'Critical' Food Violations Found at Anne Arundel Restaurants: July 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD — More than 30 restaurants and food stores in Annapolis and elsewhere in Anne Arundel County were cited for what county health inspectors called “critical violations” in the July 2016 report just released.

The county health department has posted a list of 435 restaurant and food service inspections online, and 32 were found to have critical problems. Five businesses had violations on two inspection dates.

Most of the problems were for employees who didn’t wash their hands properly or food not stored at a proper temperature.

Find explanations for the citations on the health department website.

Those restaurants and businesses were:

• 4 Seasons Curry & Kabab in Crofton
• WI Urban BBQ in Linthicum
• Chick-fil-A in Gambrills
• Chick-fil-A in Annapolis Mall
• Crofton Depot Carryout in Crofton
• Double T Diner in Annapolis (on 2 inspection dates)
• Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins in Gambrills (on 2 inspection dates)
• Elks Lodge #622 in Edgewater
• Fortune Cookie Express in Crofton
• Frisco Tap House II in Gambrills
• G & M Restaurant in Linthicum
• Giolitti Delicatessen in Annapolis
• HMS Host Starbucks in Baltimore
• Kodo Hibachi & Sushi in Gambrills
• La Bella Italia in Friendship
• Lima's Chicken in Annapolis
• Little Italy Pizza Kitchen in Annapolis (on 2 inspection dates)
• McDonald's at BWI Airport (on 2 inspection dates)
• Papa John's in Annapolis
• Pho One-O Restaurant & Lounge in Hanover
• Royal Farms Store in Severn
• Safeway store in Annapolis
• Steak 'n Shake in Millersville
• Subway in Crownsville
• Thursday's Steak & Crab House in Galesville
• Wendy's in Annapolis (on 2 inspection dates)
• Yolavie in Annapolis Mall

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health inspects restaurants and other food service facilities routinely to monitor the sanitary and physical conditions at each establishment.

Inspectors evaluate nine critical food safety items, which are those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness. If a critical food safety violation is discovered, it must be either corrected immediately or the facility risks being closed.

View the current Food Service Inspection Report for a list of facilities inspected by the department from July 1-31. Of the 435 facilities inspected, 32 had critical food safety item violations that were corrected.

• View past Food Service Inspection Reports by date

Indicates type of inspection:
ICI - Initial Comprehensive Inspection: Complete environmental inspection which includes both critical and sanitation items and food flow process (HACCP)
IM(1 or 2) - Monitoring Inspection: Specialized inspections performed to monitor critical steps of food handling for potentially hazardous foods.
R(or R2) - Reinspection
Column 5: Critical food safety items found NOT in compliance. Any critical items found to be in violation must be corrected during the inspection. Numbers appearing in this column indicate the food safety item found in violation.

These numbers correspond to the following critical items:

• Food must be obtained from an approved source.
• Food must be protected from adulteration, spoilage and contamination.
• Food workers must be restricted during illness or infection.
• Food workers must practice effective handwashing.
• Food must be properly cooled.
• a. Food must be held at proper cold holding temperature.
• All existing refrigeration equipment must maintain the internal temperature of potentially hazardous food at 41 degrees F or less.
• b. Food must be held at proper hot holding temperature.
• a. Food must be cooked to proper temperature.
• b. Food must be reheated to proper temperature.
• Potable hot and cold running water must be provided.
• Sewage must be properly discharged.

Ways to spot a possibly unclean restaurant kitchen are:

• Outdoor space: If the exterior is unkempt and littered, don't trust the inside.
• How clean is the restroom? Smells and overflowing trash cans are a red flag.
• Well-groomed employees: Are they washed, do they wear gloves when handling food, and do they wash their hands? If not, be careful.
• Healthy servers: If your waiter is sneezing or coughing, ask for another or consider leaving
• Table cleaning: Is a clean rag and disinfectant used to clean the table's surface? If not, the staff could just be spreading germs around.