WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors ordered food discarded, equipment taken out of service and sanitation problems corrected during inspections Sept. 29 and 30, with violations ranging from evidence of mice at a Berwyn brew pub to unsafe food temperatures and ineffective dishwashing equipment.
At La Cabra Brew Pub, 642 Lancaster Ave. in Berwyn, inspectors conducting a follow-up inspection Sept. 29 removed two dead mice — one from a closet beneath a stairway off the main dining room and another from beneath a beer cooler in a hallway.
Inspectors also reported mouse-like droppings in those areas, a storage room, beneath a kitchen server drop-off station and inside a clean-utensil storage bin. The facility was directed to clean and sanitize affected areas daily and provide its next pest-control report to the county.
La Cabra was also cited for using reduced-oxygen packaging without documenting or monitoring a secondary food-safety barrier against potential Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes. Inspectors directed the business to provide a HACCP plan or remove the packaging machine.
At Veekoo Asian Cuisine, 564 E. Lancaster Ave. in Berwyn, inspectors found a garlic-and-oil mixture sitting at room temperature and a sushi cooler operating at 46 to 50 degrees. The garlic mixture and temperature-controlled foods above 41 degrees were discarded, and the restaurant was told not to use the sushi cooler until it was repaired.
The restaurant was also cited for an employee failing to wash hands between tasks, wet wiping cloths stored outside sanitizer, a cutting board stored on the floor and chlorine sanitizer measured at 300 parts per million. The sanitizer was remixed during the inspection to between 50 and 100 ppm.
At the Walmart Supercenter in East Marlborough, inspectors discarded multipacks of Activia yogurt after finding them at 44 to 46 degrees. The store was also cited for recurring ice accumulation in a grocery freezer, water accumulation beneath toilets and urinals, peeling bakery ceiling panels and sanitation-equipment issues.
Inspectors ordered Walmart to stop using a bakery dishwashing machine after its wash temperature measured 142 degrees and directed the store to repair the equipment before returning it to service.
A Sept. 30 inspection of Lincoln University Dining Facility found a two-door refrigerator operating at 48 to 53 degrees. Cream cheese, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise and American cheese were among the foods measured above 41 degrees and discarded. Inspectors ordered the refrigerator out of service for temperature-controlled foods until repaired.
The dining facility was also directed to stop using its high-temperature dishwasher after food-contact surfaces failed to reach the required sanitizing temperature. Other violations included plumbing problems, missing floor tiles, a damaged grease drawer and an expired Chester County Certified Food Manager certificate.
Tiffin Indian Cuisine, 5 S. Morehall Road in Malvern, was cited for a dishwashing machine registering no chlorine sanitizer. Inspectors ordered the machine out of service until it could provide sanitizer at the required concentration.
Inspectors also found grease and debris behind the cook line, buildup inside an ice machine, a dirty can opener, expired sanitizer test strips and equipment being stored while wet. Lamb that had been thawing improperly in a sink for about three hours measured 45 degrees and was moved to refrigeration during the inspection.
At Wendy’s, 700 Nova Way in Parkesburg, the facility had no sanitizer available for its dishwashing machine. Inspectors prohibited use of the machine until sanitizer was supplied and required several cleaning issues to be corrected within 24 hours.
Other inspections identified less extensive violations. Brewing Love, 145 W. Gay St. in West Chester, was directed to immediately repair a leaking sanitizer basin at its three-compartment sink.
Halal Meat Group, 132 Lancaster Ave. in Malvern, was cited for issues including missing safe-handling labels on some packaged raw meat and poultry, deeply scored cutting boards, improper chemical storage, the absence of a food-preparation sink and failure to employ a properly certified employee. Some labeling violations were corrected during the inspection.
Monday Morning Meal Prep LLC at 208 Carter Drive in West Chester was directed to provide food-service gloves, food labels and packaging and a probe thermometer. Inspectors also found that the person in charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the Pennsylvania Food Code.
The Chester County Health Department cautions that inspection reports represent conditions observed at a particular date and time and may not reflect a facility’s long-term sanitation and food-safety status.
Residents who witness unsanitary conditions or believe a food facility requires investigation can submit a confidential Environmental Health Complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Anyone who becomes sick after eating at a food establishment should instead call the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225.
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