Health Department Restaurant & Food Facility Inspections

[Mikey]

I periodically look through the Orange County Health Department's listings of health code violations of restaurants and food facilities.  So far my eating spots have been okay   but today I had to laugh when I saw this violation of a "Health" care facility..... 

ALAMITOS WEST HEALTH CARE CENTER

PERMIT REINSTATEMENT
 6/23/2008
 
FOOD FOLLOW-UP- 2ND+ INSPECTION
 6/23/2008
 
REINSPECTION SCHEDULED 
Evidence of Vermin Activity/Presence of Animals
 
6/20/2008 - FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION:
 - Cockroach Infestation in Critical Area
 - Lack of/Unsanitary/Condition Walls/Floors/Ceilings
 
6/19/2008 - HEALTH PERMIT SUSPENSION:
REASON FOR PERMIT SUSPENSION/CLOSURE - COCKROACH INFESTATION
 
6/19/2008 - ROUTINE INSPECTION: 
 - Cockroach Infestation in Critical Area 
 - Lack of/Unsanitary/Condition Walls/Floors/Ceilings 
 - Unsanitary Equipment/Utensil/Linen/Plumbing
 

[EagleEye]

I can think of two of my all time favorite resturants that they closed down.
A favorite for Friday night fish fry----close forever
The best (IMO) chinese resturant-----closed forever

I must have a thing for cockroaches.

Steve

[Esther]

A place doesn't have to be dirty to have cockroaches. Just ask me. My oldest son lived downtown in an upstairs apartment in Grand Rapids many years ago. At some point he told me about some "bugs" and wondered what to do about them. It wasn't long and he wanted to move back home because his roommate had moved out and Kevin couldn't handle the rent alone. Because we were fixing up the basement family room for him, all his stuff except a few clothes and his stereo was in the garage. It was January so of course freezing out there. We put his stereo in the living room under the TV in the entertainment cabinet. Eventually we began to see these bugs, with flat backs crawling on the floor, all different sizes in the living room. I called an exterminator and he told me that the bugs nest in the inside of TVs, etc because they are consistantly warm inside. And the reason we were seeing different size roaches was that there must have been a nest in the stereo. He put it in a big plastic bag and sprayed in there and then treated under all the sinks and laundry areas "just in case". I guess they like damp places. Well we never saw any more moving roaches after that.

My mother tells about moving into an upstairs apartment in Georgia when my dad was in Fort Oglethorp Georgia 65 years ago. She said the first night she got up to use the bathroom and when she turned on the light in the kitchen there were so many roaches running across the linoleum floor she could litterally hear them running. Needless to say she spent the rest of the night killing bugs and first thing in the morning headed to buy insecticide. Later the landlord who lived downstairs told her she could tell when a northern girl moved in upstairs because the roaches came flooding downstairs. GROSS!!

[karen J]

A place doesn't have to be dirty to have cockroaches. Just ask me.

Very true. I was visiting my Aunt in NYC, sitting at the table having coffee. I watched two roaches walking up the wall and my Aunt didn't flinch or anything. I guess she was used to them, but I khow her apartment was clean.
When I was a baker for a national donut chain, we had an exterminator come in once a month or so. Our building was kept clean, we even got awards yearly from the Health Dept. But we had trouble with bugs coming in from the giant supply truck that would come once a week. The roaches would get into bags & boxes, then into the delivery trucks, then end up in the store. It was a constant battle.

But I'd expect a Healthcare center to be a little more vigilant. 

[Mikey]

I think if a restaurant is getting cockroaches from a supplier it's time to find a new supplier....     I hate cockroaches....  The police department used to constantly have cockroach infestations.  I learned one reason why one night when we arrested a prostitute.  Upon entering the booking area we dropped her purse onto the floor and several small cockroaches ran out and scurried away before we could step on them....  I had the heebeejeebees the rest of the night thinking about the cockroaches that were likely inside our patrol vehicle.....

