 degrees F. “The PIC must ensure this sausage is consumed/discarded within 4 hours of being removed from control temperature, or reheated to 165 degrees F and kept warm since it was prepared earlier today.”
Grand Traverse Pie Company3536 Meridian Crossing Drive, Okemos
After a few attempts to start the dishwasher and the chlorine sanitizer line had been primed, the test strips still indicated that the chlorine sanitizer concentration was less than 10 ppm. The person in charge reported that he contacted a dishwasher maintenance technician “to ensure that the dishwasher is fully sanitized with the appropriate chemical concentration.” A hand sink was inaccessible and unavailable for proper hand washing – blocked by cooling racks. Adjusted.
Ingham County Health Care Center3860 Dobie Road, Okemos
Food that required time and temperature controls were in the refrigerator beyond the scheduled date. Corrected at time of inspection. A test kit for Ecolab Sink and Surface disinfectant was not available.
Snob wing3415 E. Saginaw St., Lansing
Dressings, including ranch in an ice bath, were more than 20 degrees above or below the 41-degree standard. “Correction: You need to change the ice melt frequently to keep the product at temperature. I recommend a small refrigerator to store them.” Adjusted. Fruit/sewer flies were around the sink area and mop bucket. An inspector advised staff to keep the mop hanging to dry and the area tidy.
A priority violation was found in
City limits801 Cedar St., Mason
Several dairy products, including ranch dressing, as well as tomatoes, were in a cooler registering between 43 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or a few degrees above the standard of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The restaurant was instructed to repair the cooling device.
GoodFellas Bagel Deli (at Capital City Market), 600 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
“Meijer brand chlorine bleach disinfectant is not approved for use.”
Jimmy John’s134 S. Washington Square, Lansing
“There is no air space in one of the pipes coming out of the ice maker” to protect the water supply.
Experienced sliders3454 Okemos Road, Okemos
Follow-up Inspection: Not corrected. Atmospheric vacuum breaker cap and device are missing/broken on mop sink faucet. “Fix: Repair/reinstall AVB in mop sink to ensure atmospheric vacuum breaker prevents backflow of contaminated water.”
TantayEast Kalamazoo St., Lansing
The rice in the warmer for 6 hours was only 120 degrees F. An inspector asked that the rice be discarded and new rice be made. “Rice should be quickly reheated to 165 degrees F.” Adjusted.
Z!Eats (formerly Zoup!), 214 S. Washington Square, Lansing
Covers in an open cooler were “being cold kept” at 45-47 degrees F, above or below the standard 41 degrees.
A priority foundation violation was found in:
Hungry Howie’s Pizza222 N. Cedar St., Mason
“Some items” in the preparation line, the portable refrigerator was not marked with an end of use date. The inspector reported that all ready-to-eat potentially dangerous foods are marked with a date that must not exceed 7 days.
Mi Sushi and Noodles3340 E. Lake Lansing Road, East Lansing
Chlorine test strips were not being used to measure the concentration of disinfectant in cloth buckets. Adjusted.
Niko’s Tavern151 S. Putnam St., Williamston
There are no paper towels in the bar sink.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared in the Lansing State Journal: Ingham County Restaurant Inspections: Mold in Ice Maker, Dirty Meat Cutting Board
