‘Unsanitary conditions’ temporarily close restaurants in Fresno area in June

A pair of restaurants were temporarily closed for “unsanitary conditions” following inspections from Fresno County’s Department of Public Health in June.

Jodie’s Mexican Restaurant, on Herndon and Willow avenues in Clovis, was order closed (and some of its food to be discarded) after a June 10 inspection found “numerous unsanitary conditions, deficiencies in facility maintenance and non-functional equipment.”

The restaurant had more than a dozen violations, including a non-operational dishwasher and the improper storage of its dishes and utensils. According to the report (and accompanying photographs) cleaned dishes were being stored alongside “visibly soiled” dishes that had been used already.

The restaurant was closed for two days and has since corrected the violations, according to a follow-up inspection report dated July 1.

Lum’s Chop Suey was closed for nearly a week following a June 23 inspection.

The downtown Fresno restaurant on Divisadero Street had “no working refrigeration in kitchen,” according to the inspection report. Food items were being stored in chest freezers, in non-commerical refrigerators and in a shed outside the restaurant.

Those issues (and several others) had been remedied by June 29, when a reinspection found “proper hot and cold holding temperatures maintained” and “food contact surfaces clean and sanitized.”

The businesses were the only two listed on the county’s Food Facility Closure Report for June, which was posted last week.

The monthly reports are made available online and detail temporary closures ordered by the county’s Environmental Health Division for violations found during inspections.

Last month, the county reported closures at five food businesses, including two in the same Clovis shopping center. According to data tracked by The Bee, a total of 31 restaurants, mobile food vendors and markets have now been closed, for a day or more, since the start of the year.

How do county health inspections work?

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

These inspectors make unannounced visits several times a year and can also be called out following fires or changes in ownership or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public. This includes when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues (if someone sees a rat, let’s say).

These inspectors work through a detailed list of more than 50 items that can lead to a violation.

It can be simple and bureaucratic. Does the business have the proper license and permit? Has it submitted plans for a remodel? Does management and employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates on hand.

But it can also be things like the hygiene of individual employee, the temperature control systems (used 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.

Serious violations, those that pose an imminent health hazard, will trigger closure and mandatory reinspections.

This includes things like rodent or roach infestations, or overall sanitation (see above). Refrigerators that don’t keep food cold enough or steam tables that don’t keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth may also trigger a closure. Also, clogged sinks or drains that allow contaminated water can back up into kitchens.

Also, hot water. This is one of the most common (and quickly fixed) reasons for closure, according to data viewed by The Bee.

Most closures are temporary and last no longer than a few days.