[karen J]

Mikey, I think the roaches are probably less disgusting than the prostitute, but that's "perspective" talking  . There are many insect & animal species that have hinged their fate with Humans.

If I had my own restaurant, of course I'd choose my suppliers wisely, but things are different in the Franchise world. It's sort of Communist. As a Company owned shop, we had to pay a certain amount of every dollar earned back to the corporation, and we were required to use the company sanctioned supplier. NEVER could we use any supplies not ordered through the company. The actual supplies came from various sources, such as the bags of donut mixes, fillings, frostings, yeast, meats, cheeses, soups, drinks, coffee, general kitchen supplies, etc. The foodstuffs came in the same truck as the bench canvas, cookie scoopers, rolling pins, pastry bags, etc. All these items are sourced (through the corporation) from different vendors, but delivered on one truck. In other words, we may know that we ordered a #40 portion scoop, but we don't actually know where it came from. It's standard procedure to check food items carefully (all items, actually, because your name is on the sign-off), but if there was one roach hiding in the folds of the box of take-out coffee cups that sourced from who-knows-where, we'd never know it.

Needless to say, I have not eaten a Donut from that company in 15 years.  And I hope you don't, either. 

[SueSTx]

I've been the local school cafeteria lady for 21 years now...and we've NEVER had a roach ion our kitchen, bugs yes...we are a rural school...but never a roach. 

[Esther]

I wonder why roaches have such a bad reputation. To me a bug is a bug is a bug. Nothing lives very long in my house with more than 4 legs. If anything, flies are more of a problem for us and maybe a mouse now and then.

Speaking of mice---------a couple of years ago one of our tenants called all upset because they had "some mice". So I take them traps, bait, Wolf Urine granuals to sprinkle around the outside of the house, peppermint oil to put on cotton balls that was supposed to repel mice. They had dogs and sometimes a 2 year old was there so I hesitated to give them poison to use. About 3 months later a cousin moved in with them and he bought poison and got the infestation under control. When they all moved out a couple months later, I was aghast at the mess the mice had left. I have pictures if anyone is interested. LOL. They had chewed and chewed inside the wooden cupboards. There were urine trails along the walls and poop everywhere. And I mean everywhere, well not inside the refrigerator. The idiots who lived there "were forced to take the boxes and bagged food items out of the cupboards and put it in large Rubbermaid tubs". That's what they told me. Of course the place was a filthy mess before the mice came anyway. So I am cleaning from top to bottom and what do I discover? The $20 container of Wolfe Urine and the packages of traps!!! They never used the stuff so of course didn't get rid of the mice. Our exterminator wouldn't come because they use poison and with pets and small children in the house, they wouldn't take the risk or being sued. HE told me there was no reason the problem couldn't be handled by traps, a little work and common sense.

[Mikey]

I wonder why roaches have such a bad reputation.

From the USDA:

"Cockroaches aren't just a social problem, they can also threaten health," says Brenner, who heads the center's Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research Unit.

Cockroaches may carry pathogenic organisms disease-causing bacteria and fungi that can be passed on to humans through surface and food contamination. Salmonella in food is one of the most common life-threatening pathogens that cockroaches can transmit to humans. But there are other, more likely, ways these pathogens are transmitted.

Health problems from cockroach-carried pathogens are largely circumstantial, but that is not the case with allergens. Brenner points out that cockroach feces, saliva, eggs, and outer covering, or cuticles, left behind on surfaces contain substances that are allergenic to humans, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.



I was surprised that a commonly noted problem with cockroaches related to allergies.

[Loritx]

We have not had roaches in over 20 yrs, and this summer they just showed up!!  Not many yet so we are on a constant battle!!  I believe they came from next door neighbors. Our houses are maybe 5 ft apart on that side of the house. I know they have them over there, they moved in about 2 yrs ago and brought them with them. I have not idea what they are doing about it.

You cant be too carefull, If you really check your local grocery store or favoite restaraunt - I mean really look good, I am sure you will see them!!