Big 8 Supermarket Inspection

[dr_gingivitis]

I guess I'm not surprised based upon the condition of the exterior of the building and the parking lot, but wow, this is a horrible inspection. I've never been in the place despite living a block away, and now I'm pretty sure I won't be checking it out:

Location 1601 Washington AVE
Inspection date February 3, 2010
Name Big 8 Supermarket
Inspection type Inspection / complaint
This is an inspection prompted by a complaint from the public.

Compliance Out of compliance
This means the facility did not pass the inspection, will be re-inspected and may receive a warning letter and/or prosecution.

Violations CRITICAL * 46.102 — Duties of the person in charge — Certification by accredited program, compliance with Code, or correct responses
Inspector comments: The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the PA Food Code.

CRITICAL * 46.824(a) — Location and placement of plumbing facilities — Adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible
Inspector comments: The food facility does not have a handwash sink conveniently located in the herb dispensing area. Employees dispense herbs for customers, however, no sink is provided.

CRITICAL * 46.941(a)-(e) — Handwashing facilities: numbers and capacities — Adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible (Corrected On Site)
Inspector comments: Soap, disposable towels, and handwashing reminder signs are not provided at each handwash sink.

CRITICAL * 46.25 — Shellstock, maintaining identification — Required records available: shellstock tags, parasite destruction
Inspector comments: Shellstock located in the customer self-service area does not have identification tags attached to the container. Product retained.

CRITICAL * 46.281 — Preventing contamination of packaged and unpackaged food: separation, packaging and segregation — Food separated & protected
Inspector comments: Raw chicken was stored above raw beef, pork, fish. Raw meats in the walk-in refrigerators are not separated.

CRITICAL * 46.674(d)(e) — Warewashing equipment: chemical sanitization-temperature, pH, concentration, hardness — Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized (Corrected On Site)
Inspector comments: The quarternary ammonia concentration in the sanitizing solution of the three-basin warewash sink was 0-100 ppm, rather than 200 ppm as stated on the manufacturer's use directions and no sanitizer test strips provided.

CRITICAL * 46.712 — Frequency of cleaning equipment food contact surfaces and utensils — Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized
Inspector comments: No chemical sanitizer being used on equipment and utensils after washing and rinsing them, and prior to use. All cutting boards and multi-use utensils are not washed, rinsed, and sanitized as required. Before each use with a different type of raw animal-derived food such as beef, fish, lamb, pork or poultry, utensils and surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized.

46.383 — Potentially hazardous food: thawing — Approved thawing methods used (Corrected On Site)
Inspector comments: Food being thawed using an unapproved method. Food observed thawing at room temperature on the fish area two-basin prep sink.

46.282 — Identification of content on food storage containers — Food properly labeled; original container
Inspector comments: Working bulk food ingredient storage containers are not labeled with the common name of the food.

46.922(e)(f) — Functionality of various physical facilities: outer openings protected, exterior walls and roofs protective barrier — Insects, rodents & animals not present; no unauthorized persons
Inspector comments: Outer opening in the food facility does not protect against the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals. Back doors open at time of inspection.

46.981(k)(l) — Premises, structures, attachments and fixtures: controlling pests, removing dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents and pests — Insects, rodents & animals not present; no unauthorized persons
Inspector comments: Visible physical evidence of rodent / insect activity observed in the barbeque area. Live roach observed crawling on hot-hold unit.

46.321 — Food storage — Contamination prevented during food preparation, storage & display
Inspector comments: No splashguard provided between rear barbeque area three-basin sink and two-basin prep sink.

46.771 — Drying clean equipment and utensils — Utensils, equipment & linens: properly stored, dried & handled
Inspector comments: Drying rack above three-basin sink at rear barbeque area is not slated to allow for air-drying.

46.774 — Storing clean items — Single-use & single-service articles: properly stored & used
Inspector comments: Single-service containers observed not stored inverted.

46.521 — Materials in multiuse utensils and food-contact surfaces — Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used
Inspector comments: Plastic bags observed in use as food storage containers.

46.671 — Equipment: good repair and proper adjustment — Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used
Inspector comments: Leak observed at produce walk-in refrigerator indirect waste drain connection, non-NSF rice cooker present, and wood pallets observed in use for shelving.

46.672 — Cutting surfaces — Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used
Inspector comments: Cutting boards observed with deep scratches and scoring not allowing for effective cleaning and sanitizing.

