E. coli in well water closes Fresno County food market, inspection report says

A grocery store in Easton was temporarily closed after water from a nearby well tested positive for E. coli.

The well supplies water to the store and an adjacent home, according to reports made available from the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

Big Potato Market, on Elm Avenue south of Fresno, was closed Dec. 1 after water resamples tested positive for bacteria, according to reports. Original samples were taken in late November from a two-compartment sink in the meat department. The well was ordered cleaned and disinfected. The store was allowed to reopen, but was restricted to prepackaged food sales only.

The market was one of eight businesses listed on county’s food facility closures report for December.

* Island Pacific Supermarket, on First Street and Bullard Avenue. The market’s bakery closed in November as it worked through a remodel. The business has yet to submit building remodel plans.

* The Foodmart at Maguire’s Chevron on Ventura Avenue. The shop was closed for less than a day following a Dec. 3 inspection. A lack of hot water was cited for the closure. This is one of the most commonly seen (and easily fixed) health code violations.

* Adina Valley Market on Elm Avenue south of Fresno. The grocery store meat department closed after inspectors found there was no running water at the facility. It reopened, with hot and cold water, the following day.

* Taqueria Tapia Y Gomez, also on Elm Avenue. The restaurant closed for two days due to a cockroach infestation, according to the report.

* The Raw Earth Juicery on Temperance Avenue in Clovis. It closed following a Dec. 3 inspection. It reopened later that same day. The business had been operating with an expired permit, according to inspections records, though it was also cited for having a lack dish washing soap, sanitizing bleach and floor cleaner.

* Churro Cart #2. It was hut down following a Dec. 6 inspection due to damaged plumbing. It has yet to reopen, according to the county report.

* The McDonald’s at Shields and Brawley avenues. The fast food restaurant was closed due to “inconsistent hot water temperature” at various sinks within the facility. A plumber was called in and the restaurant reopened the following day.

How do county health inspections work?

The Fresno County Public Health Department has about two dozen environmental health specialists and monitor almost 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county.

Inspectors make unannounced visits several times a year, but are also called out following fires, or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public. This includes when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants.

These inspectors work through a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 items that can be cause for violation.

It can be simple and bureaucratic: whether the business has the proper license or permit or have submitted plans for a remodel (to check an example above) or whether management and employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates. But it can also be things like the hygiene of individual employees or temperature control systems (to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees) or sanitation. Do the facilities do proper sterilization on counters, tables, utensils and cookware? What is the overall cleanliness of a building (are restrooms stocked with supplies, for example)? Are sinks and floor drains working properly?

Inspectors chronicle their findings in reports made available to the public in a searchable database online.

In most instances, problems can be fixed on the spot. That includes things like having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas; replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets.

But serious violations, those that pose an imminent health hazard, will trigger closure and mandatory reinspections. This includes things like rat or roach infestations, or a lack of hot water, but also refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth. Clogged sinks or drains, can also call for a closure, as contaminated water can back up into kitchens.

The department logs these closures in its online report each month.

Nine food businesses were temporarily closed in November. Some of those were allowed to reopen within days. Others were closed for a week or more.

Over the year, a total of 90 restaurants and food businesses were temporarily closed following health department inspections, according to data collected by The Bee.