WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors ordered food discarded, halted sales of improperly labeled products and required refrigeration and sanitation corrections at three businesses inspected July 27.
D.F. Grocery and Deli, 323 E. Gay St. in West Chester, was directed not to sell repackaged chicharrones and seeds until the products include required information such as ingredients, allergens, weight, production date and producer contact details.
Inspectors also found raw chorizo and other meats stored above produce in a sales-floor refrigerator and raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods behind the counter, creating a risk of cross-contamination, according to the county report.
The business was instructed to reorganize the refrigerators and establish a separate, labeled area for employees’ personal food.
A squeeze bottle of mayonnaise found on a counter at 52 degrees was discarded during the inspection because its label required refrigeration after opening.
Inspectors also cited an improperly arranged three-compartment sink, expired sanitizer test strips, missing thermometers and unlabeled bottles of sauces and mayonnaise.
Additional violations included food cases stored directly on the floor, takeout containers and plasticware stored in a restroom, a dirty ceiling in the rear preparation room and missing dumpster drain plugs.
The store was also directed to provide ingredient information for breads and baked goods, install an air gap at the dipper-well drain and obtain a stem thermometer for checking internal food temperatures.
At El Rinconsito #3, 345 Scarlett Road, Suite 15, in Kennett Square, inspectors found that a bain-marie sandwich unit was not working.
The restaurant was told to repair or replace the equipment and request a reinspection once it could maintain food at 40 degrees or below. A leak beneath the three-compartment sink also required repair.
At Hissho Sushi inside the Giant supermarket at 1393 Dilworthtown Crossing in West Chester, an employee was observed touching their nose and face with gloved hands before resuming food-service work.
The county directed the operator to retrain staff and require gloves to be changed whenever they become contaminated.
Inspectors also found previously frozen salmon and tuna thawing in sealed packages inside a walk-in refrigerator. The fish was ordered discarded because the packages had not been opened before thawing to allow oxygen to enter, as required by the approved procedure.
A batch of sushi rice tested at a pH of 4.3, above the required maximum of 4.1. The business was instructed to discard or adjust the batch and ensure its pH meter was properly powered and operating.
The county listed 12 other facilities as compliant during the inspection period:
- BG’s Funnel Cakes Truck #1, Dresher
- Bravo Pizza/Lower Oxford, Oxford
- Canteen at Lowe’s Downingtown, Downingtown
- Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School Food, West Chester
- Creekside Coffee Roasting Co., Oxford
- Fritangas Snacks, Kennett Square
- Goshen Fire Co., West Chester
- La Mexicana Ice Cream Inc., Downingtown
- Ludwig’s Village Market, Glenmoore
- Phoenixville Area Community Services, Phoenixville
- Primrose School of Exton, Exton
- Subway/Auntie Anne’s at Walmart, Oxford
The Health Department described each inspection as a snapshot of conditions at the time of the visit and not necessarily representative of a facility’s long-term food-safety record.
Residents may submit confidential environmental health complaints at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Anyone who became ill after eating at a food establishment should call 610-344-6225.
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