46.711(b)(c) — Objective of cleaning equipment and utensils: grease and soil accumulations and nonfood contact surfaces — Non-food contact surfaces clean
Inspector comments: All walk-in refrigerators in need of cleaning.

46.901 — Indoor areas of food facilities: surface characteristics — Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean
Inspector comments: Cardboard observed on the floor of the fish/meat prep areas.

46.921 — Cleanability of floors, walls, and ceilings — Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean
Inspector comments: Wall/floor junctures are not coved.

46.981(a)(b)(c)(g)(n) — Premises, structures, attachments and fixtures: cleaning — Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean
Inspector comments: Floors, floors drains, and walls (including inside walk-in refrigerators) in need of cleaning.

46.981(e)(m) — Premises, structures, attachments and fixtures: maintenance tools — Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean
Inspector comments: Mops, brooms, and dustpans are not elevated.

18.04 — Food establishment licensee and operation changes require submission of a plan review application — Food establishment licensee and operation changes require submission of a Plan Review Application.
Inspector comments: Barbeque area observed at rear of store.

[lbphilly]

My, that's cheerful. I usually only buy produce (which I cook) and packaged goods there. I think perhaps I'll stay out until they fix these things. I've never bought barbecue there...

[bobl]

Picky, picky, picky!

[Coco]

Well, well! Whatever made them (the City) finally do this inspection? Someone "rat" on the Big8?

[dr_gingivitis]

Well, well! Whatever made them (the City) finally do this inspection? Someone "rat" on the Big8?

Well, the report does say "This is an inspection prompted by a complaint from the public."

[Coco]

Well, the report does say "This is an inspection prompted by a complaint from the public."

So.........perhaps we don't complain enough, and not often enough! Take note, everybody!

[lee]

Folks, read the inspection with a critical eye. Inspections are long and most of these issues don't really present a serious problem. I see just several areas -- the primary being that thawing chicken is not separated from other meats in the walk-ins. I'm not too happy about the roach, but I will guarantee you that most places in the city have roach problems (most have an exterminator come regularly). I once saw a roach in Down Home Diner at the terminal, but my husband and I still stop for breakfast during our bimonthly shopping trips there.

If this place presented serious health risks, the inspector would have closed it on the spot.

[dr_gingivitis]

Folks, read the inspection with a critical eye. Inspections are long and most of these issues don't really present a serious problem. I see just several areas -- the primary being that thawing chicken is not separated from other meats in the walk-ins. I'm not too happy about the roach, but I will guarantee you that most places in the city have roach problems (most have an exterminator come regularly). I once saw a roach in Down Home Diner at the terminal, but my husband and I still stop for breakfast during our bimonthly shopping trips there.

If this place presented serious health risks, the inspector would have closed it on the spot.

I expect to see some violations, and agree with the exterminating point, but there are 7 items identified as critical, and a bunch of others that taken together pretty much just spell out filth. Not having sanitizing chemicals (or inappropriate concentration of sanitizing chemicals), no hand washing stations in food prep areas, mixing meats, defrosting in the sink, and multiple comments about items in need of cleaning makes me wonder why it wasn't closed down. But then again, I'd close them down just for all the trash in their parking lot and stuck in their fence. We have entirely too many large businesses on Washington Ave that doen't seem to understand that cleaning the outside of their buildings is their responsibility.

[furby076]

So.........perhaps we don't complain enough, and not often enough! Take note, everybody!

We complain enough, just not in the right places. Complaining here will do very little (with rare exception) in getting the information to the right people.

[lbphilly]

I expect to see some violations, and agree with the exterminating point, but there are 7 items identified as critical, and a bunch of others that taken together pretty much just spell out filth. Not having sanitizing chemicals (or inappropriate concentration of sanitizing chemicals), no hand washing stations in food prep areas, mixing meats, defrosting in the sink, and multiple comments about items in need of cleaning makes me wonder why it wasn't closed down. But then again, I'd close them down just for all the trash in their parking lot and stuck in their fence. We have entirely too many large businesses on Washington Ave that doen't seem to understand that cleaning the outside of their buildings is their responsibility.

Plus, it smells bad when you walk in -- an infelicitous combination of citrus past its prime and fish guts, I think. Still, I've never gotten sick from anything I bought there. I do make it a point to buy the vacuum-packed sacks of rice and I don't buy them unless they're still brick-like from having all the air sucked out of them.