WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors cited six food facilities for violations Friday, including improper food temperatures, inadequate sanitizing, handwashing problems and contamination risks, while a follow-up inspection at an Exton restaurant identified numerous unresolved food-safety and sanitation issues.
The Chester County Health Department emphasized that inspection reports represent conditions observed at a particular time and may not reflect a facility’s long-term sanitation or food-safety status.
Han Dynasty in Exton underwent a follow-up inspection in which officials documented problems involving food storage, sanitation, equipment, cleaning and employee food-safety practices.
Inspectors reported that foods in cook-line coolers were uncovered and lacked required date markings. The foods were discarded during the inspection.
The department also reported that the owner, serving as the person in charge, did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the FDA Food Code. Inspectors observed the owner washing food equipment in the sanitizer compartment of a three-compartment sink and subsequently placing it into a wash compartment containing only water.
The restaurant’s low-temperature dishwasher initially registered no detectable chlorine sanitizer, according to the report. After the sanitizer was primed, the concentration remained below the required 50 to 100 parts per million, prompting instructions to have the machine serviced.
Inspectors also ordered a deep cleaning of the kitchen, citing floors, refrigeration and cooking equipment, shelving, tables and other surfaces. Additional findings included cracked wooden-handled utensils, improperly stored scoops, wet-stacked equipment, an overflowing drain and food stored directly on the floor.
Several of the issues were corrected during the inspection, including the disposal of foods without date markings and removal or relocation of certain improperly stored items.
At Chadds Ford Winery, inspectors found a kitchen refrigerator operating at 53 degrees, above the maximum 41 degrees required for time- and temperature-controlled foods. All affected foods were discarded, and the refrigerator was ordered out of use for food storage until it could maintain the required temperature.
Inspectors also found that hot water was unavailable at a handwashing sink in the winery’s slushie and pizza shack. The facility was directed to repair the sink, with a temporary handwashing station permitted for the weekend. Soap and paper towels missing from another hand sink were supplied during the inspection.
Oxford Fuels remained under restrictions on its walk-in cooler following a follow-up inspection. Inspectors measured temperatures ranging from 41 to 48 degrees and directed the business not to use the cooler for time- and temperature-controlled foods until it operates uniformly at 41 degrees or colder.
No such foods were being stored in the cooler at the time of the inspection. Officials also cited loose exterior trash, items including chairs and a children’s mattress inside the walk-in cooler, ice accumulation and obsolete equipment that must be removed.
At Flagship Premium Cinemas in the Pottstown area, inspectors reported that the facility’s hot-water system was not supplying sufficiently hot water to sinks during peak use. Employees told inspectors they did not use warm water for handwashing, while inspectors found it could take as long as three minutes for water to reach 85 degrees.
The cinema was directed to replace its water heater or install a booster system. Inspectors also found undetectable sanitizer concentration in the three-bay sink, dirty soda nozzles, missing ceiling tiles and no drain plugs for the sink.
At So Sabroso in West Chester, inspectors cited gaps and rust damage around a rear door that could allow pests to enter. Cakes and beverages in a customer self-service refrigerator lacked required labeling, while a menu offering eggs and hamburgers that could be served undercooked did not include a required consumer advisory.
Ya Ya Chinese Restaurant in West Chester was cited for several food-storage and contamination concerns. Inspectors found raw animal products stored above ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in a walk-in refrigerator and cut broccoli and cabbage sitting at room temperature instead of being held at 41 degrees or colder.
The produce was moved into refrigeration after the person in charge reported it had just been cut.
Inspectors also reported fruit flies near a handwashing sink and directed the restaurant to clean the area and use a certified pest-control operator. Other violations involved unapproved residential refrigeration equipment, cardboard used around the facility, clutter, cleaning deficiencies and the use of linens or napkins in contact with potentially hazardous foods.
The Health Department listed 12 other facilities inspected Friday as in compliance: 5 Points Junction in Oxford; Coffee Cup and La Sponda in Downingtown; Elegant Food Affairs in Devon; Fairfield Inn & Suites in Kennett Square; FarmerJawn Produce & Kitchen and Qdoba in West Chester; Giant Food Store #6301 in Thorndale; JJ Cafe @ 676 in Wayne; Kolb’s Ice Cream Trailer in Spring City; OASD Concession in Oxford; and OJR Music Parents Org. in Pottstown.
The county cautions consumers that an inspection is a snapshot of conditions at the date and time of the visit rather than a measure of a food facility’s overall long-term performance.
Residents who observe potentially unsanitary conditions can submit an Environmental Health Complaint through the Chester County Health Department at https://www.chesco.org/5843. The county states that complaints are confidential and investigated.
Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment should call the Health Department at 610-344-6225 rather than use the online complaint form.
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