By Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch

State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including insects, moldy salads, and beef that was hauled to a restaurant in buckets from a questionable out-of-state slaughtering operation.

One restaurant agreed to close due to the “heavy presence” of cockroaches, and for the 11th time in the past 29 months, state inspectors cited a Des Moines food store for the same violation: failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff to ensure the safe handling of food.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.

The eating establishments listed have been edited to include only those in the Siouxland area. The list is a lot longer, but the editor of Siouxland Observer thought that narrowing it down to those in Sioux City and close by would make it more interesting to our readers.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment.

For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing website.

Qana Zegelila Bar and Restaurant, 1800 Pierce St., Sioux City – During a Nov. 20 visit, a Siouxland District Health Department inspector reported that he was unable to verify the eatery’s source for raw beef stored in one of the freezers.

The owner told the inspector the beef was purchased from an Omaha business and showed the inspector an invoice indicating the purchase of one whole cow for $2,250. The owner stated that he went to Omaha to pick up the meat and was instructed to bring his own containers to transport it. When purchased, the meat was allegedly unpackaged and unlabeled, with no indication of it ever being inspected. The owner of Qana Zegelila reported to the inspector that he loaded the raw meat into buckets for transportation back to Iowa.

The inspector contacted state officials and instructed the restaurant owner to refrain from using, moving or discarding any of the meat until further notice. The inspector also noted that cooked sauces and meats in the restaurant were not dated to ensure freshness and safety. In addition, the sauce that was used for dipping bread had been acquired “from a friend at home” and so, the inspector reported, it was removed from the premises.

In addition, cooked butter and raw cubed beef were being stored at room temperature and were measured at 69 degrees before the staff agreed to discard it. The inspector also observed bags of food or flour throughout the facility that were stored directly on the floor.

Mireille’s Tropical Food Market, 4023 Floyd Blvd., Sioux City – During a Nov. 16 visit, a Siouxland District Health Department inspector reported that he was unable to determine whether some of the fish that was offered for sale was from an approved source.

“I could not see where any of the salt fish came from,” he reported. “Several of the food containers did not have a name of the product, address where it was made, net weight or quantity, or ingredients on the label. Several of the fish or packaged meat products did not have any label at all … All salt fish is placed on hold until I can verify it is from an approved food processing facility.”

Family Fresh Sushi, 1704 Okoboji Ave., Milford – During a Nov. 15 visit, a Siouxland District Health Department inspector cited the restaurant for storing raw, unprepared sushi products, as well as raw salmon and tuna, above the ready-to-eat sushi products inside a retail cooler, risking cross-contamination. In addition, crab meat, shrimp and cut lettuce were not date-marked to ensure freshness and safety.

The inspector also noted that a worker was not monitoring the pH logs daily and was unsure how to utilize the pH meter to measure acidity levels. (Acidity levels are an indicator of the potential for bacteria to grow in sushi rice.) The inspector noted that although the visit took place on Nov. 15, the daily logs through Nov. 20 had somehow been completed already – a fact the owner was unable to explain. The business was also unable to provide the inspector with the required letters documenting parasite destruction.

While the inspector watched, a worker handled raw tuna with gloved hands, and then failed to wash their hands before beginning food preparation. In addition, one worker used a knife and cutting board to prepare raw tuna, then failed to wash the items before initiating the preparation of ready-to-eat food.

The inspector concluded the staff was not following all of the required procedures of the Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan that is mandatory in the preparation of sushi. The inspector cited specific issues with regard to pH calibration, cooling prepared sushi rolls prior to retail sale, and the business’ ware-washing procedures.

The inspector also reported that frozen tuna was not removed from vacuum-sealed packaging prior to thawing, a process that helps ensure the food is safe to eat, and that the cabinets were visibly soiled with grease. In addition, the business’ license and most recent inspection report were not posted for the public to see.

When the inspector asked a worker to properly calibrate the pH meter and properly prepare a rice slurry, the worker replied, “Something is wrong with it,” and was unable to complete the task without assistance from the inspector.

The inspector informed the owner that since the establishment did not have the required HACCP plan, it could no longer prepare food as it had been doing. The owner agreed to temporarily close the establishment so the situation could be addressed.

Due to the heavy presence of cockroach-like insects in the kitchen area, the person in charge stated that the establishment would remain voluntarily closed until pest-control applications could be completed.

McDonald’s, 912 W. Highway 30, Carroll – During an Oct. 26 visit, a state inspector observed an employee washing their hands without soap and saw an employee taking out the trash and coming back to the food-preparation line to begin handling food without first washing their hands. One employee returned to the food preparation area after a visit to the restroom and began helping a customer without first washing their hands.

Inside a cooler, the inspector found commercially processed ham that was measured at 56 degrees and commercially processed eggs that were measured at 54 degrees. Both food items were discarded. In addition, the inspector noted that several items on the food preparation line had no time stamps to ensure freshness. Those items included cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Several items — including sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce – inside a cooler were marked with a use-by date of 6:20 a.m., Oct. 25 – although the person in charge stated the items were assembled at 10 a.m. that morning, Oct. 26. The inspector also made note of what appeared to be encrusted food debris inside the “clean” ice cream machine.

The inspection was in response to a complaint from a person who alleged they became ill after eating at the restaurant. The inspector deemed the complaint unverified.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

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