EXTON, PA — Chester County health inspectors cited Whitford Country Club for multiple food-safety and sanitation violations during an Aug. 18 inspection, including improper cold holding, raw meat stored with ready-to-eat foods, residue on food-contact surfaces and use of reduced-oxygen packaging without a required HACCP plan.
The Chester County Health Department identified 18 code categories requiring corrective action at the country club, located at 600 Whitford Hills Road in Exton. The findings covered its upstairs, downstairs and pool kitchens, along with bar and dining areas.
Inspectors found raw meat stored above ready-to-eat foods in an upstairs walk-in cooler and raw meat kept in common equipment with ready-to-eat foods without barriers to prevent cross-contamination. Staff were directed to be retrained.
Potentially hazardous ready-to-eat foods requiring date marking were also found beyond their allowable dates in the upstairs, downstairs and pool kitchens and had to be discarded, according to the inspection report.
Temperature-control problems were documented in the pool and downstairs kitchens. Squeeze bottles stored in upper prep units were held above the required maximum of 41 degrees because they were positioned above the equipment’s fill line, while pasta in downstairs cook-line drawers measured 44 degrees.
A small downstairs prep-top unit was also observed dripping water and holding food at 43 degrees. Inspectors directed the facility to repair or adjust the equipment.
Food-contact sanitation issues included residue inside ice machines in the upstairs and pool kitchens and on taps and a drain at the member dining room bar. Inspectors ordered those surfaces cleaned and sanitized.
The high-temperature dishwasher in the upstairs kitchen also failed to bring food-contact surfaces to the required 160 degrees during its sanitizing cycle, according to thermometer readings cited by the department. The unit was ordered serviced.
Inspectors found an object in ice at the halfway-house bar and directed staff to discard the ice and clean and sanitize the well.
The facility was also cited for preparing food using reduced-oxygen packaging without required written procedures and a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan. Inspectors directed Whitford Country Club to submit a HACCP plan to the Health Department.
Other findings included incomplete shellstock tags, loose seals on an upstairs hood system, tape on downstairs warming drawers, damaged or stained surfaces, accumulation of soil on equipment and building surfaces, and unused equipment stored outside the facility.
At the pool kitchen, inspectors found a restricted-use pesticide being applied by a person who was not a certified applicator. The pesticide was removed from the kitchen during the inspection.
A hand-soap container at the men’s locker room bar was also found without a label and was labeled during the inspection.
Separately, inspectors cited Sabatino’s Mobile Pizza at 901 E. Boot Road in West Chester for two issues. Inspectors directed the mobile operation to clean inside cabinets, remove unused equipment and utensils, organize personal items and repair or replace a generator that was not functioning properly.
Seven other facilities inspected Aug. 18 were listed as in compliance:
- Asuka LLC in West Chester;
- Collective Coffee & Bakery in Glenmoore;
- Embassy Suites Valley Forge in Wayne;
- Magic Memories/Chester Springs – Food in Chester Springs;
- Sabatino Mobile 3 DBA Mobile Pizza in West Chester;
- Target #T-2537/East Whiteland in Malvern; and
- Twin Pines Health Care Center Food in West Grove.
The Health Department cautions that an inspection represents conditions observed at a specific date and time and may not reflect an establishment’s overall long-term sanitation or food-safety status.
Residents who observe unsanitary conditions or other issues requiring investigation can submit a confidential Environmental Health Complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment should instead contact the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225.
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