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

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Nineteen restaurants and food stores in Annapolis and elsewhere in Anne Arundel County were cited for what county health inspectors called “critical violations” in the October 2016 report just released. Several of the problems were noted at mall and BWI restaurants, along with one area yacht club.

The county health department has posted a list of 409 restaurant and food service inspections online, and says 19 were found to have critical problems. Businesses were inspected between Oct. 1 and 31; findings were released Nov. 18.

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

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

Find the full inspection list here and explanations for the citations on the health department website.

Those restaurants and businesses with critical violations were:

• Wetzel's Pretzels, 8650 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis
• Blackwall Hitch, 400 Sixth Street, Annapolis
• Carmelo's, 419 S. Camp Meade Rd., Linthicum
• Country Inn & Suites, BWI Airport, 1717 West Nursery Road, Linthicum
• Eastport Yacht Club, 317 First Street, Annapolis
• Fresh Healthy Cafe, 1021 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 2451 Riva Road, Annapolis
• Iron Rooster, 12 Market Space, Annapolis
• Jersey Mike's Subs, 7645 Arundel Mills Blvd., Hanover
• Latin Quarter/Metropolitan Kitchen, 169 West Street, Annapolis
• Lebanese Taverna, 2478 Solomons Island Rd., Annapolis
• Linthicum Luncheteria, 412 S. Camp Meade Rd., Linthicum
• Maryland Correctional Institute for Women, 7943 Brock Bridge Road, Jessup
• NG BWI ATL - #3131, 1212 Winterson Road, Linthicum
• Nova Sushi Bar & Asian Fusion, 3257 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater
• O'Callaghan Hotel, 174 West Street, Annapolis
• Potbelly Sandwich Works, BWI Pier C, Baltimore
• Shoppers Food Warehouse, 2371 Solomons Island Road, Annapolis
• South River Colony Exxon, 111 Mitchells Chance Road, Edgewater
• Sushi Q, 691 Old Mill Rd., Millersville

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.
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.
• 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.

• SEE ALSO:
• 'Critical' Food Violations Found at Anne Arundel Restaurants: September 2016
• 'Critical' Food Violations Found at Anne Arundel Restaurants
• 'Critical' Food Violations Found at Anne Arundel Restaurants: July 2016
• 'Critical' Food Violations Found at Anne Arundel Restaurants: August 2016