PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville Area High School’s cafeteria was operating without building hot water during a Sept. 25 inspection, forcing kitchen staff to boil water and use temporary equipment to maintain food-safety procedures while the school awaited repairs, according to the Chester County Health Department.
The department cited Aramark’s food-service operation at the school, 1200 Gay St., for several violations tied to the failed hot-water heater. Inspectors also documented maintenance and cleaning issues during the visit.
The Health Department said it learned of the hot-water problem during the regularly scheduled inspection. The facility had not contacted the department Tuesday to report the heater issue.
Despite the equipment failure, cafeteria employees were following appropriate temporary procedures for food handling, handwashing, and sanitizing when the inspector arrived, according to the report.
The school had installed hot-water boosters at cafeteria handwashing sinks, with two producing water at or above the required 85 degrees. Kitchen employees were also boiling water to set up the three-compartment sink for sanitizing.
The lack of adequate hot water affected the cafeteria’s mechanical warewashing equipment. The wash solution in a multi-temperature conveyor unit measured 140 degrees, below the required minimum of 160 degrees, according to the inspection. Staff were manually washing wares to provide proper sanitization.
Inspectors also found that handwashing sinks in the warewashing room and cafeteria lacked water at the required minimum temperature of 85 degrees.
The Health Department said the water heater was scheduled to be repaired within three days and that an environmental health specialist would conduct a follow-up inspection after its replacement.
Other findings included a milk cooler that repeatedly failed to operate properly, dust-like debris on a ceiling vent above a two-bay sink and mold-like debris on an ice-machine splashguard. The department directed the facility to repair or replace the cooler and clean the affected areas.
Two other Chester County food facilities were cited Sept. 25.
A follow-up inspection at Capriotti’s in East Marlborough Township found continued sanitation problems. The Health Department characterized the inspection as noncompliant and reported that the person in charge lacked adequate food-safety knowledge.
Inspectors found food debris on countertops and a cart and called for a thorough cleaning of handwashing sinks, shelves, counters, paper-supply holders, the three-compartment sink faucet, and the area beneath the deli slicer. Excessive food debris and trash were also observed on the kitchen floor, including beneath equipment.
A foodborne-illness investigation at H & L Grill LLC at WAFM, 1165 Wilmington Pike in West Chester, produced several additional findings.
An employee was observed handling raw scrapple with gloved hands and then touching cooking utensils. The inspector stopped the employee and instructed the worker to remove the gloves, wash their hands, and put on clean gloves before handling ready-to-eat foods. Inspectors also observed employees failing to wash their hands between glove changes.
Raw chicken and beef were stored alongside sliced deli meats at a cook-line unit, creating a potential contamination risk to an adjacent cutting board, according to the report. Employees moved the raw meat to a lower refrigerated shelf and washed, rinsed, and sanitized the cutting board during the inspection.
Raw shell eggs measured 55 degrees, and pooled eggs used for omelets and scrambled eggs measured 47 degrees. The department directed the facility to track the time the eggs remained at those temperatures and use or discard them within four hours.
Inspectors also found food debris on a deli slicer that had been used earlier that morning. The department directed the facility to wash, rinse, and sanitize the slicer and other food-contact surfaces after each use and at least every four hours when used throughout the day, with a cleaning log maintained.
Additional findings included a lack of soap at a handwashing sink, which was corrected during the inspection; missing sanitizer test strips; insufficient food thermometers; and soiled aprons stored near spices, which was corrected on site.
The Health Department also reported that H & L Grill did not employ a certified food-protection employee as required. An employee had completed an approved training course but had not applied for county certification.
County officials caution that inspection reports represent conditions at a facility at the specific date and time of inspection and may not reflect its long-term sanitation or food-safety status.
Facilities listed as in compliance Sept. 25 included:
- Andrea’s Jazz Cafe, 236 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville
- Aramark at Fern Hill Elementary School, 915 Lincoln Ave., West Chester
- Aramark at Henderson High School, 400 Montgomery Ave., West Chester
- Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 109 Gypsy Hill Road, Landenberg
- Courtyard by Marriott Malvern, 280 Old Morehall Road, Malvern
- Crossan Concessions/CCHD #834, 103 Saginaw Road, Lincoln University
- East Star Cuisine Inc., 81 Lancaster Ave., Suite 3, Malvern
- Epicurean Garage Food Truck #004/CCHD #1403, 4000 Pottstown Pike, Pottstown
- Epicurean Garage Mobile Unit 002/CCHD #1012, 4000 Pottstown Pike, Pottstown
- Epicurean Garage Mobile Unit 003/CCHD #1344, 4000 Pottstown Pike, Pottstown
- Flowing Springs Inn, 4000 Pottstown Pike, Pottstown
- Hillside Bulk Foods, 1403 W. Kings Highway, Gap
- Nicamex LLC, 446 Lancaster Ave., Malvern
- Parkesburg U M Church, 411 Main St., Parkesburg
- PASD Home Concession Stand, 1201 Gay St., Phoenixville
- Penns Grove Middle School – Food, 301 S. Fifth St., Oxford
- Pizza Villa, 104 W. First Ave., Parkesburg
- Willowdale, 115 E. Street Road, Kennett Square
Residents who witness unsanitary conditions or believe a food facility requires investigation can submit a confidential Environmental Health Complaint through the Chester County Health Department at chesco.org/5843. Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment is instructed to call the department at 610-344-6225 instead of using the online complaint form.
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