Cockroaches found at Modesto elementary school during health inspections

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Live cockroaches were observed coming out of the floor sink at a Modesto elementary school during Stanislaus County health inspections conducted in May.

A Turlock elementary school had a major violation during an inspection that resulted from a complaint.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county receive two unannounced routine food safety inspections per year, according to the Department of Environmental Resources. The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.

Food trucks that operate under a Stanislaus County Health Department permit also are inspected by the county, though those are scheduled and done at the department’s office.

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Of the 85 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday, eight were not updated on the site as of Thursday morning.

Cockroaches at Modesto school among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of May 12-18. Only the dates of violations are listed.

The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.

The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website.

Donut Basket, 1725 Prescott Road in Modesto, had three violations May 12 — one of them major. The reach-in cooler containing potentially hazardous foods was noted at 52 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). The potable hot water throughout the facility was at 110 degrees (120 degrees minimum). Grime and moldlike growth were observed on the interior walls of the ice machine.

Farmer Boys, 1701 Prescott Road in Modesto, had three violations May 12 — one of them major. Cold-holding bins were overfilled with potentially hazardous food ingredients and placed “haphazardly” atop the ice. The top portion of the contents was at 47 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). The reach-in freezer and coolers’ handles were soiled with food debris. A prep table was found nonoperational and ice had been placed underneath the cold-holding bins.

Mary Lou Dieterich Elementary School, 2412 Warm Springs Road in Modesto, had two major violations May 13. Live cockroaches were spotted coming out of the floor sink near the oven, “posing (an) imminent health hazard.” The warm water at the employee bathroom sink was at 130 degrees (must be between 100 and 108 degrees).

Walmart Supercenter, 3848 McHenry Ave. in Modesto, had three violations May 14. There was significant ice accumulation observed within the bakery walk-in freezer. The fan covers within the milk cooler were coated with dirt and grime. An indirect waste line beneath the three-compartment sink in the bakery/deli area terminated within the floor sink. No air gap was present.

Filipino Corner, 1545 Tully Road, Suite 1, in Modesto, had nine violations May 14 — three of them major. Three containers of protein items in metal pots were on the floor of the walk-in refrigerator. Two packages of frozen chicken were thawing in a sink (must be thawed under cold running water, in the microwave or during the cooking process). An unapproved freezer was in use. Untreated wood shelving was added to the store room. Numerous ants were seen crawling on this shelf.

The sanitizer level in a bucket was at 200 ppm chlorine (must be 100 ppm). Paper towel dispenser was lacking at the hand-washing sink. The food safety certificate, food handler cards and health permit were lacking.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection May 21.

Casa Maestro’s Cocina & Tequila Bar, 901 10th St. in Modesto, had eight violations May 15. An insect was found in bottle of whiskey at the bar. The two soda dispenser nozzles at the bar were soiled, and two bar glasses had lipstick on them. Several cutting boards were worn and rendered difficult to clean. The doors to the prep table were soiled. Paper towels were empty in both dispensers. The sanitizer level in a bucket at the bar was too low. The health permit and food safety certificate were lacking.

One violation remained during a reinspection May 22.

Salvation Army Red Shied Community Center, 1649 Las Vegas St. in Modesto, had three violations May 15. Several food items were on the floor outside the walk-in refrigerator. The exhaust hood and filters were soiled with grease accumulation. The level of chlorine sanitizer was low in the dishwasher.

Taqueria Cardenas, 1017 J St. in Modesto, had two violations May 15 — one of them major. Several pounds of frozen meat and chicken were thawing in a sink. The surface under a cutting board at the prep table was soiled with food.

Dutcher Elementary School, 1441 Colorado Ave. in Turlock, had two violations during an inspection May 15 that was the result of a complaint. One of the violations was major. The complaint alleged milk was being served spoiled as well as frozen. While milk was being stored in refrigerators at the correct temperature range, kitchen staff was taking the milk out of the refrigerators in small batches to serve during lunch. The milk was placed in a nonoperational island unit containing cold bags with ice packs in them. Per the kitchen manager, the unit was nonoperational since May 12, when it was noted out of temp at 70 degrees.

All violations were noted as corrected May 28.

Kung Fu Tea, 3440 McHenry Ave., Suite D14, in Modesto, had four violations May 16 — one of them major. Sanitizer buckets were set up upon inspection, but no sanitizer test strips were available upon inspection. The hot water spigot was leaking at the food-preparation sink. One of the hand-washing sinks in the kitchen area was not functional. Paper towels were sitting outside of the automatic towel dispenser in the bathroom.

The Chicken Barn, 1700 McHenry Ave., Suite J, in Modesto, had three major violations during an inspection May 16 that was the result of a complaint. The complaint alleged a customer placed a DoorDash order and upon opening the delivery bag, there was an unpleasant, overpowering smell coming from the chicken nuggets. The customer reported being concerned about the food quality.

The hot-holding unit had chicken with temperatures between 117 and 130 degrees (must be 135 degrees or higher). The display refrigerator contained cooked chicken at 45 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower), and the manager said the chicken was stored in it the previous night. One employee was observed touching his or her nose and then handling food.

Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:

Minor violations

According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one or two violations, none of them major, are:

• Pizza Hut, 2600 Mitchell Road, Suite P, Ceres

• Subway, 1630 E. Hatch Road, Suite F, Modesto

No violations

These food facilities had no violations, according to the county: