Nursing home, eatery at DOT headquarters fail food establishment inspections in Central Connecticut Health District

At least 17 food establishments in the Central Connecticut Health District failed inspections in the last six months, including a nursing home/rehabilitation center and the eatery at the state Department of Transportation headquarters that is run by an outside company.

The CCHD serves Berlin, Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield.

The Courant obtained the public records through a Freedom of Information Act request. The records were delivered promptly and without charge.

Records show most of the food establishments on the list that did not pass initially did so upon reinspection. A few establishments failed their reinspections as well and have new reinspections pending.

Inspectors in the district found a range of violations, including food at improper temperatures during various stages - considered one of the most serious - as well as unclean conditions on food prep surfaces, pizza pans, the inside of microwaves and ovens, as well as ungloved hands prepping food.

Director of Health Charles Brown said the department's inspectors work every day to "prevent an outbreak," of sickness.

"If we do our jobs, nothing happens," Brown said. "All those people who have safe and healthy food can thank an inspector."

While the inspection form currently used by the district includes a lot of check boxes regarding temperature and cleanliness, there's a "paradigm shift" to focus on watching the handling of food in the kitchen to see that it's handled and cooked safely, Brown said.

The shift is in keeping with the FDA model, he said, noting the forms inspector's use will change soon .

Brown said the unannounced inspections capture only a "snapshot" in time.

The inspections are scored and those who receive 80 and above pass, unless they receive even one four-point violation. A four-point violation is an automatic fail because those violations can pose the highest risk for foodborne illness. In other words, a score of 96 could be a fail if those four points represent one of the four-point violations such as improper temperatures for potentially hazardous food or the lack of accessibility to sinks.

In the CCHD, the inspection forms include a score on the record, whereas in some districts that isn't the case.

The food establishments that failed include:

They had four-point violations including for accessibility of hand wash areas and the condition of cans under "not dented, rusty, bloated, leaking."

An inspector noted in the inspection report that pizza pans, an interior reach-in cooler, condiment storage, walls were "dirty," milk crates were used for shelving; the stove hood was dirty and dripping; raw meat was stored above ready to eat food, shelving was less than 6 off floor; there were "excessive" drain flies at the bar.

An owner or manager didn't return a call for comment.

They had a four-point violation for food not being at the correct temperature.

An inspector's notes state the noncommercial microwave needs to be replaced with one for commercial use, cutting boards were unclean, a box freezer needed thawing, there were no training records for workers available on site.

A message was left for an administrator who did not return call for comment.

An inspector noted that a hand sink is blocked with a trash can, there was no thermometer in the reach in cooler, the reach in cooler was rusty and "counters unclean with food products throughout."

An email was sent to the company's corporate media department, which requested a copy of the documents. the paperwork was sent via email, but ultimately no one responded.

They had a four-point violation for food cans not being in good condition.

The inspector notes the establishment had dirty and damaged oven mitts, a dirty stand up stationary mixer, dented cans in dry storage, a dirty oven interior, dirty walk in cooler floor.

The cafeteria is run by an outside company. A DOT spokesman referred the Courant to the person in charge of the food service, a district manager of Epicurean Feast/Sebastian's but the manager didn't respond to an email seeking comment.

They had a four point violation for having food in a hand sink. The inspector noted an unclean rear walk in freezer floor that was unclean.

Manager Cheryl Labas said the food in the sink was a tiny piece of tomato that was about to be removed and just dropped there. She said the problems were resolved.

A list of items in the inspector's notes include: fly catchers over food prep area, a non commercial microwave that must be replaced with a commercial one, a directive not to reuse plastic wrap for food prep and storage.

No one at the restaurant could be reached for comment.

An inspector's notes also stated there were cardboard containers on the floor, a non-self closing restroom door, no training documentation for the staff.

A man who identified himself as the owner, but didn't want his name used, said tray of dirty dishes happened to be in front of a sink, but it was on wheels so it could easily moved.

The restaurant had four-point violations for incorrect temperatures.

In notes the inspector wrote that a food worker was prepping ready to eat food without gloves, food containers were being reused, a thermometer was missing from a reach in cooler, food was stored on a countertop, wiping clothes were unclean and not sanitized, food was uncovered, a food slicer was unclean, walls throughout were covered with "food splatter. "

Owner Michael Milios said he's upset about the inspection results being published because he and his family work so hard to run the successful restaurant.

Milios said a cooler was off because it had just started to go and he was replacing it.

As for the ungloved worker, he said, "That one person was yelled at," and everyone has worn their gloves since. He said he was out the day of the inspection.

Milios also noted the inspector ordered food from the restaurant the day of his re-inspection.

Notes from the inspector state there was an iced up fan leaking condensate, a gauged, unclean cutting board and drain flies.

The manager could bot be reached for comment.

Four-point violations were related to food temperatures.

The inspectors notes include, "do not store tray on garbage," "clean dish area walls," "Do not store ice scoop on top of unsanitary surface."

The owner/manager could not be reached for comment.

They had three four-point violations involving internal cooking temperatures and proper handwashing procedures.

The inspector's notes state there was rusty and dirty shelving, unlabeled food containers, uncovered cheese and sauce in the walk-in cooler, medication stored on a shelf above the cooking area, toilet paper not in the dispenser in the men's room, dish stored racks on the floor, knives stored in stagnant water, an unclean, rusted surface on a lower prep table.

A person identifying himself as the manager declined comment.

An inspector's notes include comments about wiping clothes in use not being stored in sanitizer, no soap dispenser over the hand sink, food stored in the beverage reach in cooler.

A man at the restaurant who identified himself as the owner said, " I got no comment. The problems have been corrected."

An inspector's notes from the visit include: water leaking into a bucket in walk in cooler, dry storage on the floor, a bucket of rice stored on the floor, a sticky floor, personal item under a prep table.

No one at the restaurant could be reached for comment.

They received a four-point violation for incorrect temperatures.

Notes of by the inspector include directing them to clean the exterior and surfaces of the grease covered oven and note the top is rusted on large box freezer, unclean cutting boards.

Neither the manager nor the owner could be reached for comment.

The inspector noted in the report a hood "dripping grease," an unclean lid on the ice machine, a cooler floor that was "very slippery," soy sauce on floor of walk in cooler.

Neither the owner nor manager could be reached for comment.

The inspector noted an unclean slicer, boxed hot dogs kept on the floor of a walk in freezer.

Manager Kim Cornell said she got the four-point demerit for the sink sprayer hanging below the edge of the sink. She said there was a place for it to hang, but someone failed to put it back after using the sprayer. Cornell said she has since fixed it so the sprayer can't go that far.

Cornell said some parts of the inspection seem like "over governance."

She said, "At least our violations aren't food related. "

Heather Oatis, supervising sanitarian for CCHD clarified why the sprayer is an issue.

"When the sprayer is submerged below the flood rim of the sink, there could be back pressure in the system which could suck contaminated water from that sink basin back into the potable water supply. It is an automatic failure because there is no backflow prevention device," she said.

The establishment had two four-point violations related to temperatures and one for a hose connection issue related to siphonage and baxck flow Oatis spoke of.

The inspector noted trash on the ground behind the dumpster, an unlabeled spray bottle, an unclean stainless steel work surface unclean, areas of the floor that were damaged and unclean; eggs stored over cookie dough in walk in cooler; a microwave that was unclean, inside and out.

The person who answered the phone at the eatery declined comment.

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