La Mexicana (Store)

COLD PREP COOLER WITH PREP TOP REGISTERED AT 55-57F. FOOD ITEMS (SALSA, CHEESE, GUACAMOLE) WERE 57-59F. ALL COLD HOLDS MUST BE AT 41F OR BELOW. KEEP THE LID ON THE UNIT CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE, CHECK SEAL GASKETS TO ENDURE PROPER SEAL, AND CALL FOR SERVICE IF NEEDED. IN MEANTIME, INSTRUCTED PIC MOVED ALL POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS OUT OF COOLER AS DISCUSSED AND PLACE IN REACH-IN COOLER NEXT TO HANDSINK.

In double door reach-in, Observed cooked beans prepared yesterday at 57F. Must be below 41F. Instructed PIC to discard. Observed tamales at 48F. Must be below 41F. Observed milk in gallon at 49F. Must be below 41F. Precooked chicken observed at 54F. Must be below 41F. Beef previously cooked found at 60F. Must be at 41F or below. Cut lettuce observed at 51F. Must be at 41F or below. Unit appears not to be sufficient for the quantity of food prepared and stored. Discussed using it less for the quantity of food store, having unit serviced, proper cooling, and, perhaps, adding another commerical refrigerator for cold holding and/or cooling foods. Foods found over 41F were flash cooled via ice bath or adding ice to food or food was discarded. Single door reach-in, Observe unit at 54F. Raw pork product at 55F, beef product at 56F, previously cooked beef cubes at 58F. Unit should be held at 41F or below and products in the unit must also measure 41F or below. Instructed to cool with ice the food products that measured out of temperature, discard if held over 4 hours, check unit to ensure working correctly, ensure products placed in unit are monitored for food safety temperature control. Prep top cooler observed at 60F. Inside unit, guacamole found at 60F, salsa, 60F, cut lettuce, 62F, and cheese 58F. Discard product.

Upon entering kitchen for inspection, several pots and containers with warm food product were observed on stool(s) in front of the icemake. Chicken broth with chicken measured 116F, stew with tomato measured 118F, chicken (left of icemaker) measured 57.4F. All foods cooked, when cooled and stored, must be cooled from 135F to 70F within 2 hours and from 70F to below 41F within 4 more hours or less. Discussed with PIC. Ice baths place on 2 big pots of stew and broth and chicken to left of icemachine on counter was discarded. (NOTE:MUST COOL UNDER CONTROLLED REFRIGERATION OR CONTROLLED METHOD SUCH AS ICE BATH, ICE WAND, SMALLER PORTIONS IN REACHIN COOLER, ETC.).

PIC (main cook), when asked, was not aware of food safety principles such as correct hot-holding temps, cold holding temperatures, proper cooling procedures, proper thawing procedures, etc. CFSM is responsible for properly training a person in-charge that bears knowledge and can correctly answer food safety questions.

Certified Food Safety Manager certification expired May 2026. CFSM certification must be kept current. Please have complete by October 20, 2026.

Upon entering kitchen for inspection, observed soiled dishes stacked in 1st and second compartment, and in the left bin of the 2-compartmented prep sink. PIC removed and place on the stacked dishes in the 3rd compartment of the 3-compartment sink. Facility lacks adqueate space for proper ware-washing procedures that are sufficient for the magnitude of food that is prepared and served in this establishiment.

Observed lack of food safety training by CFSM to employees when PIC is asked several questions regarding food saftey, they answer them incorrectly or could not answer. Certified Food Safety Manager Responsibility is listed below: 1. The responsibility of the CFSM shall include the safety of food preparation and service by ensuring that all employees who handle, or have responsibility for handling, unpackaged foods of any kind, have sufficient knowledge of safe preparation and service of the food. The nature and extent of the knowledge that each employee is required to have may be tailored, as appropriate, to the employee’s duties related to food safety issues. 2. The CFSM shall: (i) Be the person-in-charge while on the premises of the food service establishment and shall designate someone else to be the person in charge when not on the premises; (ii) Supervise and instruct food service employees in the techniques of sanitary food handling and proper maintenance of the facility; (iii) Offer a training program for all food service employees to satisfy employee proficiency in their job responsibilities for food safety; (iv) Communicate with representatives of the Health Authority about the effectiveness of employee training programs; and (v) Assess training needs of the food service employees and request formal training as needed.

THAWING FOOD PRODUCT (Beef intestine bagged) IN STANDING WATER. MUST UTILIZE CIRCULATING COOL WATER. CORRECTED BY PROVIDING PROPER THAWING METHODS. One bag of intestine discarded as it was over 61F. The other bag measuring 37F was place under non-pool cool running water.

FACILITY NEEDS TO BE UPDATED AND BROUGHT UP TO CURRENT STANDARDS VIA 511-6-1. KITCHEN LACKS EQUIPMENT, SPACE FOR THE MAGNITUDE OF FOOD PREPARATION THEY ARE CONDUCTING. Some changes have been made; however, the facility kitchen is extremely crowded/cluttered and still lacks adequate prep space, equipment, storage space, etc. Discussed with owner and PIC. (person-in-charge).

Observed employee wash, rinse, and place dishes into the third compartment of the 3-compartment sink as required, but failed to ensure that all the dishes were completely submerged in the chlorine solution (50 ppm MAXIMUM). The dishes at the bottom in the solution were being properly sanitized; however, the ones stacked on top of the submerged ones were not in solution at all. Careful not to over-stack compartment. All dishes must be properly and completely submerged in sanitizing solution prior to air drying. Discussed with PIC method of correction for this. PIC corrected during inspection to ensure full submersion of food-contact surfaces/dishes/etc into the sanitizing solution.

Wiping cloths observed on apron of employee. All wiping cloths must be stored away dry, away dirty (awaiting laundering), or store in sanitizing buckets with chlorine at 100 ppm. PIC instructed employee to remove cloths off of apron.

FACILITY NEEDS TO BE UPDATED AND BROUGHT UP TO CURRENT STANDARDS VIA 511-6-1. KITCHEN LACKS EQUIPMENT, SPACE FOR THE MAGNITUDE OF FOOD PREPARATION THEY ARE CONDUCTING. Some changes have been made; however, the facility kitchen is extremely crowded/cluttered and still lacks adequate prep space, equipment, storage space, etc. Discussed with owner and PIC. (person-in-charge).